The potent archetypal energies surrounding this moon illuminate dynamics within the sign of Leo, including home and family, relishing the spotlight, finding and expressing humor in any situation and, loyal partnerships. With Jupiter and Uranus in the mix, you may find relationships getting a shakeup, or something within you will shift and give rise to the need to break away from the old paradigm. With Saturn watching carefully over this Mystic Rectangle (between Sun, Moon, Uranus and Jupiter), we have the pressure to respond, and yet the commitment to make magic from the mess. You find the serenity and strength to handle emotions that arise at this time, or you provide the stability and support for others who come to you seeking advice.
Take the opportunity at this time of transition to revel in the loyalty and laughter that is the hallmark of Leo, while rejoicing in the push and pull of Jupiter and Saturn that assists you in manifesting your wildest flashes of intuition.
Alchemical Ritual for the Leo Full Moon
As a fire sign, Leo is passionately driven toward an exuberant expression of self and reveling in the company and attention of others. On the low side, Leo becomes aggressive or arrogant, or the opposite: shy with a lack of self-confidence. This full moon ritual for Leo emphasizes the high side of Leo so that we step out of the shadow, into our own light and present it to the world with joy and love.
Leo's ruler is the sun, which represents the light of full consciousness. However, if the sun burns to brightly, it singes all those who touch it. And, without the sun, it leaves others cold and unfeeling. Leo’s inherent warmth must be generous, and humble; the perfect combination to allow Leo’s energy to shine appropriately. To keep Leo’s energy elevated in this ritual, gather yellow stones such as citrine, topaz or jasper, and place them in the center of your ritual space. You may also place your sacred items in a gold (or gold-colored) bowl or chalice, as gold compliments the sun.
Bring in the fire element in some way, by surrounding your ritual space with candles. Fire, being the inherent energy of the sun. Frankincense oil may be used to anoint your third eye and solar plexus chakra before and after the ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light your candles and dim the lights. Sit in the center of your space and bring the hands together at the heart center. Close the eyes, and turn the inner gaze to the third eye and say the following invocation aloud:
Sun, light my way so that I may shine brightly for the benefit of all.
Do one round of a yogic breath called skull-shining (kapalabhati) to ignite the inner flame and fan it toward the third eye, allowing you to clearly see how to bring the fullest expression of yourself into the world. Place one hand on the abdomen as you sharply exhale through the nose. Repeat this rapidly for 10 - 20 repetitions. The sensation is the same as blowing the nose, or coughing as you use the abdominal muscles to push the air to the top of the nasal passages, and then out the nose. Allow the inhale to be passive, as the shoulders stay relaxed and the mouth stays closed.
After the skull-shining breath, resume normal breathing and notice the energy shift in the body. Ask yourself silently: “How may I best be of service to others?” Allow time for a subtle answer. It may be one you expect, or not! Whatever answer comes is the right one for you at this time. Hold your hand over your upper belly as you breathe into the answer you receive and feel it take hold of you, inside and out.
When complete, turn the internal gaze to the third eye and chant Om three times. Snuff the candles and write down the answer that you received (either on paper or as a reminder on your phone), so that you place your attention on it daily until sharing your gift becomes a natural extension of your daily life. This ritual allows you to know your purpose, understanding that the fullest expression of yourself is the greatest gift you give to the world.
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
Our new Cauliflower “Buffalo” Hummus below is perfect for the big game! Serve it with veggies like sliced cucumbers, carrot and celery sticks.
If you want to go all out, try our Green Pea or our Beet Hummus. All three together would make a beautiful spread.
No Super Bowl spread would be complete without our all-time favorite Spinach Artichoke Dip. We made this when the Broncos were in the Super Bowl last year, and it’s now a regular at most of our potlucks and parties.
Pair any of these healthy alternatives with one of our Conscious Cocktails and make your 80:20 splurge like a rockstar would.
For more healthy alternatives that will keep you feeling on top of your game, be sure to check our our 80:20 Plan.
What’s on your game day menu? Be sure to leave us a comment below.
Cheers,
Cauliflower “Buffalo” Hummus
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup cauliflower, steamed for 8-10 minutes 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained ¼ cup plus 2 TB hot sauce (make sure to use a high quality hot sauce with no preservatives!) 2 TB apple cider vinegar ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper 3 cloves garlic ⅓ cup tahini ½ tsp. sea salt ¼ cup olive oil 1 tsp. fresh parsley, basil, or chives Carrot and celery sticks, for dipping
Instructions: In a food processor fitted with an S-blade place cauliflower, garbanzo beans, hot sauce, vinegar, cayenne pepper, garlic, tahini, and sea salt. Puree until smooth (it can take a few minutes due to the cauliflower). Once smooth slowly add the olive oil and continue to puree until creamy. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with additional hot sauce and fresh herbs if desired. Serve with carrot and celery sticks.
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
You’ll notice that the sequence ends with Lotus Pose. Lotus is a beautiful pose and one that many of us pine for. But I promise you that doing Lotus does not make you a better person or a better yogi and, if you force your way into the pose, you will feel physically terrible afterward. Surely this is not your goal after asana practice! My point is, if you are naturally very open or are familiar with the pose, feel free to finish with Lotus. If not, then it’s just as valuable to end in Ardha Padmasana (Half Lotus) or with your legs crossed in Sukhasana (Easy Pose) and your attention drawn inward. (And for more hip opening, here’s a full sequence that specifically focuses on building up to Lotus.)
By Jason Crandell
Jason Crandell and Andrea Ferretti are a husband and wife team who have been teaching, writing about, and living their yoga for nearly two decades. Andrea is the former executive editor of Yoga Journal and is now creative director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method. Jason is an internationally recognized teacher known for his precise, empowering, down-to-earth approach to vinyasa yoga. They live together in San Francisco with their full-time boss, Sofia-Rose Crandell, age 3. To read their blog or to learn more about Jason's upcoming teacher trainings, please visit their web site www.jasonyoga.com
In certain situations, running on autopilot works. Cleaning the house, washing your car, chopping vegetables—no need to analyze a thing. In the rest of our lives, learning to pay exquisite attention to the guidance from our minds and hearts can only elevate our experience. Developing this consciousness on our yoga mats, then living it off our yoga mats can lead to a powerful shift.
Yoga and other creative, brain-stimulating activities help us break 'autopilot' consciousness by moving in new, challenging ways and creating a mind-body relationship. In fact, they actually help you hone your ability to focus and then perform better when you engage in activities with more repetitive motions, like skiing and snowboarding.
Two new classes from Claire Petretti Marti, Sharpen Your Edge: Skier Flow and Power Up for Powder Days: Snowboarder Flow were developed to enhance every level of your performance. Concentrating on creating strength and flexibility both inside and out for these specific sports allows you to find your flow on the slopes.
Ben Davis’ new Fitness 'n' Yoga + Weights: Boxing Class is an excellent class when you want to gain strength and dexterity with a mind-body twist. This isn’t just a workout, it’s an exercise in sharpening both your physical and your mental agility.
For an overall practice with a bhakti twist, try Christen Bakken's Flow Out of Autopilot. Emerge from any rut you might be stuck in with her creative and conscious instruction.
Take the opportunity this week to shine the light of your awareness on your habits. Mindfulness is the first step in creating a shift. Practice on the mat with us and then share your awareness with the world.
“So how do I become a drama-free person you ask?”
Well first, you have to understand what drama is. If you are overreacting, getting agitated at everything and talking about it way too much then and you’re caught in the drama zone. If people around you are doing the same and you happen to be on the other end, listening, having to intervene and even participating actively, you have also made it to the drama zone. And generally speaking you feel yourself getting tense, anxious, bothered and resentful? Only to realize that the whole situation is pointless and could have easily been avoided?? That’s drama right there.
Drama can be caused by ourselves directly or by people we choose to let into our lives.
And now ask yourself: Are you going to fuel that surge of drama, or are you going to let it plummet onto its death bed?
if you choose the second, or at lest know deep inside yourself that it was the right answer, you are ready for this blog post.
Here are some basic tips on how to live a drama free life, rather filled with quality time, solid people, self worth, peace of mind and zen-like sleep.
1. Don’t gossip
For as much as discussing other people’s lives can be gratifying in the short term, you know you always feel crappy after you said it. And it didn’t do any good. Actually you might have just spread a rumor. And it’s going to be twisted, taken out of context, and before you know it you’re talking sh** about someone you actually consider a friend.
Instead, when you hold back the “Oh my gosh you know what so-and-so did???!!” you are going to feel so much better about yourself, so much more mature and yes, even superior, because you are not lowering yourself to the standards of someone who needs to talk about others to enrich their own lives.
2. Don’t make it a big deal
It’s the half-empty or half full glass attitude. It you tell yourself it’s not a big deal, it won’t be. But if you make a big fuss, then I guarantee you it will be. For example, today you got a parking ticket. Yes, it could potentially be enough to put you in a bad mood and start an avalanche of negative self-predicament. Which in turn will give you license to say you had “a bad day” and lick your wounds in sorrow at home. Instead, just say, “It’s not a big deal, it’s only a parking ticket” and pay it right away (or contest it 😉 and move on, drama free. After all, it could have been worse! Remember: you have the power to DECIDE that that parking ticket isn’t ruining your day. You just won’t let it, because it’s mind over matter situation.
3. Be reliable
As far as I’ve known, reliability never causes drama. Flakiness on the other hand does because it’s direspecuful and causes misunderstandings. There’s nothing more annoying than the person who can never commit to making plans. (Many of those in California by the way) “Let’s play it by ear. I might see you there, but not sure yet, let’s talk as that date gets closer and see how we feel, let’s go with the flow”
What flow? I’m busy, so are you, and unless we actually make plans we’re never going to get together, and I will eventually stop making time for you. So commit, be bold once in a while and pencil me into your calendar please. The friend who is never available to hang out except for when it’s convenient for them is lousy, so you owe it to yourself to get that person out of your life STAT.
