Teaching on this powerful distinction reminded me of a section from my book The OUTLAW Protocol that explores this topic further:
That we spend so much time worrying is a product of our programming, not a natural process of a productive mind. While any mind is naturally inclined to respond to threats and rewards in kind, our current level of sympathetic nervous system activation (fight or flight) is both an indication and result of our programmed inclination to worry. We’re addicted to worrying. The greatest irony in this relationship to constant anxiety is that most of us — myself included — live marshmallow soft lives. Lives where real fear — caused by imminent danger — is farther away by far, than the fantasy of the possibility of future fear is. Most people don’t experience fear as such. What most of us experience can better be described as anxiety — the fear of the future experience of fear. The distinct difference is that fear is real and seldom experienced, while anxiety is imaginary and often experienced. When we allow the small self to play with the possibility of crisis, we create imaginary fear for the possible events of the future. Anxiety turns our otherwise tranquil inner landscape into a war zone creating a negative energetic state in our body-minds, despite and irrespective of what is actually happening around us. Part of the allure of harboring a state of anxiety is the planning that must accompany it in preparing for the events of the imagined future. The result, however, is the pollution of our presence with its pull to the future, the blocking of our thoughts from accessing an actionable plan in the now.
Trapped in a place that is not here but there, a state of frustration sets in due to our inability to do anything about the fantasy currently playing itself out in our heads — both responsible for this state and perpetuating it, our anxieties distract us from performing anything productive in the now. When we lack presence, anxiety creates a split between us and the present moment, robbing us of the ability to make an actionable choice. The longer we spend in this state, the more powerful the anxiety becomes as it carries within it an ability to multiply itself and feed off of our lack of presence.
Our anxiety, and the small self that stokes it, will even go so far as to create the conditions that produce the events we supposedly fear so much, events that when they occur will then seem to have been productively preordained, fueling a destructive and confusing loop that the small self is all too happy to help perpetuate in order to make itself seem right after the fact. In this light, anxiety can be seen for what it often is — the root cause of calamity, not just a byproduct of it.
Fear, on the other hand, is a useful tool in the evolutionary sense, one that fuels the body to excellent heights in response to real threats.
I’ve experienced this distinct difference between real fear and imagined anxiety both during my time spent in war zones and during my time training as a mixed martial artist. In both, a healthy amount of fear propelled me to safety during intense periods of training, evading and fighting where danger was real and imminent, compared to times of relative tranquility wasted fearing fear immersed in the imagination of negative events to come. When we encounter a threat, real or imagined, the body-mind prepares itself appropriately by flooding itself with helpful chemicals and hormones like adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol — called to fight, our mind prepares our body to respond accordingly. If fear is the acute need to adapt, then anxiety, by contrast, is the fantasy that we will not be able to adapt when called to… Whether real or imagined, the result in the body is the same.
Anxiety ravages our physical body, while rewiring the physical circuitry of our minds, bundling neurons in such a way as to predispose the mind towards feeling this particular feeling more often than a positive, present state in the future.
This isn’t Eastern hokum. This is Western science.
This prevalence of anxiety in our minds contributes to a distinct way of being whether we are walking the streets in a war zone or in a peaceful city — one comes with real threats, the other with real worries.
Despite being deeply imbedded in this cycle, neither the reality of fear nor the delusion of anxiety can withstand the sustained discipline of our mindfulness practice. Notwithstanding real threats, our state of mind ultimately depends solely on one factor — whether or not we have developed a greater discipline than our small self has. An Outlaw knows that regardless of action on the street, there is at each and every moment a very real war going on for their minds, a battle between the chain smoking small self and the enlightenment seeking big self. …
At some point the Outlaw has to look past the anxiety and ask themselves, “What’s wrong right now?”
Employ this tool…I dare you. Ask the voice inside you, is this a real threat? Should I honor this feeling? Or is this a fantasy, some anxiety that I’m cultivating?
Namaste and Happy Halloween, Yogis!
By Justin Kaliszewski
Justin Kaliszewski is a reformed meat-head and former amateur cage fighter. He brings a lifetime of travel and world's worth of experience in battling the ego to the mat. An avid student, artist, and treasure hunter, he infuses a creativity and perseverance into his teachings, along with a distinct blend of humor and wisdom that redefines what it means to be an Outlaw and a yogi...He teaches Outlaw Yoga across the country and is happy to call Denver home for now. Author of Outlaw Protocol: how to live as an outlaw without becoming a criminal, you can find him at www.outlawyoga.com.
Ready to take a break from all the social engagements that revolve around eating and drinking somewhat less than vibrant foods!
We’re ready!
Part of this back to school, back to health preparation has been recommitting to menu planning!
Admittedly not one of my favorite things to do, but having even a vague idea of what I might be making for kids’ school lunches, my lunches and family dinners, sure does take the edge off.
And I have to say, anything that can ease the “excitement” (read: stress and anxiety) that this time of year is bringing to my household is most welcome!
One thing I’ve found for myself, our cleansers, and my kiddos alike is the importance of not forgetting to include quick and easy-to-grab snacks in my meal plan.
Who doesn’t love a good snack?
The problem is when a good snack turns into a snack attack…And the definition of a snack attack is that it’s a creeper! Before you know it, boom! You’re hangry, your thinking brain goes completely offline, and you find yourself standing in front of the vending machine. And I have to say, there’s nothing vibrant about the vending machine!
This week I’ve rounded up my favorite 7 snacks that you’re going to love! These are family and office friendly, so share them and beat the snack attack at it’s own game!
With love and healthy snacks,
7 Healthy Snacks You Will Love
Enjoy a small piece of leftover salmon from last night’s dinner. Get our recipe for Ginger Broiled Salmon when you sign up for our email list here.
Romaine Banana Wrap – My all-time favorite raw snack. Preparation is simple. Just take one large romaine leaf, smear it with your favorite raw nut butter (I love cashew butter) and roll it up with a banana (peeled, of course!) inside.
Green Pea Hummus – Forget the store-bought hummus that can be loaded with unhealthy preservatives, this hummus is super easy to whip up. Plus kids love it with carrot sticks and cucumber wheels.
Roasted Curried Chickpeas – Move over potato chips. If you’re looking for a crunch, this is the ultimate snack for you. Chickpeas are a great source of fiber and protein and these little guys are loaded with flavor.
Nut-Free Joy Balls – Have a nut allergy? Switch to pumpkin and sunflower seeds with these protein packed Joy Balls. Loaded with healthy fats, these treats are loved and coveted by all.
Creamy Banana Chia Pudding – Looking for something a bit decadent and naughty? Try this rich and creamy chia pudding and you’ll never miss those vending machine Junior Mints.