Keep in mind that friendship is based on mutual efforts which include values such as reliability. If someone can’t be reliable enough to make time for you and stick to the plans then they are not your friend but are bound to bring a whole lot of drama.
4. Tell it like it is
When you are faking it, everyone knows it. And eventually someone is going to call you out on it and it’s going to lead to a whole lot of drama. Don’t pretend you like my dress if you don’t. Just be smart and don’t say anything, or work up a little personality to say it in funny way that will make me not care. If something bothers you, say something right away. I know it’s hard, but the longer you wait, the more complicated it will become. And when issues aren’t discussed resentment builds and someone will blow up. So talk it out. Say it with a smile if you can. Do it kindly. You will feel so much lighter afterwards.
5. Avoid drama people
And lastly, you could be sitting here reading this post and thinking: ”I’m good, I don’t do any of this stuff! I am a totally drama free person! But but… there is such a thing as not being drama yourself but making the fatal mistake of letting drama people into your life. (Been there, done that) Which, you guessed it, causes more unnecessary drama.
You know that friend of yours who is permanently jobless, still crying over her ex who treated her like shit, and emotionally unstable, somewhat mysterious about parts of her life, but at the time kind of needy? She screams drama! And guess what? Drama attracts more drama. So you will invevitably be dragged into it. Because some people thrive in drama. But you hopefully don’t.
So stay away. Don’t let them crash at your house. Don’t lend them stuff with the assumption that one day they will return the favor. Don’t listen to them for hours on the phone late at night while you should be going to sleep instead. Don’t even bother. Some people just don’t get it, will never fully appreciate it and one day, when you need something from them, they won’t show up for the occasion. Because if they were sensible people in the first place they would know better than rely on someone else so heavily.
It’s always better to be alone and drama free than to hang around a bunch of drama queens.
By: Valentina Rose
Born and raised in Italy, Valentina is a full time yoga instructor who divides her time between Marin County, California and Matapalo, Costa Rica. When she isn’t hosting yoga retreats or blogging Valentina can be found trail running and baking quiche.
The Obstacle Course
Sticking with yoga day after day through the ups and downs of life can be like navigating an obstacle course. Often, teachers will tell us that in times of change and difficulty we should listen to our bodies and give ourselves what we need. But sometimes our bodies and minds are damn liars and want us to wallow on the sofa in Netflix binges and avoid practice. This can be our ego’s way of avoiding working with challenge. Unchecked, at least for me, this can spiral into feeling a lot shittier over time as the self-care routines I try to keep in place with discipline get stymied by whatever obstacle is in my face. Flashback to me in a phys-ed class staring at a rope I’ve been told to climb up and wondering if I can just go back to listening to Ethel Merman on my Walkman happily hidden in the bleachers.
There are numerous obstacles to practice, which I have become intimately acquainted with over the years. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali details these distractions and obstacles in the path of yoga. As Desikachar summarises, the “nine obstacles listed by Patanjali are illness, lethargy, doubt, haste or impatience, resignation or fatigue, distraction, ignorance or arrogance, inability to take a new step, and loss of confidence. They are manifested in symptoms like feeling sorry for oneself, a negative attitude, physical problems, and breathing difficulties.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about these obstacles lately, particularly illness and lethargy, as I feel my practice has been diminishing and plateauing. Not out of lack of care, but because I’ve been sick on and off for the last few months (nothing too serious – but enough to be inconvenient). I haven’t found much reassurance about working with this obstacle in the classic texts. BKS Iyengar, in Light on Yoga, explains more:
[The] first obstacle is ill-health or sickness. To the yogi his body is the prime instrument of attainment. If his vehicle breaks down, the traveller cannot go far. If the body is broken by ill-health, the aspirant can achieve little… When the body is sick or the nervous system is affected, the mind becomes restless or dull and inert and concentration or meditation becomes impossible… A person suffering from languor has no goal, no path to follow, and no enthusiasm. His mind and intellect become dull due to inactivity and their faculties rust. Constant flow keeps a mountain stream pure, but water in a ditch stagnates and nothing good can flourish in it…
This feels like a polite way of saying ‘Tough titty. You’ll have to wait it out.’ But I guess there is no rush when you have a lifetime, or even lifetimes, to seek liberation.
What is your priority?
To lay it out on the table and then get past it, of course yoga is in some ways exercise and contributes to health, fitness, and a more positive experience of embodiment. But most of that work is very simple, can be achieved with relatively simple and low impact sequences, and is not to be confused with body sculpting you might do for an entirely different rationale in a gym environment.
We have to remember that the fitness of the body is of course a priority, but it is not the only priority. When we over-emphasise the physical and fetishise asana we then equate discipline with relentless and unyielding execution of physically demanding daily asana no matter what is going on in our lives. Asana through its challenge can reveal much in our psyches, but we shouldn’t bully ourselves into only one way of executing it all the time.
When you’re sick or unwell and you can’t be physical, and your priority is fitness, you can get super discouraged and pissed off. Discipline of daily practice can be redefined into simply getting on our mat and working with asana to contribute towellness of body, mind, and heart. This can liberate you to be a bit more free in what you end up doing on your mat. Maybe instead of your normal rigourous sun-salutations you just enjoy some stillness and release.
Let yoga bend to you. Do not force yourself to bend to yoga.
Finding the cheerleader
To avoid feeling too sorry for ourselves when we cannot do what we think we need to or want to do, we need to find an inner cheerleader. Iyengar, avoiding my cheerleader simplification, more elegantly explains:
To remove the obstacle of laziness, unflagging enthusiasm is needed. The attitude of the aspirant is lie that of a lover ever yearning to meet the beloved but never giving way to despair. Hope should be his shield and courage his sword. He should be free from hate and sorrow. With faith and enthusiasm he should overcome the inertia of the body and the mind.
This inner cheerleader is compassionate, kind, and patient. This cheerleader has hope that no matter what we can work with these obstacles, get through them, and continue on our path. No need for bullying, shaming, or beating ourselves up in any way for not meeting some arbitrarily decided goal.
Riding the Waves
While thinking about this blog I had in my mind a quote I had once read about the ups and down of practice and discipline. I could see its outlines perfectly formed on a page I once read but couldn’t quite make out the actual words. I rummaged through my Iyengar, my Erich Schiffmann, and left myself reminders to look through that Stephen Cope book when I got home after dinner. Tellingly, I didn’t quite trust my own intuition on the subject. But I think I found what I was looking for in a couple of Donna Farhi’s books.
First:
There will inevitably be times when progress is slow, when injury or illness or life circumstances limit our ability to do the outward forms. But this doesn’t limit our ability to plumb the depths of our inner life.
Second:
Throughout our lives, we cycle through times of expansion, times of contraction, and times of being suspended in a pause or plateau where we are assimilating and integrating our experience. These rhythmic changes are as natural to us as is our breath. As the internal metronome of rhythm, our breath mirrors this life process of taking in and absorbing, letting go and relinquishing, and resting in the moments in between. When we suppress any one of these rhythms in our Yoga practice, our time on the mat will serve to freeze our way of being rather than afford us a way of adapting and changing in response to our deepest needs.
So there will be waves, seasons, u-turns, and detours in your practice, but that is part of the wonderful chaos of life.
You will get sick. You will get tired. You will age. You will lose flexibility and strength. You will gain some of it back. You will get emotional. You will get depressed. You will get tired. You will get over it. Or you won’t. But that has no bearing on your ability to practice.
Redefining Discipline
In a moment I’m going to stop writing and whining and actually get on to my mat and do something to make me feel good. But, I will leave you with a refined approach to discipline from Judith Lasater:
To me, discipline is not something that I force upon myself. It is something that I cultivate and which arises in me as a result of two things: my clarity of intention and my commitment…To lessen your resistance to practice, spend some time with this question of clarity. For just a few moments before you step onto the mat, ask yourself what your yoga practice is about today. Let your first focus be on clarity, not action. Whether your answer leads you to choose a physically challenging practice or a restful one, you will be more present with it if you are acting from a place of clarity. When you practice from clarity, you diminish the time you spend caught up in doubt and questioning. With your energy more focused, I predict you will enjoy your practice more-and thus, over time your resistance will decrease.
By Adam Hocke
Adam has been practicing vinyasa flow yoga since 1999 and has trained extensively with Jason Crandell. He offers precise, strong, and accessible classes to physically awaken the body and develop mindfulness both on and off the mat. His teaching is down-to-earth and direct, exploring traditional practices from a modern perspective. A native of South Florida, Adam spent ten years in New York City before becoming a Londoner. He teaches studio classes, workshops and courses throughout London, and retreats across the globe. As a writer, Adam contributes regularly to magazines and web publications on yoga. Visit Adam at www.adamhocke.com
Laziness is not defined as a mental disorder but rather as a habit. The causes of sedentary behavior may be due to a lack or low self esteem, lack of discipline, a lack of motivation or interest in being active or a lack of recognition. Laziness can manifest as indecisiveness or procrastination which can be caused by the lack of motivation. The lack of motivation increases the release of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for pleasure and reward.
In order to lead a healthy lifestyle, we need to spend less time sitting down and spend at least 150 minutes a week being active. Couch potato syndrome is common in all age groups and has been linked to certain types of cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and early death. Sitting for lengthy periods affects our body's ability to regulate blood pressure, break down fat due to slowing down of the metabolic rate and regulating blood sugars.
Leading a sedentary lifestyle can contribute and become a risk factor for:
* weakening and shrinking of the muscles - muscle atrophy is caused by lack of exercise which increases the risk of physical injury
* weak immune system – lack of physical fitness is more often than not accompanied by a weak immune system
* non-adaptive stress and metabolic related responses – can lead to chronic diseases
* Mental health issues – a sedentary lifestyle can lead to apathy, anger, substance abuse, depression, freeloading, and anxiety
Studies have revealed that the longer we sit the greater the risk of developing anxiety symptoms. However, these studies did not include mental health illnesses and the diagnosis of anxiety. The studies conducted were symptomatic with the aim of finding a link between anxiety levels and sedentary behavior. A couch potato displaying anxiety symptoms does not necessarily mean they have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
What Causes Stress and How Can We Control It
An overload of life's demands, emotional and mental pressure can turn into stress and when we feel we can no longer cope this can lead to depression. We all have different ways in which we react to stress, particularly money problems, relationships and work. When we are stressed it can affect our everyday lives.
Stress can lead to anxiety and affects how we behave, think and feel. Common signs of stress can include excessive sweating, concentration difficulties, irritability, low self esteem, poor appetite and difficulty sleeping. We may experience muscle tension, dizziness, pain and headaches when stressed.
There is no quick fix cure and no single method for stress that works for everyone. However, there are some simple things we can do to change our common everyday life problems that cause stress and anxiety. These include yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, diet, exercise and talking these issue through with a qualified person.
Age Specific Suggestions to Reduce Sitting Time and the Onset of Anxiety
* Children under 5 – studies have shown that sedentary behavior in young children has been associated with lower cognitive development and obesity. Children that sit for extended periods have shown signs of agitation, anxiety and hyperactivity. Parents need to reduce the time their child spends in baby bouncers, carriers, highchairs, car seats, buggies and reduce time spent watching TV. Provide more indoor and out door activities that will stimulate the child and enhance their cognitive development.
* Ages 5 to 18 – If children learn from a young age to become active, the chances of them becoming a couch potato is limited. Studies have shown that children in this age group that have already developed the “couch potato syndrome” are more prone to ADD, anxiety, depression and other illnesses . Parents can reduce sitting time by making bedrooms a computer and TV free zone. Buy your children gifts that will encourage active play such as kites, balls, skateboards etc. Parents should also set an example by reducing their sitting based tasks and TV time. Get your children involved in outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming or surfing.
* Ages 19 to 64 – people in this age group commonly display anxiety symptoms, depression, poor blood circulation, heart disease and other chronic illnesses cause by sitting for extended periods. Throughout the day one should make an effort to cut down on sitting time be it at home or at work. Instead of taking the escalator take the stairs, while on your cell phone walk around or stand, when having a coffee break or walk around. If you are working on a computer, make sure you get up and stand or walk around every 30 minutes. Participate in active hobbies and cut down on TV and sitting time.
* Ages 65 and Over – studies have revealed that this age group is the most sedentary and are known to spend around ten hours or more a day lying or sitting. Cardiovascular disease is common in this age group as is diabetes type 2 and depression. Many in this age group present with mental illnesses as well as anxiety symptoms. This age group should spend more time on their feet and avoid extended TV or reading time. One can take up hobbies such as light sport activities, gardening or DIY projects.
When life becomes very stressful, we tend to alienate ourselves from family and friends. Behavior of this nature can lead us to becoming couch potato's of which can spiral into depression, obesity, low self esteem, procrastination and other chronic illnesses. However, there are practices such as yoga and meditation that can help alleviate stress and anxiety.
How Yoga and Meditation Can Help
Yoga is a mind body practice that helps us to relax, lower the heart rate and blood pressure, control breathing and reduce stress. Yoga offers several potential health benefits which include:
* Stress relief – studies have shown that yoga helps reduce anxiety and stress and the practice enhances your overall sense of well being and mood.
* Improves fitness – yoga can help improve flexibility, strength, balance and range of motion.
* Management of chronic conditions - yoga helps to reduce high blood pressure, heart disease, and helps to alleviate pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression.
Meditation done on a regular basis can help your brain develop new pathways as the mind begins to experience itself. The structure and function of the brain changes making it work better and become healthier. Meditation in conjunction with daily exercises and a well balanced diet helps avoid anxiety, depression and other chronic conditions. Meditation is easy, effective and there is no need for any special training. Meditation reduces overall stress and minimizes post traumatic stress disorder as well as improves performance of mind and body.
Conclusion
Research has shown that if we have contact with supportive active people along with practicing yoga and meditation we can drastically reduce the risk of life threatening illnesses and anxiety symptoms brought on by sitting for extended periods. Positive support can change the brain chemistry and prevent poor mental health and anxiety.
By Sarah Biel
Sarah Biel is a popular well recognized health and lifestyle expert. Sarah is well qualified in her field and is passionate about the well being, and mental state of her clients. Sarah works at Sukhavati Ayurvedic Retreat and Spa which offers life changing treatments based on ancient healing practices.
YDL has the answer to your “I want to be a yogi” prayers. Beginner Yoga 101 is an incredible new series designed for the true beginner: YOU! This program is for everyone. Every body. Even yours. We’re releasing the entire program at once so you can progress at your own pace.
Yoga 101 is a five class series that progressively teaches the basics of Hatha yoga, a combination of physical postures, deep breathing, and meditation (relaxation). This series is perfectly paced for true beginners. No matter what your body type, age, or level of flexibility & strength, this series will help you understand yoga, feel comfortable on your yoga mat, and release tension in your mind and body.
One of YogaDownload’s most seasoned and talented teachers, Jackie Casal Marou, created this program to make yoga accessible, fun, and non-threatening. You’ll start with basic building blocks and design your yoga foundation at your own pace. Modifications for every contingency are an integral part of each class.
Who is Jackie? She’s a warm, encouraging teacher with more than a decade of teaching experience. She’s taught everyone from toddlers to seniors, in schools to nursing homes, as well as online. Her background as a massage therapist aids her deep comprehension of how the body works and she utilizes it to create a safe, impeccably designed series that’s fun too. You’ll love her warmth, her clear cueing, and her ability to help you live up to your potential.
Here’s a Quick Summary of the Series:
Yoga 101: Start Here, Start Now (Class 1 of 5 - Basics & Essentials) This first class will teach you the nuts and bolts of yoga. You will get a feel for yoga, as well as learn the basics, allowing you to build a strong foundation.
Yoga 101: Align & Define (Class 2 of 5 - Form & Awareness) In this class you will dive deeper into postural alignment and deep breathing while practicing focus, presence and body awareness.
Yoga 101: Loosen Up (Class 3 of 5 - Flexibility, Mobility & Breath) Don't worry if you cannot touch your toes or if you are tight and inflexible, this beginner class is designed for all different body types. In this class, we specifically work to create a
healthy level of flexibility and mobility, and use deep breathing as a tool to help your body and mind release tension.
Yoga 101 Build Strength (Class 4 of 5 - Inner Strength & Stability) Many think that yoga is just stretching, but yoga is SO much more than that. In this class we will dive deeper into what yoga is all about while working to strengthen our bodies from the inside out.
Yoga 101: You've Got This (Class 5 of 5 - Presence & Practice) This class will weave together all the principals that you have learned in the first 4 classes in the series, as well as explore several new postures, Sun Salutations, and a short and simple meditation at the end. This class will leave you feeling inspired, accomplished, and balanced.
What have you got to lose? Embark on your journey today.
I’ve recently been playing around with adding in and diversifying my carb intake a bit. Yes, I am Paleo, and yes I am still allowed to and do eat carbohydrates. I know. Crazy. But seriously, a lot of people get stuck with the notion that we can only get carbs from the bottom of the traditional food pyramid – aka: grains, grains, and more grains. Nope. False. Let me introduce you to the vegetable, the fruit, the squash, the sweet potato (I recognize the last two are covered previously, but work with me here…) There are so many other, arguably much, much better ways for your gut and thus yourself to get quality carbohydrates than from the bottom of the food pyramid, which is totally whacked out anyways in my opinion.
I love sweet potatoes perhaps more than one should – at the beginning of my Paleo experience my hands actually turned orange from the amount of sweet potatoes I was consuming – no joke. My hands have returned to their normal hue, but I have decided that this week is the week of the butternut squash. I usually make this recipe with olive oil, but I think the trick this time was using coconut oil instead. It ended up caramelizing the squash = sheer awesomeness. You can always stop at the roasting step and have some kick ass, roasted butternut squash, or you can keep going to the food processor and have versatile, pureed goodness. I felt like something a little sweet, adorable, and dessert-like so I put mine in a mug, heated it up, and topped it with coconut milk, coconut flakes, and cinnamon. Loved it! (I failed to capture the cinnamon version with photographic evidence because I consumed it too quickly, so add the aesthetically pleasing touch of cinnamon to the pic below and you've got it.)
How it’s Done:
1 butternut squash coconut oil salt pepper 1/2 cup coconut milk
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Peel your squash – watch yourself as it’s sort of a tricky endeavor – and scrape out all of the seeds. Cut your squash into smallish cubes and throw them on a baking tray. Somewhere between drizzle and a pour your coconut oil over your squash, making sure you have enough for each piece to be generously coated. Top with salt and pepper and then mix the whole experience up with your hands to makes sure every piece gets an equal amount of oil and spice love. Put your squash in the over for 20-25 minutes – or until the pieces are tender, cooked through, and attaining a marvelous brown color around the edges.
Throw all of your squash into the food processor with your coconut milk and press on. Done.
You can totally rock this mash savory style too with steak and greens or any other combination of dinner counterparts you see fit. Feeling adventurous? You could also make said mash into a breakfast experience by having some fried eggs, perhaps pecans, coconut flakes, and a drizzle of real maple syrup on top. Make it your own!
By: Maddie Berky
Maddie is a writer, blogger, storyteller & holistic nutritionist. She is not a purveyor of answers, but an asker of questions. And she seeks not to construct the most perfect plate, but rather uncover the human siting down to that plate who is worthy and nourished and alive. Our relationship with food creates this beautiful opportunity to explore who we are and train who we want to become. It asks us to engage with these multifaceted drives of hunger and nourishment and pleasure. Can we receive? Can we trust ourselves? Can we connect - to our plate, to our body, to our partner? It is the answer to those questions that not only affects what is on our plate, but more importantly, the space we take up in this world.