Homemade Trail Mix – It doesn’t get any easier than this. Just toss everything into a bag or glass container, shake, and you’re out the door. Filling and satisfying, this is one of my go-to’s. Just don’t forget the cacao nibs (when not cleansing, of course!).
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
I’m not going to lie. I still have moments, hours, or even days when I’m consumed with fear about cancer. Despite the campaigns that have played out over the past 20 years, early detection does not guarantee a cure for breast cancer. (Laurie Becklund, a well-known reporter for the LA Times, faced this reality and wrote about it just before she died from metastatic breast cancer in March.)
I never used to be afraid to go to the doctor. But that’s different now. My fear arises with a vengeance when it’s time for a check-up. There are lots of them at this point. For all kinds of whacked out lady-related things that I won’t go into here. (You’re welcome.)
Last week, before one of these check-ups, I spent 24 hours moving through what I am now referring to as my Seven Stages of Coping with Fear. I am now intimately familiar with these stages because last fall they were on a repeat loop while I was constantly awaiting test results. This means that I:
1. Feel completely disconnected from my current reality and feign normal interactions with my loved ones while my mind works up as many worst-case scenarios as it can muster.
2. Google these worst case scenarios while pretending to watch The Amazing Race with my husband until my thumbs go numb.
3. Practice yoga. Moving the energy does make me feel better and it gets me out of my head. For a short period of time. But if the fear is great enough, it rears its ugly head again.
4. Feel nauseated. Which means that I either can’t eat or all I want to eat is chocolate and potatoes.
5. Blast Megan Trainor and dance around the living room. (This makes my poor husband feel nauseated.)
6. When all of those things don’t work….I cry. These days I try to cry when my husband is around because I know that nothing good comes from crying about cancer when I’m all by myself.
7. Finally, I do what my yoga teacher friend Deb Burkman (who also happens to be a breast cancer survivor) advised after I pleaded via email last year to share how she got through the diagnosis phase. Her answer was simple: She said she remembers what the Dalai Lama once said, which is that he tries to make friends with the fear. This sage bit of wisdom has helped me tremendously.
You see, most of the time when we feel fearful, we instinctively take some helpful action to mitigate the fear. But…what do you do when you can’t take action to make things better? When you can’t just take control of the situation? In my situation, the question is, how do I “sit” with the fear of facing my mortality head on?
It’s times like these when we’re really called upon to do yoga. We take all of those hours that we’ve logged on our mats—breathing and moving, watching and responding—and put them into practice. The technique of making friends with fear has served as a little bridge to help me do that.
Here’s the internal map of why it helps me so much: For starters, it puts me in the role of observer, or what’s known in yoga as witness consciousness. I can see the fear as a separate entity from me and observe it, just like I watch my body during asana practice. I can see that it has an energy just like all my other emotions have different energies and effects. And I can witness how it’s causing me some pain. But I don’t have to be sucked into the loud screaming drama of fear just like I don’t have to put all of my focus and attention on the most difficult aspect of a pose. I can stand back and watch myself move through the challenging experience, whether physical or mental.
From that place of witnessing, I can start making friends with fear by acknowledging that it exists. The simple act of acknowledgment immediately defuses some of fear’s power. Instead of bracing myself and pushing against fear with my full body weight, I can stand and greet it eye to eye.
From acknowledgment comes acceptance. I allow the fear to be there. I don’t have to feel guilty or weak for my vulnerabilities. I don’t have to “warrior up” and conquer my fear. Fear is allowed to have its place in my consciousness from time to time. It’s allowed a seat at the table. I may not like the way it feels, but I can allow it to be there. And once I do that, I realize that I can handle it. Fear is not going to suffocate or drown me.
At this point – and this is the best part — I’m able to soften – inside and out. When I see fear as a something that I can make friends with, the energy of the emotion subsides a bit. It loosens its noose-like grip around my neck. My shoulders relax. My breath deepens. The fear itself is not so scary and angry and strange. It’s no longer an adversary, a scary black cat skulking around behind me – it’s actually quite sweet and scared and timid and normal. And I can feel that it needs what I need as I’m going through all of this – some love, some attention. A hug. A deep breath. A pat on the back. It needs some comfort. It knows that it’s got a crappy role in life, but it’s just doing its job, right?
When I soften, I’m in the true yoga space again. I’m present with the current reality – which is that I’m well. I’m not living in a hospital. And none of us knows how long we will live.
Now, I’m armed with a technique for when fear visits me again. I can repeat the inner mantra, “witness, acknowledge, allow, soften.” And you can, too. I hope it helps you with whatever fear you’re facing right now.
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
During this time that began in August (before Burning Man for me personally and I’m sure for others at that gathering), I’ve been witness to a huge cleanse, epic transformations, upheavals, intense realizations, and brave leaps forward by so many. And for me personally, well let’s just say that there have been radical shifts that would put an earthquake to shame.
There are many places I’m sure we could go after all that, but really, we must choose balance.
Let me say that again … We must choose balance. I say that deliberately because it is your choice and you know that, I know you do.
When I reviewed the astrological orchestra and then realized, (as if it could be any other way), that Navratri began just after the New Moon, I literally dropped to my knees and gave thanks.
Let me start here:
This New Moon in Libra is all about balance; specifically balance in relationships. And in case you forgot, you have relationships all over the place: with others, with your past, with your parents, with your job, with yourself, with money, with the Earth, and even with your choices. Name it, you’re in relationship all the time. And this New Moon is asking you to bring into balance what has been off “karmic kilter” for quite some time. All that shakedown that came before this moment, what was that all about? It’s all been preparing you for this moment.
The one where truth resides, where compassion lives, where abundance is obvious, where love wins, and where you exhale and listen to your intuitive knowing; feeling that deep resonance with all that is.
Sounds very prophetic doesn’t it? Well it’s true.
Now follow me here, let me take this to the next step:
For a moment, think about all the people on this planet now, celebrating Navratri, the worship of the Divine Feminine in all her forms. They are praying, fasting, celebrating, chanting, yoga-ing, talking about, and maybe for the first time, recognizing the radiance of the Divine Feminine. They are receiving the energy of the Great Mother by bowing to her greatness. So even if none of this resonates with you personally, it’s happening and it’s powerful beyond our thinking mind.
Trust me on this one please.
The truth is that our world has been out of balance for a very, very long time. The story, as it is told in many traditions and lineages, has talked about patriarchal rule and how it has created our now seemingly insurmountable issues.
I personally love the story about Shiva and Sati and how she promises to marry Shiva and help create the World, but only if she is always honored and respected for her power. The moment the “powers that be” forget who she is and disregard her power and try to take over, she leaves her body. Shiva is pissed off and begins careening through the world, with her broken physical form, spewing obscenities and everywhere he goes, major earth tragedies begin happening.