And so. I am making this commitment to myself and to ALL OF YOU(!) that this year I am NOT completely tossing my practice aside during those times when my schedule becomes excessively wacko or “I don’t have enough time.” I’m gonna try to be a self-care ninja and craftily fit it in where I can.
Lately, I have been surviving on pranayama. When things are going well in my life, a standalone breathing practice is the first thing I toss out the window. It’s not conscious — it’s simply that I’m breathing mindfully during asana and calming my mind during my meditations. So, it seems like it’s all covered.
But when things get exceptionally busy (and I won’t bore you with the details but I’ll just say that a kitchen leak has kept us out of our house for SEVEN WEEKS), pranayama is a godsend. It feels like the perfect bridge between asana and meditation. It channels the prana through my body (like asana) and it settles my energy and thoughts (like meditation). It feels so familiar — because after all, we breathe all day long! But it also feels so special to just take a few minutes to witness this simple act that keeps us alive and ticking.
Here’s the other thing: It’s so portable. I have done pranayama practice during long meetings! Alone in my cubicle! During tense dinners with family! On boring dates! But, admittedly, if you’re just starting out, it’s best to set aside 5 minutes of ideally quiet, alone time to practice.
Lately, pranayama has given me an energy buzz when I need it, a sense of warmth in my heart when I feel cold and paralyzed, or space between thoughts when I’m anxious. There are SO MANY pranayama practices – some are more energizing (like kapalabhati) and others more soothing (nadi shodana). For me Viloma, aka Stop-Action Breath is my go-to to cultivate evenness and balance.
When you do Viloma, you either inhale in three parts and exhale completely. Or do the opposite: You inhale completely and exhale in three parts. (You can also inhale and exhale in three parts.) It might sound confusing, but in practice it’s incredibly simple and soothing. I prefer to start with the latter approach because it’s easier to access and it tends to be more grounding. Here’s how:
1. Set a timer (that’s not too loud) for 5-6 minutes.
2. Find a comfortable seat – either cross-legged on the floor or on a chair with both feet touching the ground. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart.
3. Take a minute to deepen your inhalations and exhalations and to just “warm up” your breath.
4. Then inhale completely, feeling your belly, diaphragm, and ribs expand.
5. Now exhale one third of your breath. Pause. Exhale two-thirds. Pause. Exhale completely.
6. Repeat this cycle until your timer rings.
THE APPROACH As you inhale, try not to force the breath. Make each part of the exercise light and easy. Feel the beauty and simplicity of the life force in your body. As you exhale, imagine a sense of grounding and rooting through your tailbone into the earth. If you feel strain at any point, return to simply watching your breath.
For some people, it helps to retain the breath for just a few seconds before the exhalation. I tend to do this in the last few minutes, when I’ve warmed up a bit. It’s definitely not something to force. Ideally, when your alarm sounds at five minutes you’re breathing a little more deeply and feeling more clear, grounded, and energized.
Hope this makes your day a little better. And I’d love to hear what your go-to pranayama practice is in the comments below!
By Andrea Ferretti
Andrea Ferretti and Jason Crandell are a husband and wife team who have been teaching, writing about, and living their yoga for nearly two decades. Andrea is the former executive editor of Yoga Journal and is now creative director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method. Jason is an internationally recognized teacher known for his precise, empowering, down-to-earth approach to vinyasa yoga. They live together in San Francisco with their full-time boss, Sofia-Rose Crandell, age 3. To read their blog or to learn more about Jason's upcoming teacher trainings, please visit their web site www.jasonyoga.com
Not all of us will be crusaders, but we all have dreams. What’s yours? Not just the version you feel comfortable sharing, but that secret aspiration lurking in the deepest corner of your heart. The big, enormous terrifying one that if realized will fulfill you beyond your wildest imaginings.
Can you look in the mirror right now, yes, right now, and say to your reflection: I’m living to my highest potential. I’m true to my heart. I’m living my dreams. If not, two things may be holding you back.
One: You haven’t reflected enough to unearth your deepest desire. Desires are intertwined with our gifts and talents. When we bury them and dismiss them as too lofty, we aren’t sharing our unique contribution to the world. Why not shoot for the stars?
Two: If you’ve identified your dreams and still aren’t pursuing them, samskaras or old patterns and habits could be suppressing your progress. Literally, the prefix sam means well planned, well thought out, and kara means “the action under-taken.” Thus, “samskara” translates to, “the impression of, the impact of, the action we perform with full awareness of its goals.”
During our lifetime, each time we act, we create subtle impressions or imprints in our mind and body—think of them as habits. The more frequent the action, the more ingrained the habit. The longer we’ve had the habit, the tougher it is to change because these patterns get imbedded in our souls.
One of the private samskaras many of us have is fear of failure. This fear can choke our dreams, kill our aspirations, and leave us unfulfilled. Recognition of your samskaras and efforts to disengage from them creates shifts and ultimately forward progress. Practice yoga and meditation, cultivate more compassion toward yourself and release fear. What’s the worst that could happen?
Remind yourself, we are all unique individuals and together, we comprise a community. Our willingness to shine our brightest contributes to the world. When we are fulfilling our destinies, working toward our own greatest good, it lifts the vibration globally.
All of our new classes this week address following your dreams, digging deep and releasing the bonds preventing you from soaring to the moon! Try one and shine on.
1. Mark Morford - Yoga Alchemy: The Fear
This question comes up a lot these days: In periods of deep dismay and anxiety, of dread existential, sociopolitical and/or personal, how can we use our yoga to successfully transmute these low, acidic energies into useful action, into something a bit more healing and constructive? And where, exactly, does this fiery transformation take place? What are the tools? This much we know: Such transformations do not happen merely in the mind, by merely thinking (or wishing) events to be different. What’s more, yoga teaches us not to race through or forcibly redefine uncomfortable or painful situations – or grip the positive ones too tightly - let we miss their true power and teachings. Here’s a fiery, nicely demanding class focusing on the Muladhara chakra, on essential grounding poses (goddess, warriors, malasanas galore) and balanced breathing to help relocate and strengthen your core stability and sense of innate calm when all feels poisonous and manic and OMGWTF.
2. Kristen Boyle - A Dream, A Voice
This all-levels class takes inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speech, "I Have a Dream". Dr. King had a dream, and through his dream he found his voice. Since that time, many voices are raising up exclaiming their own dreams. What yoga teaches us is, to become quiet - to listen. And when we do, we hear that all voices and all dreams are crying out for essentially the same thing: shelter, nourishment, warmth. And once those basic needs are taken care of, the cry is for the freedom to live life with joy.
3. Kristin Gibowicz - Flow for Unity, Not Uniformity
Join Kristin for this fun, full-body power yoga class leading to open hamstrings, hips and shoulders. Kristin will challenge you with a balancing flow and intelligently move you into a final peak posture, eight limb staff pose. Come to be challenged physically and inspired to bring the intention of unity, not uniformity. This shift has to begin with you!
Also read: Unity, Not Uniformity by Kristen Gibowicz
4. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Yoga for Stress, Anxiety and Insomnia
Join Yoga Therapist Shy Sayar for a delicious sequence of practices for body, breath and mind with the aim of relaxing, restoring and rejuvenating - a wonderful counterbalance to daily stress and anxiety, and an antidote to sleeplessness that will help you get some ZZZs through the night!
Since Shoulderstand helps the whole body, it is cure to all from the common cold to constipation, insomnia and thyroid imbalance. Moreover, it is considered an inversion which helps to energize and bring blood to the heart, thereby relieving sinus congestion and stress, not to mention strengthen the immune functions of the hormonal system.
Finally, Shoulderstand helps to balance the sympathetic, or “fight or flight” response and parasympathetic, or rest and relaxation systems. Anything that affects this balance, whether internal (hunger, the need for oxygen, fear) or external (temperature change, movement, watching a movie), asks us to change from one state of balance, such as hunger, to another, such as digestion. This pose supports these changes and can be therapeutic to any tensions that may arise from these transitions.
- Come to a seated position. You can place a folded up blanket behind you for more support. Lie on your back. If you are using a blankets be sure both shoulders are on the blanket and that your head is flat on the floor. - Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Bring your arms by your side and press them into the floor as you curl your spine and bring your thighs toward your chest. - Lift your pelvis and back off the floor. Bend your elbows and bring your your palms to your lower back. Curl your pelvis towards your shoulders and slowly walk your hands up your back. Keep your elbows drawing inward and your fingers pointed upward. - Slowly straighten your legs and bring your feet up towards the ceiling. Continue to walk your hands up your back until your upper spine lifts away from the floor and your torso is vertical. - Keep your hands on your back for support and press your upper arms into the floor or blanket. With each inhale, expand your chest towards your chin. - Hold for 30 seconds to several minutes. To release, walk your hands down your back and gently curl your spine back to the floor and lower your legs
As the weather shifts to chillier or even frigid temperatures, many of us are finding ourselves with the sniffles or sore throats. Beat the symptoms of a common cold all year long with Shoulderstand. Reap all of the benefits of this pose and restore from the winter chill.
Now, I've made more banana breads than I will ever be able to count (partly because it's a hell of a lot, but also because I have a terrible memory). That being said, it's been around a year or two since I've attempted loaf making of any other kind. This morning when I woke up, I just felt the need to make a pear bread, and it came out completely perfect first time round. Before continuing I will say: I don't usually wake up and have visions of recipes which result in perfect dishes half an hour later ... most mornings I spend half an hour trying to work out what I want for breakfast.