Saturn comes in and begins dropping pieces of Sati’s body to the Earth in the hopes of stopping Shiva from complete destruction. According to this story, which I love, where Sati’s body landed, we now experience major vortexes, magical geography, and deep connection with the Divine Feminine because this is where She resides.
So I ask you now … how has that changed from whatever lineage you believe in, whatever text you want to read from, how has that changed? Have we not been overruled by old, out dated, patriarchal ideals and concepts? Has the feminine not been disrespected, under valued, and in many cases, manipulated for some type of consumption or greed?
The answer is yes, yes it has. And the time is now to stop. The time is now to make changes, big or small, it doesn’t matter, just make a change.
Now.
Admittedly, change is happening and it’s happening at a pretty quick rate, which makes me so happy. I see it mostly in amazing, vulnerable, authentic, available men who recognize the beauty of the Divine and are excited to talk about it. I see it in women coming together in circle and supporting each other. I see it in an overall sense of receiving … allowing … accepting … unconditional loving.
And now, in this moment, the planets, the stars, the Moon, and the energy of the Divine Feminine herself is asking us to please find balance. And to please do it now.
And to some, that sounds and feels overwhelming. I mean, with all the “issues” we are currently experiencing, how can one person possibly bring anything into balance. It’s seemingly too much.
Now let me take you here:
What if you could, for a moment, believe in the truth of a holographic Universe? Meaning that every single thing you were experiencing and witnessing was a mere reflection of yourself and how you “relate” in the world? What if that were true?
Which it is.
Then can you maybe just take a moment in silence and truly recognize the truth of what is imbalance in your own life? Can you really look at the dark shadows of your life and admit that you have the power to create balance for yourself? See and begin to shift the ways in which you push and force, and disallow love, harmony, spirit to create FOR you?
Can you sit in receptivity for a hot minute and drink in the beauty of what is occurring? Can you welcome the idea that change is necessary and that maybe we needn’t be doing so much and maybe we should be okay with receiving? And heart knowing? And intuitive guidance?
That’s what it’s going to take. A swift turn to the heart to experience this balance. By all of us. Together as one.
How … you ask? Well first off, we needn’t ever ask how. But if you need something, a check list of sorts …. Here you go:
Sit
Breathe
Revel in nature
Say yes
Listen
Love … unapologetically
Forgive … and mean it
BE the energy of the Divine
Honor Her ….
Honor your mother, your wife, your daughter, and honor the feminine that resides in every single man on this planet. Because guess what? From what I’m hearing … a lot of them are wanting to shift, but they are so damn afraid of disappointing us. They know … on a deep level they know, that we are the Shakti of creation. And they too have been emasculated by our own imbalance of masculine energy.
There’s no manual on how to do this differently! They can only go into the heart where many of them, and the ones before them, have never even traveled to. Where many of them were hurt and told to fight, and consume, and gain, and win instead of love.
Support them with your loving grace. Hold them in times of transformation. And love them for trying.
This is where balance will happen. In your home. In the way you love. In the way you receive. In the way you acknowledge all phases of the Divine within yourself.
Your fierce compassion (Durga)
Your infinite generosity (Lakshmi)
Your intuitive guidance (Saraswati)
This practice is more than postures sequenced together to create a class. This is about moving your body in time with the rhythm of the Universe. And it’s happening … with or without you, it’s happening.
By Dana Damara
“My passion on the mat is proper alignment, powerful breath and effortless flow so you feel that off your mat. Your practice becomes sacred space where you arrive to find more meaning, depth, authenticity and integrity in your life."
- Dana Damara: mother, author, yoga instructor, speaker and yogini. Visit DanaDamara.com for more inspiration from Dana.
Click here to download or stream one of Dana's YogaDownload classes!
When we meditate on the 3rd eye, we can travel to higher states of consciousness – to worlds that are more subtle and profound. But when we meditate in a way that connects the 3rd eye to the heart center, or anahata chakra, we can slowly begin to integrate these higher states of awareness so that they become embodied in us - so that we can put them to good use in our day-to-day lives.
So find a comfortable seat. Make sure your knees rest a bit below your hips. Sit tall so that your spine is long and erect. Take a moment to sway gently from one sit bone to the other until you find your perfect center. Now close your eyes. Take a few moments to let go of any tension your body might be holding onto. Scan your body to see where that tension lies and then breathe deeply into those spots to gently release it.
On an inhale, sense into the feeling that your body is becoming deeply rooted into the earth. Imagine you have deep roots penetrating the earth’s surface. As you exhale, visualize your spine becoming taller and even more erect.
Now bring your attention to the place between and just slightly above your eyebrows. Bring your breath to your 3rd eye and imagine the breath is breathing in and out of this place in the center of your forehead. Imagine there’s a very small circle of light here. You can visualize a small moon here in this region, emitting a soft and subtle glow. Continue to breathe in and out of this little moon glowing in the middle of your forehead.
Now, as you breathe, see that inhale gently pushing the light from your forehead into your heart center. Sense that on an inhale, the breath flows into the 3rd eye, and then travels down to your heart center. As you breathe, feel that a channel is being opened up between the ajna chakra and the anahata chakra.
Now imagine a soft light beginning to emanate from your heart center, just as it does from your 3rd eye. So as you breathe, you visualize the opening up of the channel between the two centers. There are two points of light, one in the ajna chakra and the other in the anahata chakra.
Add the mantra OM to your breath, feeling the sound OM flowing into the light in the forehead and down to the light in the heart on an inhale, and then from the heart up into the forehead and out on an exhale. Really allow the vibration of OM to seep into your consciousness and penetrate these two chakras and the central channel that connects them.
As thoughts come into your mind, simply notice them and come back to the breath, the light, and the vibration of OM that connects your head to your heart – connecting you with your Higher Self.
By Aimee Hughes N.D.
Aimee Hughes, ND, is a holistic health writer who has been traveling and exploring the world of natural health and wellness, yoga, dance, and travel for the past two decades. She is the author of a self-published vegan cookbook, “The Sexy Vegan Kitchen: Culinary Adventures in Love & Sex,” available on Amazon. Aimee is the lead writer and health consultant for the Yandara Yoga Institute in Todos Santos, Mexico. [www.yandara.com]
What to do when you’re plagued by digestive discomfort? Whether it’s cramping, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea or a little bit of all of it, a specific yoga for digestion sequence may help.
Yoga for digestion: why the poses work
Twists and poses that compress the digestive organs can be helpful to get things moving again in your digestive tract. We all need a little extra motivation sometimes when things get tough. Research also shows that digestive discomfort can be heightened by stress and a lack of activity, so yoga is a perfect candidate to help get you moving and breathing to reduce stress.
Yoga poses that lengthen the torso help create more space and open up any areas that may be chronically compressed causing blockages. Think about it. When something goes wrong on the highway, everything gets all backed up and there is no way you’re getting through until whatever is blocking traffic gets moved out of the way. Considering your large intestine is about 5 feet long, I figured a traffic analogy would work well. 5 feet is like a highway for tiny cells and stuff.
Combine these types of poses in a flow and you’ll get your blood pumping, your breath assisting, and it will probably just feel good to move.
I’ve offered up some yoga poses for digestion on the blog before, so you can use those as a resource/reference as well. (I swear, I didn’t plan to wear the exact same shirt…)
It’s always nice to revisit this topic seasonally and switch things up a little so you don’t get bored!
Click here for video, it is 10 minutes. No excuses :)
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.
While pumpkin is not technically cleanse friendly, it’s still a ridiculously healthy food and one of our 80:20 favorites – especially this time of year!
If you too have a passion for pumpkin and want to fully indulge your pumpkin obsession, we’ve got you covered!
Here’s our lineup of favorite pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Spice Green Smoothie Creamy Pumpkin Sage Soup Pumpkin Fudge Nearly Raw Coco Nutty Pumpkin Pie
To add to the pumpkin madness, I thought we needed a new family-friendly crockpot recipe, something that will warm little bellies before heading out for trick-or-treating this Halloween.
Check out my new Pumpkin Turkey Crockpot Chili recipe below. This is a family-favorite among my boys! Plus it’s quick and easy, making it one of mama’s faves too.
Now it’s your turn! Are you pumped for pumpkin? Share your favorite recipe in the comment section below.
With pumpkin spice and everything nice,
Pumpkin Turkey Crockpot Chili
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 TB. coconut oil, separated 2 lbs. ground turkey 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp. cumin 2 (15 oz cans) great northern beans, rinsed and drained 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree 1 TB. chili powder 1 tsp. oregano 1-2 small jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 2 cups chicken broth 2 bay leaves 1 green onion, chopped for garnish Handful of cilantro, chopped for garnish Salt and pepper to taste Coconut Lime Crema, garnish (optional)
Instructions: In a large sauté pan melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil over high heat. Add turkey meat and cook, breaking it up into small pieces until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer to crock pot.
Add remaining tablespoon of coconut oil to the sauté pan and heat until melted. Add onions and garlic, sautéing for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add cumin and sauté another minute. Transfer to crock pot.
In the crockpot, add beans, pumpkin puree, chili powder, oregano, jalapeños, chicken broth and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Before serving, remove bay leaves and adjust chill powder to taste. Garnish with green onions, cilantro and coconut lime crema, if using.
1. Stay Hydrated
Think about those days when you don’t drink enough fluids, when you have too many cups of coffee or one too many glasses of red wine. Dehydration makes us feel terribly out of sorts, contributing to headaches, mood swings, and a host of other maladies. Sip on warm lemon water between meals to stay well hydrated in cooler months of the year.
2. Get Outside As Often As You Can
The pleasant sound of cute, little birdies chirping at dawn, the blazing midday sun, long walks through the park and jogging along tree-studded hiking trails – taking in nature or doing your daily dose of physical exercise outside is a surefire way to stay aligned with the rhythms of the universe.
3. Refrain from excessively watching television
Sitting on a big leather couch with your feet up on the coffee table while staring like a zombie at the boob tube as it blasts out less than mindful news reports leaves us feeling depressed, stressed and disconnected. Yoga teaches that everything we take in affects our consciousness so we want to make sure we’re exposing our minds to the good stuff. Read a book, cook a nice meal, do some yoga or meditate instead of spending hours in front of a TV.
4. Eat Only Whole Foods
Whenever you feel hungry, take a mindful pause and ask yourself, “am I really hungry in this moment?” If feeding your body with something nourishing is the truly mindful thing to do, then reach for whole foods only. Think grass-fed sources of protein, healthy fats, and green leafy veggies – these foods will feed you with the micronutrients your body needs for vitality.
5. Move your body daily
Refrain from sitting in front of a computer or other electronic screen all day long. Our bodies are designed to move, and to move mindfully. A nice, juicy yoga practice opens up the pranic body and leaves you feeling clear and calm, while also energized. If you need to go somewhere, walk or ride a bike. Moving your body in a mindful way adds much beauty and alignment to your days.
6. Be Totally Present When Engaging In conversation
You certainly don’t want to be thinking of the past or future or some imaginary far-off land while talking to anyone. Our relationships are vital to our well-being, and to nurture these relationships, we must practice presence as we engage. Make eye contact, listen, and bring your entire being to the conversation. Your loved ones will feel way more supported when you do.
7. Eat During Daylight Hours
Eating too much food late and night can leave you feeling groggy and ungrounded. According to Ayurveda, your digestive fires are strongest during midday and you should eat your largest meal at this time. Keep dinner light and save those late night dinner parties for special occasions.
And most important, have a whole lotta self-compassion with yourself and with others. At the end of the day, that’s the name of the game for a healthier, happier and more aligned life!
There was a time when I coveted the opportunity to teach at a Yoga Journal conference. It was considered the big show. Now, not so much. In fact, now that I have been making my living as a yoga teacher for the last 20 years, I can see how it’s not that great of a gig. Those conference rooms at the hotel with the carpeting, and the inherently “sampler” nature of a teacher presenting to a room of 60+ people, does not necessarily amount to the deepest of learning experiences or any kind of sustainable income. Maybe some inspiration and fun, and good promotion for sure, but certainly not the real nitty gritty of what teachers do and teach.
Yoga festivals are another story entirely. The scholarly or trade industry convention of conferencing has been swapped out for the arena rock model. It’s like in the the eighties when I used to go to Reggae festivals or to see a gigantic band like The Who and feel the rush and exhilaration of all those people together with shared purpose. And, more and more, the festivals are expanding into mini versions of Burning Man, where it’s not just yoga and music but all kinds of stuff wrapped up into one mind-expanding peak experience.
With both conferences and festivals, funding and marketing have always played a role.
Creating events like conferences and festivals have proven to be a sure fire way to generate a lot of publicity, income and awareness about the people and sponsors behind them. Even grassroots political demonstrations are finding greater success with group yoga practice than staging a sit-in or other forms of protest. The government of India itself decided to throw a global yoga event. News outlets just seem to love images of people doing yoga practice in large groups.
The appeal of mass yoga outings has not gone unnoticed by companies looking for innovative ways to market their products. We recently saw 10,000 people in Central Park, all dressed in white and carefully arranged on yellow yoga mats, practicing in the name of peace and the Lolë clothing line. The coverage of the event was a mix of condemnation among those who saw the entire thing as a corporate shill and marveling at the spectacle of so many people participating in a shared experience with positive intention.