What You Need:
Poached Pears
3 kaiser pears, peeled, halved and de-seeded 2 cinnamon sticks 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cloves 2 star anise
Loaf
1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 3 tablespoons water mixed) 1 1/2 cups almond milk 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 2 cups flour 2/3 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
What To Do:
Begin by poaching your pears. Add the cinnamon sticks, cinnamon sticks, brown sugar, cloves, star anise and pears to a medium saucepan, and add enough water to cover the pears. Simmer for 15 minutes - or until the pears are soft to touch, but not mushy. Remove from the liquid and let cool.
Meanwhile, begin with your load. Preheat oven to 180C and line a loaf tin. Next whisk together the flax eggs, milk, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil until combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.
Sit pears, stem side up, in your lined loaf pan, before spooning the mixture in. I ensured to spoon in the mixture slowly, which allowed it to evenly surrounded each pear. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden.
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!
I went to UCONN but lived at home for the first two years of college and was soon transitioning to the main campus to live with one of my best friends. As an almost-twenty-year-old. I was panicking. Moving away from home, my parents, my grandma, and my favorite bagel shop – my comfort zone – didn't sound appealing. Change was clearly not my friend.
After a great day shopping with my soon to be roommate, I got a text-- a breakup text (yes, seriously). I was mad and sad, then confused. I didn't even know what to feel, to be honest.
I really wanted to talk to my sister, who at the time was pregnant with my twin niece and nephew. I called her, but she was asleep.
Later, in the middle of the night, she called me back to tell me she’s going to the hospital because she needed to be on a medical bed rest to keep her and the babies healthy. I told her to keep me updated and we hung up. Then I realized I was struggling to breathe.
Crying and panicky, I realized that all these sudden changes have me anxious and nervous but I didn't want anyone to worry or wonder what’s wrong. I tried to keep it cool and stay strong. At the time, this was my normal. I had anxiety attacks on an off since I was 17 and I was always dealing with it. Most people didn’t even know. But this was so much different. It felt bigger. and heavier. I had hit my breaking point. I was not at all excited about going to parties or meeting new people or even going to class. I just wanted to be alone and by myself. I was irritable and anxious. Anyone and everyone would set me off.
Eventually I got through it. I met the kindest people on my floor and made friends. These people, without even knowing about my anxiety, cheered me up. When I was anxious, I had friends who wanted to stay in on a Friday night and just knit or crochet. I found crafting to be my meditation, I was calm and my mind was at ease. I now have many things that I use to keep my anxiety away - DIY, meditation, yoga, and working out. Once I found these things that made my heart happy, my anxiety stabilized.
My sister gave birth to the two best kids I know and the three of us share a birthday and a bond like no other. To this day, when I look at them I smile. I want the world they grow up in to be just like them, fun and kind. And I have a great boyfriend who would never dump me via text. He loves me when I am happy or when I feel anxious and always helps me get through it.
I have learned two lessons from dealing with my anxiety:
First, find something that makes your soul happy. For me it’s knitting and crocheting or just being creative in any way.
Another lesson is that if you can be anything, just be kind. People have struggles we can’t see and as corny as it is, it’s true. Being kind is easy and it’s free. Just make a note to self: be kind.
I'd love to know: do you struggle with anxiety? What lessons have you learned from it?
Felice is the writer and creator of 1001knits, a knitting and crochet blog that encourages a modern DIY lifestyle. When she's not crafting or working on her blog you can find her playing with her Dachsund Stella, doing some yoga with her twin niece and nephew, reading at a local coffee shop or at her new favorite place: the gym. If you'd like to have knit or crochet lesson for yourself or a group of friends, check out 1001knits.
This is a pretty simple, straightforward sequence. You don’t need to revolutionize the future of yoga sequencing before noon. You just need to ease into your body, get moving, turn upside down a time or two and chase the cobwebs away with some backbends.
The sequence starts with three opening postures — Child’s Pose, Downward Dog, and Ardha Uttanasana — to slowly stretch the back of your body. Then, you transition into Sun Salutations. I have “Surya Namaskar A” listed here, but you can do any style of Sun Salutation that you like. I take my first couple of Salutations incredibly slowly. It wasn’t always this way, but, again, nothing is permanent. Take as many as you like and move at whatever pace you prefer.
Next, you’ll jump into a progression of standing poses. I like to practice Warrior II-based postures prior to Warrior I-based postures, because they’re easier for my hips. This is the order that I’ve chosen for this sequence, but I don’t have a black and white rule about it. I used to, but nothing is permanent.
After you’ve done a few openers, done as many Salutations as you fancy, and worked through your standing postures, it’s time to get upside down. If you’re not practicing Handstand, you could do Half-Handstand with your feet at the wall. Or, you could omit the inversion entirely. If you have a few tricks up your sleeve and want to do additional inversions or arm balances, go for it.
The sequence concludes with Bridge Pose and Upward Bow, followed by Supta Padangusthasana. My backbends feel even tighter in the morning than in the afternoon. It’s always been this way — some things never change. Supta Padangusthasana grounds you after your backbends and rounds out the sequence. A brief Savasana or Seated Meditation is a nice way to fully close the practice. Usually, I include these, but I’m honest enough to tell you that sometimes I don’t. Once in awhile, it feels like I spent the entire morning sequence trying not to feel like a corpse.
OK, enjoy your practice!
PS: For easier practice at home, you can sign up for my newsletter and we’ll send you a free printer-friendly PDF download. If you are already on our newsletter list, you still have to enter your email to receive the sequence.
{illustration by MCKIBILLO}
Try one of the YogaDownload.com Yoga for Waking Up or Morning Yoga classes!
So what about choosing to be vegan? These days the term ‘vegan’ is more known and making its way into mainstream supermarkets. More and more people are choosing to live a ‘cruelty-free’ lifestyle. In fact, according to a study commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group, there are now 7.5 million vegans in the United States, which has doubled since 2009.
Restaurants are now incorporating more vegan options into their menus, making dining out as a vegan much easier than 5 years ago. Apps such as Happy Cow and VegMan have also been developed so that vegans can easily find restaurants in their area by typing in their zip code or city. Germany opened their first entirely vegan supermarket Veganz, and one is due to open in London later this year.
Whether to live a healthy lifestyle or ethical reasons, more and more people are becoming vegan. There’s tons of information out there about the benefits of becoming vegan, but taking that initial plunge is often the most difficult. Here, I will lay out some easy ways to transition into a vegan lifestyle with easy tips and delicious recipes. Giving veganism a chance is a step in the right direction. With the right tools and proper education, you too can be on your way to living a life that it’s plant-based and packed with nutritional goodness.
DON’T BE TOO HARSH ON YOURSELF
Was that a sprinkle of Parmesan I saw on that vegan cracker? Did you know that gummy bear you’re eating contains gelatin which is derived from animal bones, connective tissue and organs? OK, that last one is a little gross, but in the end, oh well! No one is perfect and if you want to snack on a gummy bear or dabble in cheese, it’s OK. It’s all too easy to feel guilt over something if we’re not doing it 100% Instead of placing yourself in a little box and quickly labeling yourself as “vegan” try to be vegan most of the time. When people ask me about my diet I often say, “I don’t eat meat,” and then answer questions as they come. I don’t like to put up too many walls and restrictions. Being ‘vegan’ is not about being perfect, it’s a practice in awareness and listening to your body. If you restrict yourself to the point that you’re about to burst, then that’s not sustainable and you’ll quickly go back to your old habits. Instead, allow yourself to make mistakes and pick yourself back up when you do. No harm, no foul.
GET CREATIVE & FEAST WITH YOUR EYES
Yeah, easier said than done but truth be told, when your options for eating are solely based around plants you need to hone that inner chef in you and find some inspiration. When I was living abroad, I didn’t have the ‘luxuries’ of nutritional yeast, egg replacer, or even an oven. I had to find ingredients that were readily available and work around those. So yeah, my Vegan Sloppy Joes probably could have used a little help with some ingredients back home, but through trial and error, you find things that will make for a perfect texture and taste whilst at the same using locally sourced ingredients.
Start by making a list of some of your favorite dishes and then seeing what ingredients are available, and similar in body and taste. Mushrooms are often a great substitute as they’re hearty and have a nice, rich flavor. Tofu can be great either blended to make a creamy sauce or fried to throw a hot pan with some fresh veggies. A big bulk of becoming vegan is becoming more educated around whole foods. Foods that are alive and will make you feel alive.
When we eat, we eat with our eyes first. The best thing about being vegan is that it is plant-based and plants are generally very colorful. I love choosing a base color and then building upon that. For example, when making a big giant salad my base color is green and then accenting it with whatever colorful ingredient I can find. Pouring a fabulous fruit dressing over the salad, is a nice way to incorporate fresh juice into your meal as well.
A nice rule of thumb for when you’re eating is to try and incorporate all the colors of the rainbow. It’s also important to know your colors. Greens are usually packed with calcium and protein, oranges are full of beta-carotene and purples are high in magnesium. Knowing what colors contain what nutrients can help you decide how to plan your next meal.
DETACH FROM DAIRY
Making the switch from dairy to non-dairy can be a bit of a task. Luckily, if you’re in the States or Europe, there are a lot more options for dairy-free milks. However, if you are in an area with no choices for purchase, making your milk is always an available option. From rice milk to almond milk, there’s for sure an available ingredient for homemade milk that won’t break the bank.
Also, don’t fret about the cheese. Often when people would hear that I was vegan they would reply, “I could NEVER give up cheese.” I would then smile and say, “yes you can.” The fact of the matter, simply put, is CHEESE IS ADDICTIVE. It’s essentially the culinary form of crack. Cheese contains a protein found in all milk products known as casein. During the digestion process, casein releases opiates called casomorphins. The casomorphins then get jiggy with the dopamine receptors, and it is in this process that an addictive element is triggered. So, how do you get rid of this addiction? Well, first you admit you have a problem and then you start to slowly ween yourself off of it. Each new day is a chance for you to rid your body of this substance, and eventually, it will be gone entirely. It takes time, yes, but if once it is out of your system your cravings should subside and you should then be craving something nutritious that’s not laced with crack.