My usual response to large-scale, corporate-sponsored, yoga events is to scoff. I'm highly distrustful of corporations in general. When a profit motive is not sufficiently tempered by a human being with a personal stake beyond just business, the trade-offs seem to suck all the soul right out of the thing. But if I take a moment to step away from my initial knee-jerk reaction, I can see how it’s not that cut and dry. Very often there is a lot of good happening right along with the crap.
The question is whether or not the corporate underwriting of yoga events and humanitarian causes sullies the outcome to a degree that it renders a net negative.
I’m sure that, for many, going to central park on a Saturday afternoon and practicing yoga with 10,000 other people must have been a truly amazing experience. I have felt the power of a group practicing together when it’s only ten people. I can only imagine what happens when you multiply that by a thousand. Does it matter that it also benefited a corporation? If it’s still a positive experience for those people, regardless of who may reap financial reward, who am I to take that away from anyone?
These questions aside, the thing that really messes me up about it is that if someone were to call me tomorrow and offer me a chunk of money to teach a yoga class to 10,000 people in central park, would I turn that down? Would I really say no to that opportunity because I consider it selling out to the man? I don’t think I could. It would be too unbelievable an experience to pass up, even if it was to a corporation's advantage. Of course, I suppose it depends on the corporation and what atrocities it might be responsible for, but I would probably take the gig and do it with as much integrity as possible given the circumstances. And I’m sure a lot of people would accuse me of selling out and I would have to take that heat.
Honestly, I don’t know what I’ll do if that call ever comes. But I do know that a large-scale event is not conducive to what I teach. Because for me, I don’t want my practice ritual to be so huge. I always remember having a hollow feeling the day after attending those Reggae festivals and rock shows. When you have such a peak experience, mundane life seems to become more pale in comparison. So, in a sense, I want my practice to be boring and uneventful. Much less exciting than the miracle of my daily existence. Spectacle can be a useful novelty but it’s not much to bank a life on.
By J. Brown
J. Brown is a yoga teacher, writer and founder of Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn, NY. His writing has been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, and across the yoga blogosphere. Visit his website at jbrownyoga.com
To this day, one of my favorite holiday treats is my mom’s homemade chocolate peanut clusters. They’re made with all the ole fashion “good” (read bad!) stuff including sugar, dairy and preservatives. They’re seriously addictive and cause me to break out in a sweat (that’s my response to sugar)! If you don’t know how to identify your response to sugar, be sure to check out our Sugar Sensitivity Quiz here.
While I’m not shy about fully indulging my own personal 20% when mom busts out the peanut clusters at holiday festivities, I thought it would be fun to make a Conscious Cleanse-worthy chocolate cluster that would not only make mom proud, but one that would also keep my body healthy at the same time.
Enter Superfood Cashew Clusters!
These raw homemade chocolates are chock full of antioxidants and superfoods, making them equally worthy as a dessert or an in between-cleanse snack!
Our superfood line-up in this recipe includes raw cacao (of course!), maca, goji berries and cashews, giving these clusters superstar status in my humble opinion.
Packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, this is one 80:20 treat that will make you think you’re “cheating.” In reality, there are much better ways to indulge your 20% (Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies, anyone?!) but if you’re like me and you want to “indulge” 100% guilt free, these Superfood Cashew Clusters are for you!
If you’re looking for more decadent 80:20 dessert recipes be sure to check them out here.
In the meantime, if you’re newly post-cleanse or just have a hankering for some chocolate, be sure to give these raw Superfood Cashew Clusters a try.
Do you have a favorite sweet treat that you want us to make over? Leave me a comment below.
With clusters of love,
Superfood Cashew Clusters
Yield: About 20 clusters
⅓ cup coconut butter 3 TB. coconut oil ½ cup raw cacao powder ¼ cup maple syrup 1 tsp. maca powder 1 cup raw cashews ½ cup goji berries Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a double boiler, heat one to two inches of water in bottom pot on medium-high heat until steaming. Place coconut butter and coconut oil in the top half of double boiler. Use a rubber spatula to stir the coconut butter and oil until completely melted and smooth, about 5-6 minutes.
Turn heat to low and whisk in cacao, maple syrup and maca. Next add in the cashews, goji berries and generous pinch of sea salt. Combine well with rubber spatula until cashews are completely coated in chocolate. Remove from heat.
Use a tablespoon to measure out heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto lined baking sheet, leaving space in between each of them to spread out.
Transfer the sheet of clusters to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
I’ve got a mindset shift for you to try on.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book Big Magic has been inspiring me quite a lot lately. She has this great story at the end about a guy in a lobster suit that brings the book together so nicely (seriously, it’s great).
Gilbert quotes well-known and highly respected meditation teacher Pema Chödrön and reminded me of an “interesting” lesson I learned from one of my own yoga teachers.
From the book:
“…Pema Chödrön once said that the biggest problem she sees with people’s meditation practice is that they quit just when things are starting to get interesting. Which is to say, they quit as soon as things aren’t easy anymore, as soon as it gets painful, or boring, or agitating. They quit as soon as they see something in their minds that scares them or hurts them. So they miss the good part, the wild part, the transformative part–the part when you push past the difficulty and enter into some raw new unexplored universe within yourself.” This particular passage stood out to me not just because it’s universally true and I recognize that same tendency in myself, but also because my own teacher would use this phrase “isn’t that interesting?” all the time.
What’s so interesting anyway?
So how do you use this phrase to help you transform your daily existence? Every time something in your life is hard and you’re faced with a difficult decision utilize this phrase instead of the negative self-talk that will naturally arise.
When you allow yourself to say things like “this sucks,” “this is horrible,” “I don’t want to do this anymore,” etc., you’re limiting your potential. When your ego makes these declarations, you slam shut the door of possibility in your face.
Instead of falling into negative self-talk, recognize that a situation is hard and repeat to yourself, “well isn’t this interesting?” When you do this you open up a door through which you can confidently step through and grow.
“Isn’t this interesting?” starts a conversation in which you can really ask yourself what is so horrible about a situation. You can be honest. You can be non-judgmental. You don’t even need answers other then to know that something is “interesting.”
Interesting doesn’t mean bad. And it doesn’t mean good. It means neutral and you’re willing to allow whatever is be what is so that you can move forward. You’re open to transformation and growth and you have no expectations or attachments. This is a true yogic mindset!
The beauty of neutrality
Coincidentally, I commented about some artwork recently and told someone I thought the artwork was “interesting.” The person I was talking to mentioned how “interesting” can be an artists’s least favorite response to his or her work. Some artists think that interesting means “I don’t like it, I’m just too nice to say that to your face.”
That might be what it means. But I think interesting is so much better then that. Interesting opens up conversation. Interesting leaves room for gray areas. Interesting is better then “I don’t like it” because it can be both “I don’t like it” and “I like it” at the same time. If you create a piece of work that makes people think, isn’t that a success?
Interesting is amorphous. Interesting is non-dual. Interesting is interesting!
True yogic living
Adopting this mantra doesn’t mean things in your life will get any easier. You still may fail. You still may have a hard time. However, there’s a difference between having a hard time and staying present to work through your issues and having a hard time, ignoring your feelings, pushing things down deep into your tissues and your subconscious mind, and turning to external outlets to numb your pain. Your issues will always catch up with you if you don’t deal with them in a healthy way. Just say hello to your tight hips…
Adopting a yogic mindset isn’t about pretzly poses or beautiful backbends. Yogis don’t have to have perfect bodies and eat only the purest, most antioxidant-rich, strange-sounding foods you’ve never heard of.
Yogis are people of all shapes and sizes who have adopted a mindset that propel them towards growth and self-exploration. That’s all yoga really is. An outlet to explore the inner frontier. A journey to connect with oneself and in so doing, connect with the essence of all things.
And the mantra “isn’t that interesting?” is a key phrase to help start you on your own inner journey.
Namaste!
The small print
Heel to heel is a default position for beginners as it provides a reasonable amount of opening across both hips in most standing poses while still relatively stable and accessible.
As you deepen your practice you will both lengthen your stance so it remains sustainably challenging and bring the heels into front heel to back arch alignment, which increases the range of motion demand on the hips. Your stance will change as you become more proficient! Additionally, you can vary your stance from practice to practice dependent on the demand you would like to have.
If your balance is less stable and mobility in your hips is limited or restrained by pain or injury, you may experiment with a small gap between the heels (so if you are using the strap down the centre of the mat you will stand on either side of it in warrior II).
The back foot turns in 15-20 degrees to lessen demand on the sacroiliac joint which is commonly irritated in long term deep practice.
Click here to watch the Find Your Stance video
More tips for beginners here.
More general practice tips here.
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 adamhocke.com
Every few months I write about the seasonal check-in. The equinox/solstice is a great time to check in with how you’re feeling. I recommend reassessing personal and professional goals every few months instead of trying to stick to one New Year’s Resolution for a whole year. The fact is, it’s tough to stay on course for a whole year because our wants and needs change with the seasons. If you allow space for change, chances are you’ll be more successful in your pursuit of health and happiness. The only constant is change!
The beginner mindset
This week in my classes I’ve been offering up the theme of the beginner mindset. Think back to the time you took your first yoga class. For me, my first yoga teacher was a young woman who wore very light, flowy clothing, spoke softly and taught a gentle(ish) class at the University of Colorado rec center. I enrolled in a semester of classes and went twice a week. I don’t really remember loving yoga after those classes, so I went back to more traditional workouts with the P90X DVDs. It just so happened yoga was a part of that program.
Those yoga classes were my favorite part of the whole workout program. I felt like I was working hard and the poses were very challenging but I didn’t feel completely exhausted after every session. The only thing I didn’t like about that DVD was that it was 90 minutes (who has 90 minutes a day!?) and that it was the same routine over and over again.
So I tried a studio. One of my roommates was an avid practitioner at a studio down the street from where we lived. Really, every studio in Boulder was down the street from where we lived since there is practically a yoga studio on every corner. That studio had heated classes. Heat and I don’t have a particularly amicable past so I was a little worried, but I gave it a go anyway. I nearly passed out – like had to leave the room and then couldn’t see kind of pass out. But for some reason I went back.
I continued to learn. My body adjusted to the heat. I loved that the practice was physical enough to help keep me in shape but also relaxing enough to calm my anxiety. I loved how after awhile my eating habits slowly changed because my body felt so good and it seemed wrong to feed it crappy food. I loved how there was a community of like-minded healthy people at the studio who all cared about living a good, healthy life. I loved yoga!
The vulnerability of beginnings
Every student’s beginner story is different. Maybe you fell in love with yoga at first sight. Perhaps it took some experimenting with different styles to help you find the right practice for you. Whatever your story, beginner’s always have a particular mindset that is incredibly wise.
Beginners are vulnerable.
To walk into a yoga studio for the first time puts you into an extremely vulnerable position. You most likely don’t know anyone unless you come with a friend. But still, you might not know how to do any yoga poses and be afraid that you’re going to make a fool of yourself. Even if you’ve been practicing yoga for awhile, you probably don’t know who the teacher is or how the teacher teaches. The teacher might use different pose names or only speak in Sanskrit. Then what?
It’s even vulnerable to pop a DVD into the computer and do a yoga practice on your own in the comfort of your home for the first time. Even though no one else can see you, it can feel weird or stupid to be stretching your body into pretzel-like poses for no apparent reason.
Anytime you try something new, you are stepping up to the vulnerability plate. You are saying: I don’t know what I don’t know, but I’m here to learn. That is a powerful place to be. Your mind stays open. You’re ready to drink in knowledge. And hopefully, you have a healthy skepticism that allows you to question almost everything, at least in your own body. Does that feel good with my leg there? Will my shoulders allow me to do that? Are my hamstrings really that tight?
Real yogis are always beginners
As many students start to progress in their practice, they lose that beginner’s mindset. They learn the poses and stop questioning. They become accustomed to routine and lose some of the inherent mindfulness needed when they were a beginner. They risk going on auto-pilot.
But the beginner’s mindset is always available to you. It’s simply a matter of shifting your consciousness. If you intend to practice like a beginner, you’ll continue to question how your body moves into each pose every single day. You’ll continue to approach every pose like it’s your first rather then skip “beginner” poses because your practice is more “intermediate” or “advanced.”
There is no such thing as an advanced yogi.
Real yogis and yoginis are perpetual beginners. They’re always learning something new.
The ego wants you to progress. The ego wants you to be advanced. The ego wants you to chase after what’s next. But the soul thirsts for knowledge. The soul lives in the present moment. The soul keeps you grounded and reminds you that sometimes slowing down is better then jumping around in handstands all day long. Sometimes, savasana is the better option even though it won’t burn more calories.
Bring a beginner’s mindset to class
The next time you step on your mat, bring a beginner’s mindset. What is it like to really question each pose again like it’s the first time? I bet you’ll discover new sensations, new muscle relationships, and a new appreciation for your body, your mind, and your yoga practice.
It’s okay. Be a beginner. Every day. Your soul will thank you.
If you’ve just finished the last Conscious Cleanse, it’s likely that you’re ready for a drink too!
But how do you stay vibrant and have a good stiff drink too?
You drink a Conscious Cocktail, that’s how!