BE PREPARED!
Make sure you have healthy vegan snacks with you, especially when you’re out running errands or at work. Preparing snacks ahead of time and throwing them into your bag, is a great way to curb your appetite so that you don’t feel the temptation to resort to processed food that will most likely not be vegan. In your refrigerator, be sure to place accessible food in the front. For example, placing an open bowl of grapes in the front of the refrigerator is much more accessible than keeping them in a bag in the crisper. We’re more likely to grab the open bowl than dig around in search for the grapes, especially if we’re really hungry.
I love fresh, crunchy veggies. So for me, having fresh cut veg already cut up into easy-to-snack pieces are my go-to. If you’re more into fruit, then do the same with fruit. Adding a dipping sauce on the side is another way to jazz up your snacks. My favorites are hummus, guacamole and vegan ranch.
Lover of ranch? Vegans need not worry, below is my favorite recipe for a ranch dip with herbivore and omnivore satisfaction guaranteed!
BEST VEGAN RANCH:
1 lb silken/soft tofu 3 tbsp fresh chives, chopped 1/8 cup fresh dill, chopped 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 tsp onion powder salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk (optional) juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp.) 1 tbsp. vinegar of your choice
Throw everything into the blender, except the herbs and chives, and blend. Once you’ve got a rich, creamy consistency, pulse the herbs and chives in. Can serve right away or chill in the fridge for a few hours.
START LIGHT
Making the transition into veganism can seem like a daunting task, but taking small steps can help you achieve your goals. You can begin by incorporating one meal a day with a vegan meal. Having asmoothie for breakfast is a great way to start your day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so having something creamy, rich and satisfying will surely satiate your hunger and keep you going until it’s time for that mid-morning snack.
Once you’ve swapped out your breakfast for a vegan delight, you can then move onto lunch. Making a big batch of soup at the beginning of the week, and storing it throughout the rest of the week, is an easy and convenient way to keep you on the vegan path. Complementing that soup with a salad and/or fruit, will you give you the fresh, raw energy you need so you can easily continue on with the rest of your day.
You’ve had your smoothie, soup, and snacks in between, and now it’s time for dinner. Having a plant-based dinner does not mean it has to be a one-pot-wonder. You can still create a multi-layered meal with many components to keep you palette pleased and your stomach full.
For me, having a salad before or after a meal is a must. Be prepared to set aside 10-20 minutes to make a salad, OR have your ingredients washed and ready to go, chop em’ up, dry them and store them in a freezer bag in the fridge. Having salad already prepared makes it easy for you to reach in, grab a handful and throw it in a bowl. Most salads will last up to 3-4 days in the fridge, as long as the lettuce is properly dried and you shake the bag daily.
You have the option to build upon the salad or make something completely different, using the salad as a side dish. You can try a cauliflower pesto pasta or maybe your tastebuds want to go south of the border with a traditional Costa Rican dish of rice and beans, called Gallo Pinto. The mix of the rice and beans give the meal a hearty texture, and the seasonings are rich with flavor. You can also experiment with seitan, a gluten-based protein that is used a lot in vegan cooking to make meals meatier. Since giving up meat, the thing I miss most is boneless Buffalo chicken wings (just typing that has caused a pool of saliva to form in my mouth). I found the perfect recipe that satisfies that buffalo hunger. Keep in mind this is no walk in the park, the whole process from start to finish takes about 2 hours, but it is WELL worth it.
Finally, don’t skip dessert. Contrary to popular belief, just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice food or flavors. You can still have dessert, you just have to be mindful. There are plenty ofrecipes out there that will satisfy your sweet cravings. Do keep in mind that most store-bought sweets are made with eggs and milk, so making your own and finding that perfect substitute can be a fun challenge. I love ‘googling’ whatever it is I’m looking to eat and typing ‘vegan’ after it, you’d be surprised at what comes up and just how easy it can be to make your favorites while partaking in a cruelty-free lifestyle.
So there you have it. I challenge you. Yeah, you. Try these 5 easy steps and do your best to stick with the plan for at least 5 days. If after 5 days you don’t feel you can do it anymore, then slowly ween yourself back to your normal diet. BUT, if after the 5 days you think you can further with it, then do it! Go for as long as you can, and if you do ‘fall off the wagon’ then no worries. Being vegan for even 1 day a week can make a huge difference. According to the Environmental Defense, if we skipped even one meal of meat a week, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking 500,000 cars off of U.S. roads. That’s just going vegetarian, imagine what we could accomplish if we went vegan and did that more often? The possibilities are endless, but all crucial to our well-being and the preservation of this beautiful earth. I mean, why not go vegan?
Tara is an elementary school teacher, presently taking a much-needed break from teaching, and in turn dabbling in and out of different job roles. Her travels have taken her all over the world, previously living in Thailand, Taiwan and Cambodia. When she’s not travelling, or writing, you can find her doing what she loves, which is included but not limited to: lazing about in hammocks, eating salads, watching sunsets and reading.
When looking at the tons of options available, finding the perfect retreat can look like a nightmare. But this infographic breaks down into 9 steps a handy guide to pick the appropriate yoga retreat. Scroll down for more detailed information.
From packages for yoga beginners to advanced practitioners, from beach to hiking, from low to high budget, from domestic to fast growing destinations, find out now which yoga retreat is best for you! This guide takes you through 9 steps that will help you make your decision.
#1 Decide whether you are ready to go
Going on a yoga retreat is not just like going on your usual vacation. Here are the TOP 3 reasons why YOU should go on a yoga retreat based on a survey among 450 bookyogaretreats.com members:
#2 Decide on a destination
Do you prefer to jet off abroad or go to a location closer to home? Or maybe head to a sunny beach?
Most popular destinations around the world:
Most popular destination in the United States:
Most popular beach destination:
Most popular destination in Europe
#3 Feeling more adventurous? Try some fast growing destinations
Traveling alone? Nothing you should worry about. Most yogis are solo travelers.
Be ready to join a community that shares the same passion for yoga, healthy food, connection with mother nature and kindness.
#4 Decide on when you should go on your trip
Destination popularity varies according to seasons. Decide the time of the year you want to go and pick a retreat accordingly.
Top Summer Destination:
Top Winter Destination:
Top Year-Round Destination:
#5 Decide on a budget
When planning a trip, it’s highly advisable to have an estimated budget in place. If you haven’t got a fixed budget in place, here are some idea on the average costs of BookYogaRetreats.com’s yoga retreats*:
#6 Decide on a yoga style
What styles are most popular at yoga retreats? There is a style for each individual whether you'd like to awaken your body with a flow, rest in an asana for a few breaths, chant or meditate. Find out the 3 most popular yoga styles at yoga retreats:
#7 Decide on other activities you’d like to do on your retreat
What else could I do on a retreat?
#8 Pack for your trip
What essentials should I bring? Look at our vital yoga travel check list and pack now.
#9 Measure your level of happiness
Use this scale to rate your current level of happiness. If you want to become happier, why not go on a retreat?
With this guide in hand you are sure to have an incredible yoga retreat experience!
*Results are based upon - a survey of 450 yogi travelers completed from January to April 2016 - 2 years of compiled data of customers inquiries and booking at bookyogaretreats.com.
Intro stats from Yoga Journal Study
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Flora works as the Communications and PR Manager for http://www.bookyogaretreats.com. Get in touch with her to get the latest data about the yoga and travel industry. In her free time, she is also a dedicated yoga teacher and traveler.
Once you’ve figured out your intentions, write them down. An intention that isn’t written down is simply just a dream. Without an intentional plan to achieve our dreams, we can end up floating along and never realizing our full potential.
Now, it’s time to prioritize your intentions and dreams into a manageable plan that won’t overwhelm you. Life is fast-paced and busy for all of us—sometimes it seems like there is never enough time. Be honest with yourself. Take a look at your calendar and your bank account, see how you spend your time and your money. These factors are excellent indicators of your current and past priorities. Be brutally honest.
For example, I could say my priorities are writing three novels a year, taking a yoga teacher training, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. When I look at my calendar and my spending habits, are these priorities accurately reflected?
Do I have writing time clearly marked in my schedule? Am I practicing yoga several times a week? How many trips did I go on last year? How much time was shared with family and friends vs. wasting hours on social media or in front of the television?
So, when you look at your list, what calls to you? Do you feel the urge to do it now, do it now, do it now? Or, could you focus on this intention in a few years? Is it urgent or not?
Decide where you want to focus your energy. Pick your top three or four. If you aren’t sure, consider the ones that tug at your heart. Choose them. Then, get specific and create a timeline.
Once you’ve set your priorities, write them down, and reflect upon them. Visualize your life as if you’ve already manifested your dreams. How do you feel?
Align your deepest desires with your dreams and goals to soar to your highest potential heights.
Check out our newest classes this week:
For a FREE quick energizer, try Eric Paskel’s Yoga Rocks Bootcamp: "The Quickie”.
Delve into two different approaches to balance with Les Leventhal - Guidelines for a Balanced Life: Detox Flow and Shabadpreet - Kundalini Yoga Therapeutics: Weight Loss and Metabolic Balance.
If you’re on track with your new year's resolutions, check in with Mark Morford's Absolution Flow: Get It Together.
The guru of modern yoga emphasized individuality
At one time, following different lineages meant the equivalent of believing in completely different religions. Today the many lineages of yoga are based on the same, or similar, foundations. How the teaching is delivered has become disputed and controversial, resulting in “gurus” and their students insisting that there is only one RIGHT way to do a posture or a practice. This way of teaching leads to confusion for the students.
Krishnamacharya, considered the father of modern yoga, had many teachers. He went to many different schools to learn 7 different philosophical systems of thinking. Eventually he found a guru who he studied with for 7 years. From that teacher he learned about Patanjali’s yoga sutras. At the end of his 7 years of learning, his guru basically told him to go away! Krishnamacharya’s last piece of homework from his guru was to get married, live in the world, and teach yoga.