Living the Conscious Cleanse as a lifestyle doesn’t mean living a mundane existence! It simply means we bring the same consciousness and awareness to our indulgences as we do our health food!
Ready to join us?
To get started, the first step is to sign up for our 80:20 Lifestyle Plan. The second step is to try out our Hibiscus Tea Cooler below.
It may technically be fall but the thermostat is reading a balmy 81 degrees today! And any excuse for holding on to summer sounds good to us.
The blend of hydrating organic hibiscus tea mixed with hints of citrusy lemon-lime makes this Hibiscus Tea Cooler a total home run! Plus you get the added health benefits of extra vitamin C and antioxidants, making it a detox-retox win-win!
Can you have your health and refreshing stiff drink too?
Yes you can!
Check out the recipe below and for more great-tasting alternatives to some of life’s greatest indulgences, be sure to join our 80:20 Lifestyle Plan today!
Love,
Hibiscus Tea Cooler
Yield: 4 cocktails
4 cups water 4 tsp. loose leaf hibiscus tea* 1 cup maple syrup 2 TB. lemon juice 1 TB. lime juice 1 cup vodka, chilled 1 cup ice *Our favorite Hibiscus Tea comes from The Tea Spot.
In a medium saucepan, combine water, hibiscus tea bags and maple syrup over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the maple syrup has dissolved.
Allow the mixture to cool for 25 minutes, then add lemon juice, lime juice and vodka.
In a tall glass pitcher filled with ice, strain the hibiscus tea cocktail into the pitcher and discard the flowers. Refrigerate until ready to use.
It set me on a track towards wholeness…towards getting back in touch with my true self – that part deep within you that is always content, peaceful, unchanging and unaffected by societal pressures.
Once I learned how to extend my awareness and acceptance of myself off the mat and into my life, yoga helped me both become more aware of and heal my disordered eating habits and negative body image.
It essentially rewired my thoughts and, in turn, my habits. I had no idea this was even possible! I truly thought I was doomed to live in a body I disliked and feel like a failure for not being able to change it.
Yoga and mindfulness give us so many brilliant tools for improving our relationship to our bodies and the food we offer them.
Here’s one you can try right now:
For example:
1. I appreciate my feet because they carry me around all day without complaint. 2. I appreciate my arms because they allow me to embrace my loved ones.
The more often you do this practice the more quickly you will hardwire your brain to appreciate all of the amazing things your body can do!
“It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity.” — BKS Iyengar
By Jennifer Meek
Jennifer Meek is a Certified Yoga Teacher (RYT 500) specializing in Yoga Therapy for common conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and back pain. Utilizing her 25 years of movement experience as a dancer in combination with the tools of yoga and mindfulness she teaches people how to tap into their innate potential for health and happiness. Read More from Jennifer at jennifermeek.com
I’ve never eaten squash blossoms before and I always love expanding my veggie repertoire, so my blog mission for the week became crystal clear!
To my new discovery, squash blossoms can be found on any variety of squash, zucchini or pumpkin plant, making these varieties “double agent” veggies.
We love any veggie that can be enjoyed “root-to-tip” and our recipe today is the perfect way to turn part of the “leftover” squash plant into a delectable and gourmet-looking appetizer!
Today’s recipe for Cashew Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms comes from our friend and natural food chef extraordinaire (seriously, she’s a genius!), Casey Easton.
Casey is the owner and mastermind behind one of Boulder’s latest and greatest new venues called Food Lab.
We’re really excited about the opening of Food Lab, a gorgeous new cooking school where we’re planning on hosting some upcoming Conscious Cleanse cooking classes! Stay tuned for more details.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the recipe below. It is absolutely deeelicious and will be sure to wow your friends at your next gathering
With love and squash blossoms,
Cashew Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Yields: 4 Squash Blossoms
1 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked for an hour ¼-½ cup water 2 TB. freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp. garlic powder ¼ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped 4 squash blossoms 1 zucchini, diced small 1 carrot, diced small ½ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup honey ¼ cup water Sea salt. to taste
Soak cashews in water for an hour and then drain.
To make a quick pickle garnish, place zucchini and carrots in a small glass bowl, cup or mason jar. In a small saucepan, place vinegar, honey, ¼ cup water and a dash of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour into vegetables. Set in fridge until cool.
To make cashew cheese, put cashews plus ¼ cup water in blender or food processor. Add lemon juice, garlic powder and salt. Blend on high until smooth. Here you can add more of the water if you want a little thinner consistency.
Scrape into bowl and add parsley. Stir to combine, remove from bowl and put in a large plastic zip lock, cutting half and inch of the bottom corner off, making a piping bag.
Open squash blossom gently with your fingers, insert the corner of the baggie with cashew cheese and squeeze in about a ¼ cup. Repeat until all four are done. Garnish with a spoonful of quick pickle veggies. Set a damp paper towel over them or put in airtight container and store in fridge up to one day.
When we are on retreat with a lover, we will ideally share intimate moments together. However, we are continuously reminded of the person we are in relation to our partner. We are a wife, a provider, the decision maker, the adventurous one and so on.
We are, to some degree, limited by a mirrored reflection, showing us only what we know of who we are relative to our partner’s perception of us and how we relate to our partner.
Yoga retreats are rich with opportunities to shift the way we experience our inner and outer universe. We are engaged with new people, places and practices such as yoga, mindfulness, meditation and adventure. All of these things can aid in this process, which is best realized when we have a fresh perspective and openness to explore ourselves. It can be altered by having a partner present who prevents us from relating to ourselves and our surroundings in a new way.
Some relationships are more evolved than others, so for those of us who have a strong practice in mindfulness and interdependence within a relationship, participating as a couple on a retreat can be rewarding. However, it is most oftentimes a powerful and transformational experience to go it alone, leaving all the old ways of defining yourself through a relationship behind and being entirely open to the possibilities within you.
Life Force Project creates international wellness experiences, workshops and customized programs that connect, expand and evolve lives.
From local corporate meditation programs to yoga adventures in the world’s most captivating destinations, LFP aspires to create experiences for the novice, practitioner and corporate client.
Their Experience Leaders are comprised of a select community of international wellness specialists and masters with unparalleled ability to share their gifts in an authentic and innovative way.
Click here to take advantage of this online experience to get to know their team and their exclusive retreat destinations world- wide.
Dashing off to squeeze your studio lesson in before work can defeat the purpose of the calming and centering practice of yoga. If that describes your morning, maybe you should think about creating your own private yoga space at home. Even if you don’t have much space to work with, there are always ways in which you can transform even the smallest corner of your room into a haven where you can start each day mindfully.