As Krishnamacharya lived in the world and began teaching yoga, he drew from all of his life’s experiences to teach what he knew. He emphasized the importance of teaching to the individual, which meant that he changed how and what he taught depending on who he was teaching.
This is exactly why some of his greatest students developed such drastically different practices (Iyengar, Ashtanga, and a therapeutically-oriented practice as taught by Desikachar). For Krishnamacharya, there was not one right way for everyone.
You can’t ignore history and culture
The context, history, culture, and life experience of person will drastically affect what and how they teach. All of those variables mix together to create a certain kind of resonance that either jives with your understanding of the world or not. This is why we can have so many yoga teachers in the world AND we can all prosper. What we have to offer is uniquely our own even though we’re all teaching pretty much the same thing. That does not mean that there is only one RIGHT way to teach or learn. There is only one right way for you, which may or may not match the right way for me.
A true guru or teacher empowers students to find their own right way. Often times that means finding a new teacher or doing something completely different. Really good yoga teachers are in the business of constantly putting themselves out of business. For this reason, yoga and business aren’t great matches. A teacher that creates dependency is not doing his or her students any favors.
The true experimental nature of yoga
Another example of a yogi who learned from many teachers was Hari Dickman, profiled in Marion Mugs McConnell’s book Letters from the Yoga Masters. In the book, McConnell explains how Hari learned yoga mostly through correspondence between some of the world’s most well-known gurus. He wrote a similar question to several different gurus and got different responses. Dickman tested these responses on himself before deciding which was the best option for him. From there he developed his own set of best practices for teaching techniques to his students.
Much of yoga is an experiment. In the West, we think that what is being taught in a yoga classroom is the best way to do something. We skip the step where we have to test out all of these practices (hypotheses) on ourself first! Analysis, contemplation, and continual experimentation needs to happen to find the yoga practice that works best for us. A good yoga teacher gives us space and guides us through that process of testing stuff out. Without analysis and contemplation, the student unconsciously gives away his or her power to the teacher and assumes the teacher knows best. Believing the teacher knows best has the potential to lead towards not good things, as evidenced by many of the scandals that have happened in the yoga world over the past fifty years.
Yoga and golf
When I was in high school I was on the girls golf team. I had a swing coach at the range and my team coach. My team coach didn’t really “coach” me much on my swing because he knew that I had someone else working with me. In the game of golf it’s best to follow one way of doing things rather then get lots of opinions. Golf is about precision, detail, and focus. You have to focus on one way of doing things to do it well. When you lose your focus you’ll never succeed at any one part of the game.
The same is true in yoga except that, as in golf, when the swing no longer works for you it’s time to change your swing. In yoga, when your practice no longer works for your life circumstance it’s time to find a new teacher and a new way of doing things.
The only constant is change
Lineages are barely hanging on today. They have become so adapted from the original source that it’s hard to say what the original lineage was all about anyway. Yoga has to adapt to meet the times, thus the way the teaching is taught must change along with it.
There is no wrong way to learn or teach, but there is a right way for you.
Experience lots of styles of yoga, lots of ways of teaching, lots of teachers, and find someone who really speaks to you. When they no longer excite you, find someone else. It’s the greatest complement to a teacher when a student strikes out on her own. That means you really get it.
I’ve learned from many teachers and yet I wouldn’t say that I follow, or feel compelled to follow, any particular lineage. On the one hand, the aspirant in me laments that I haven’t found my guru yet — for funsies, check out my article I posted on this blog a while back on why you need a guru! On the other hand, I understand that my guru is and always will be me and my unique life circumstances. Life has a lot to teach me every day. I can greet each day with open eyes and arms wide open or keep ignoring what’s right in front of me in my quest to find someone else to tell me what to do, only to be disappointed.
Study many perspectives. Experiment. Contemplate. Synthesize. And then go out in the world and be unapologetically you. Keep changing, smiling, thinking, and being.
Namaste.
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!
Pasta was such a central part of our diet, it could’ve been its own food group in my family. Pasta with fresh tomato sauce, pasta with pesto, fettucine alfredo – all of these delectable dishes were mainstays and by the time I got to high school I was pretty skillful at making all of them.
Unfortunately, my adult waistline couldn’t abide by the processed carb load of a two-pasta-bowl night—-and my hunger wasn’t satiated by an eight-ounce serving size. But a year ago, I discovered zucchini noodles.
I got the spiralizer and, suddenly, I could make my favorite sauces again. At the top of my list is pesto for two reasons: First, it’s a classic dish that reminds me of my childhood. And second, it’s incredibly flexible. I like to call pine nuts “tiny nuggets gold” because they are so delicious and so expensive. If you’re out of pine nuts (or if you simply don’t want to shell out the $$$ right now), you can make pesto with several different types of nuts–I’ve used walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds and they’ve all been delicious. Just be sure to toast them first. Also, when basil isn’t in season, you can use baby kale or baby spinach.
A few cooking notes: I use pecorino romano, which is a sharp, salty, delicious sheep’s cheese. You can also use parmagiano reggiano. The zucchini really shrinks when you cook it, so never fear if it seems like A LOT at first. This amount of pesto and noodles with give you 3-4 hearty portions.
INGREDIENTS 4-6 zucchini (courgette) 1 1/2 cups of fresh basil (tightly packed) 1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts 1/4 cup of olive oil 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice
TO MAKE THE PESTO: 1. Place the pine nuts in a pan and turn on the heat. Toast them for about five minutes, watching them carefully to make sure they don’t burn. Shake the pan around occasionally to be sure they turn light brown on all sides. 2. Place the basil, cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil into a Cuisinart or blender. Pulse the mixture until it’s finely chopped. 3. If you can, drizzle the water in as the pesto is blending. I start with a 1/4 cup and if it’s just not geling, I slowly keep adding more water. 4. Once you get a consistency you like, add the sea salt and lemon juice. 5. The last step is very important: Taste your pesto! I find that I sometimes need to add more cheese or nuts to get it just right.
TO MAKE THE NOODLES: 1. Choose the medium setting on your spiralizer. 2. Cut the ends off of the zucchini and spiralize away. 3. Put a large saucepan on medium-high heat. 4. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and your noodles. Saute for about 3-4 minutes, until your noodles have softened but aren’t soggy — it’s a fine line, so watch them closely. 5. While the noodles are hot, stir in your pesto and mix well. Serve it up in big bowls and enjoy every healthy, delectable bite.
For years and years I would grit my teeth and try and be different-- healthier, stronger, more powerful, more feminine, more hygienic, less procrastinatory (woah that’s actually a word?). It would work, but only for awhile. Some things would stick, while some wouldn’t. I tried to systematize my business forever, with basically no luck.
Like the good straight-A student I was, my first line of defense has always been RESEARCH! Can’t make habits stick? Better google, read books, watch videos, sign up for programs to help, RIGHT?
What that resulted in was I now understand a LOT about the psychology of habits, why we resist new ones, how to create them, etc. And you know what? It still came down to if it didn’t feel fun or I didn’t get an immediate benefit, I just didn’t end up sticking with it. Some may call that lazy, but I realized that if it didn’t feel good, why do it?
Still, things need to get done. Dishes, responding to emails, paying bills, sending invoices-- we can’t just choose to stop doing all the stuff that isn’t always so fun.
What we CAN do is change the way we experience those things. We can choose the approach we want, and we can create support in our bodies, in our environment, and in our thoughts around what we are doing. That’s why the power of ritual is so important.
A lot of times on New Year's, we have goals and ambitions to create changes in our lives. Instead of going full-steam ahead, I've found that the secret way to having a successful year and resolutions is to create a ritual out of everything. Everything from brushing your teeth to driving your kids to school can be ritualized. What's different between a habit and a ritual is that a ritual is sacred. No matter where you are and what you're doing, you can create that specialness and magic in your experience.
So how do you create a ritual? Set an intention for everything you're doing. Ground yourself in your intentions. Feel it in your body, first and foremost and don't just say it in your mind or words. It can make a difference for those of you that resist tasks and responsibilities. Get yourself in a place of feeling good before you do that thing and then see what happens.
I would love to know- what can you ritualize in your life? Where can you create space for sacredness and intentionality?
Equal parts earth mama, mermaid, and magic glitter, Kate Marolt is an embodiment coach, speaker, yoga teacher, and founder of Unbound Living. Kate is a fierce advocate for women’s empowerment and wisdom, and with over 1000 hours of training in yoga, fitness, energy, philosophy, spiritual practices, and emotional processing tools, she is uniquely placed to guide you back into alignment, integration, and wholeness. Kate is dedicated to helping you understand your body’s messages and inner wisdom so you can feel ALIVE, joyful, and free to be exactly who you are, inside and out.
That deep work is fired up by the collusion between the Cancer moon, Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter. These four powerhouses in the sky work together to create expansive, abundant opportunities to incite radical transformation within. Taking stock of your ways of being and thinking, releasing what no longer serves you and getting honest and clear about who you want to be is paramount at this time. By following your intuitive flashes, you will be guided to transform yourself as is necessary at this time. The Cancer full moon nudges us to be kind to ourselves, listen to the message of our psyche through our emotions and practice self-care as we do our deep inner work.
Alchemical Ritual for the Cancer Full Moon
As a water sign, Cancer is immersed in the watery world of the emotions and our unconscious drives. On the low side, this fluid sign becomes moody and overly sensitive, seeking self-protection at all costs. This full moon ritual for Cancer accentuates the high side of sign so we express our emotions in a healthy way, allowing for receptivity, acceptance, nurturing, growth and self-care along the way.
Cancer's ruler is the moon, the luminescent body that shines light on our dark areas, namely, the unconscious. While Cancer sometimes falls prey to the shadow with emotional instability, it also has the opportunity to heal any wounds left untended, and brings awareness to our own darkness, ultimately revealing its light. To keep Cancer’s energy elevated in this ritual, try donning white clothing and gather white stones such as moonstone and place them in the center of your ritual space. You may also place your sacred items in a silver bowl or chalice, as silver compliments the moon.
Bring in the water element in some way, perhaps by placing a few drops of essential oils in water in the silver vessel, if you have it (jasmine, lemon or sandalwood oils work well with Cancer). The essential oils can be used to anoint your third eye chakra before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights. Sit in the center of your space and bring the hands together at the heart center. Connect to the third eye, the location of intuition and our internal moon and say the following invocation aloud:
Moon, keep my eyes open to the messages that come from within me so that I may heed their lessons in my life.
Sit quietly as you call forth a dream image. Ask the unconscious to deliver an image that you need at this moment. Be patient and pay attention. Do not force or manipulate this process in any way. Rather, stay attuned to your breath. When you receive your dream image, simply observe it. Watch it move, hear it speak, or feel its presence. Rather than impart your own meaning to it, allow it to bring meaning to you. Let it express to you what it needs.
When complete, turn the internal gaze to the third eye and chant Om three times. Place the moonstone (or other white stone) in your hand and hold it to your third eye. This is now charged with the energy of your intuition and helps to connect you to it when needed. Snuff the candles and place the stone somewhere prominently enough that you are reminded daily of the power of your intuition. This ritual allows you to find the meaning in your life, knowing that the meaning always comes from within you.
To kick it off, join the 21-Day Fit & Fabulous Challenge - the perfect anywhere, anytime program to get your body in the ultimate shape and your spirit rejuvenated: YogaDownload.com/Challenge. It’s full of expertly curated daily yoga and meditation classes designed to help you cultivate your most fit & fabulous self, for 21 days straight. Daily classes are friendly for all levels, whether you’re new to your practice or a seasoned yogi.
And of course, YogaDownload is here to help you work the fitness of your body and brain all year long with new classes each week to keep your mind clear and your body strong. This week’s offerings include:
Kristen Boyle – Engage in Stillness
Sometimes stillness is the most productive thing you can do. If you came into the new year running, enjoy this 35-minute Vinyasa flow, perfect for morning, lunchtime or an afternoon pick-me-up, complete with a vigorous flow and moments of complete stillness.
Kristin Gibowicz – Rock Your Body Yoga Sculpt
Work your abs in this fun 30 minute practice that incorporates sun salutations, squats, planks, push-ups and glute work.
Guru Jagat – Cardio Kundalini 3: Mind Clarity
Strengthen and tone small muscle groups in the body while clearing out brain fog, as we open to a new level of clarity and vitality in this full-body, cardio workout.
Ashley Turner – Yoga for Hangovers
The perfect weekend class to restore from the night before, this gentle hatha class will detoxify and put you back in balance.
For me personally, I didn't start thinking about trying to be healthier until after school, and to be honest the sole reason was purely about weight and external looks, it really had nothing to do with what was going on inside my body - and that right there is the biggest issue. I truly believe its only been over the last few months that I've worked out what works best for me, and I seriously have never felt better, both mentally and physically. So I figured, why not do my best to try and help anyone who needs a little push in the right direction. I've put together what I believe are the key points, the foundation to starting off a healthy life.
Please remember that I am not a trained nutritionalist, and what I am writing is purely from personal experience, but points that I truly believe work.
1. Don't be hung up on your weight
It is my personal belief that if you're purely trying to eat healthy to lose weight quickly, that majority of the time, it won't be a lasting change. Most people are aware that weight does not just immediately drop off by the kilo because you're eating healthy. Of course, transitioning from filling your body with processed food to really good and wholesome food will cause you to lose weight, but it will be a slower process, and that is a really great thing! Rapid weight loss, I have found, will usually be due to under-eating etc, and at the end of the day, it is never a lasting thing. When moving to a healthier diet, you HAVE to remember that its a slow process, and if you are hung up on weighing yourself and constantly analysing yourself in the mirror hoping to see huge changes, that eventually you will grow tired and fed up (impossible standards will always leave you feeling unmotivated), and more often than not will steer away from a healthy diet.
2. Do not be unrealistic or hard on yourself
You're trying to be healthy, which is fantastic, and this by no stretch of the imagination means that you cannot indulge occasionally, and most importantly it does not mean you have to cut out huge food groups all together. This is something I find unbelievably frustrating, when I hear people say that they wont eat any bread, pasta, rice, white potatoes, etc! Let's be real here, carbs are not your enemy, and I will usually eat a large bowl of pasta once a week (I actually just finished eating some before finishing off this post!). I'll enjoy toast for breakfast, and fried rice for lunch, and potatoes I will have an abundance of roast potatoes with dinner, and I will never, EVER feel guilty about it! You need to be realistic, and I truly believe that once you cut out healthy food groups, you are dealing with a diet not a lifestyle change.
3. "I'll start on Monday..."
There are two things that will most likely happen if you utter these words. Either you will, start on Monday and will not stick to it, or you wont start at all. Why? Well it's simple, if you want to make a change, and I mean truly make a change, you will want to do it the second you make that decision. And let's be honest here, this whole starting on Monday thing is slightly ridiculous. If you want to start eating healthy, and being healthy, then just start...as lame as it sounds, there really is no time like the present.
4. Listen to your body
This is so important, and it's said all the time! A lot of people struggle with understanding what this means, which is understandable, but I promise it's simple. If you're hungry eat. If you're thirsty then drink. If you're feeling run down and tired, sleep. If you're feeling light headed, you probably need to be eating more. This whole business where people tell you exactly how often you should be eating is crap, I truly believe that. Every single person has a different body, it runs differently and needs different things. I don't have specific times that I eat, and I'm a giant snacker! I'm probably eating every hour or so, and that works perfectly for me. It will take a bit of time to work out how your body works, but its all through trial and error. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to have this healthy eating thing down pat straight away, the more you understand about your body, the more likely it is that this will truly become a lifestyle and not just a 'phase'.
5. Know which foods are 'bad'
This part is pretty basic. It's not the foods you need to vilify and never eat again. I don't think that there will ever be foods that I wont eat again purely because they aren't healthy. I'm all for treating yourself if you want to, don't deprive yourself because that, for me, is mentally damaging and exhausting. However, its important to know which foods aren't healthy, and by healthy I mean truly good for your body, the kind of foods that help you thrive. For me, I work this out in two very basic ways. First and foremost, the foods that come out of a packet will never come close to be as healthy as the fresh foods you'll find in the ground and on trees, thats a fact. Secondly, I'll have a look a the ingredients on the back of boxes, packets etc, and if you don't understand what some of the words are, or there are a bunch of numbers, that's a dead giveaway that the food isn't healthy.
The one thing I cannot stress enough is to never be too harsh, EVER. You are only human, and if you make mistakes, and have a few days where you eat terribly, that is totally fine. It is not the end of the world. But the biggest mistake you can make, is to not pick yourself back up and start eating well again. I promise you, after a few weeks, cravings of sugary foods will subside, and you will be able to have a truly balanced diet you can be proud of.
In my spectacularly unfit shape, I got totally confused by a barrage of Sanskrit, strange movement, and a sweet teacher winning a losing battle against the cacophony of clanging weights, basketball dribbles, swimming pool echoes and cardio kickboxing classes outside. But something felt right.
My friends (many of whom still have yoga in their lives) and I continued. One friend had the unique experience of taking a yoga class all semester for university credit. She described her teacher as ‘older than the earth, and containing all its wisdom', and described her spouting such terrors as: ‘after holding this pose for many breaths in class today, you may tonight experience violent nightmares.' I had no idea what that meant, but I appreciated its drama.
Eventually, I learned a few of the Sanskrit phrases, and could keep up with the pace of the class. I moved on to a dedicated yoga studio in Union Square, where a more experienced teacher started to teach me how to use my body to find its own individual way into the poses.
I would recruit friends, one of whom unceremoniously fell on to me during an ill-fated handstand attempt. Yoga even appeared in my writing and acting classes with a professor taking us through their own version of a yoga warm up followed by a melodramatic anecdote like ‘[insert famous award winning playwright] cannot write anything unless she does her yoga in the morning.' But I believed then and still do that taking the time to come into the body and the breath is a prerequisite to creativity.
By the time I finished my degree, I had shed the earring, the yellow glasses and most of the poor fashion choices, but yoga held on. Even though I was still clumsy, inflexible, and weak, I knew that in its own mysterious way, the combination of posture and breath connected me to an energy and presence that was helping me have the courage and conviction to find my way through my then terrifying 20's.
There were years when I didn't practice yoga, and there were years where it was all I did. I was frequently the ‘guy in red, lift those arms up, what are you doing?!' in class, chided by the teacher. I heard about twenty different opinions on how to work with my tight hamstrings, sometimes with conflicting opinions coming from the same teacher. Practicing inversions a bit too keenly at a mirrored wall, I left a heel shaped glass shatter for posterity. For years I had no idea what I was doing and came nowhere near any ‘full expression' of a pose (whatever that really means). But I never let myself care too much about what I was supposed to be doing, and stayed focused on what I was feeling and how each class and each teacher contributed to a more joyful and productive expression of my life. For it's life that matters, not being able to get your foot behind your head.
As a beginner, it's important to remember, to quote Dorothy Fields, ‘it's not where you start, it's where you finish.' We've all had to begin somewhere, usually far far away from any mystical finish line. And the paradoxical thing is, you never finish. As you reach your maximum in a pose, your body or your life changes. Just when you think you've answered all the questions, the questions change.
Take the long view, be patient, and let the practice and all its joys, mysteries, embarrassments, laughter, challenges, and comforts reveal itself with each class, each practice and each year. We've only just begun.