Declutter
First, you’re going to need enough room to stretch out. If you have to, rearrange a little furniture or even get rid of a few things you don’t need. Deflect distractions by removing objects from your space, even if it means re-hanging a picture frame or poster somewhere else. Put distance between your special spot and the TV, the alarm clock, or your workspace. If necessary, hang or erect some kind of partition that separates you from the distractions of your living space.
Soften Hard Surfaces
Adding a little cushion to the floor will protect you from injury in addition to making you feel more comfortable. Even doing yoga on carpet can be hard on your back and neck if you don’t use a cushion. Aside from a yoga mat, you can consider rubber flooring tiles or cushions for meditation—anything to make sure discomfort won’t be a distraction.
Create Mood Lighting
Natural light coming in from outside on a sunny day can greatly contribute to your feeling of serenity. But peaceful lighting can be a challenge for people whose rooms have small windows or fluorescent overhead lights. Use partitions or even sheets from your linen closet to soften harsh light. Make sure you do this in a way that doesn’t create a fire hazard, and be careful to blow out candles after every session if you use them to set the mood.
Nail the Ambiance
You have your free space, your soft surface, and your peaceful lighting. Now you have the option to complete the sensory experience with calming sounds. The music you choose should give you the sense of spiritual retreat. You can also use a sound machine to feel more connected with nature and keep your mind a blank slate for meditation. For an extra touch of ambiance, throw in pleasant fragrances. Use scented candles, incense, potpourri, or even a plug-in scent to stimulate the part of your brain that regulates emotions. Scents like lavender, pine, and jasmine are known for their calming effects.
Find Inspiration
Removing distractions is vital to creating a yoga space, but that doesn’t mean removing every personal touch. Find something that inspires you and use it as the visual focal point of your space. Whether it’s a photograph of a distant landscape, a painting, a sculpture, or even a beautiful plant, whatever helps you both concentrate and clear your mind at the same time can serve as your inspiration.
By Hannah West
Hannah West is a soon-to-be published Young Adult author based in Dallas, TX. She specializes in fiction but enjoys dabbling in diverse writing projects and currently writes about all things home décor for Modernize.com.
Full disclosure: I own and operate an independent yoga center in the now extremely popular neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. I opened seven and half years ago when it was not so extremely popular. And that was my plan. I figured: “If I get in now and can survive for a few years then it’s only a matter of time before the real estate folks catch up.” I thought that being in a growing neighborhood was precisely the thing needed to grow a business.
And it proved to be true. Each year, as the neighborhood has boomed, the center has grown. More students and revenue. What I never realized then, but is abundantly clear now, is that those profits are largely offset by increasing overhead costs, primarily rent. The small 3% bumps each year baked into a commercial lease feel manageable. It’s the 15%+ hikes at the lease renewals that really do you in.
Anyone who has been attending yoga classes at smaller centers for more than fifteen years has seen at least one close. Probably more. A lot of centers close after a year or two. There is simply not a student base to support it. The reasons for this vary. It takes a confluence of factors, both financial and professional, that lead to a self-sustaining yoga center. I won’t attempt to explain what exactly those factors might be. I don’t think anyone can. But it’s safe to say that you need some good teachers and an enclave of people who are interested in what they are teaching. And then, someone has to have enough savvy to leverage that into a business that can support the space they occupy.
The striking thing to me is how many of the centers that are able to accomplish what every independent yoga center owner wants, a thriving center that has lots of classes and people coming all having wonderful yoga, still end up closing after fifteen years. Now I know why. Two and half years into my second lease, I am feeling confident that I’ll make it through the next lease renewal. I’ll have to raise rates some to do it. But I think we can survive and get a third lease for another five years. But that fourth lease, the one at fifteen years, that is another question.
Last month, my landlord dropped a bomb on me. According to the center’s lease, I’m responsible for paying for the water we use. However, he had never asked me to pay it before because he lives upstairs and I already pay such high rent. Unfortunately, the price of water has doubled and he no longer is going to do this. He offered to either install a meter or raise the rent. After doing the math, I determined that installing a meter might end up costing more. So I opted for the rent increase and resigned myself to passing that cost along to the students.
The plight of independent yoga centers is linked to a crumbling sense of community. In the absence of other vehicles, yoga classes are a space where people come together with shared purpose.
I decided to just tell the students exactly what was happening and why the rates were going up. I included numbers. I debated with myself about whether to disclose so much in notifying the students. Some people find it inappropriate to talk about money or numbers. But I decided to go with my gut and exercise “radical transparency.” And I am so glad I did. Because an amazing thing happened. After receiving my note, two different people decided to check my numbers and discovered that I had made a mistake.
It’s a little embarrassing. But I calculated for 7.48 gallons instead of 748 gallons. Turns out, there is no way that we need to be paying the kind of money the landlord was talking about. My inept math, and fear of bureaucracy, led me to believe that he was doing me a favor. In fact, he just has an unusually large water bill and assumed it was us when it is not. I spoke with the landlord and told him that I have more accurate numbers now and would prefer that we install the meter. According to the new calculations, the cost should be nominal. I notified the students of my mistake and that there would be no change. Had I not been so open about the money, the rent and prices would still be going up.
Small yoga centers, where people come together and inquire into themselves and share with others, are often special places in people's lives. When people attend yoga classes at a center consistently over time, the people and the place become more than just a business providing a service. Unfortunately, to a landlord, that never seems to outweigh the bottom line. Truth is, I’m good for another seven years or so. But then, either something changes in the real estate market or I face the same as my predecessors. Either pack it in or migrate. Fifteen years is the mark. We’ll see.
1. Time- Our time is of such tremendous value these days. We want to make the best of our vacation and get the most from what our host destination can offer. On a yoga retreat, your trip is customized to include local adventures, food, culture and nature… or maybe even a combination of all of these. So in a week or so, you can fit everything in, all while doing it in a healthy and mindful way!
2. Money- Let’s face it: budgeting plays an important role in travel planning. Yoga retreats are typically the entire package wrapped into one price (often times excluding airfare). Because of the overabundance of yoga retreats on the market, there are now great deals to be found. Seek out a travel company or yoga instructor that is providing quality experiences (see our blog on what makes a yoga retreat special) and you can end up with a great deal that includes all meals, activities, accommodations and yoga!
3. Growth- I’m a firm believer that any travel experience, whether it’s alone or in a group, to a new neighborhood or a new continent, can be a valuable learning experience. What makes a yoga retreat so special is that it’s an experience specifically geared towards awakening and self-discovery. Ideally, it includes bringing participants into the present moment. Being present in your yoga, meals, eco-adventures or even naps in a hammock can be transformational.
4. Sharing- Most people want to share their experiences with others. Sharing and creating experiences with a new community of people is exciting and rewarding. The best part is that you walk away with new friends and travel companions!
5. Peace of Mind- Our world moves too fast for us that we frequently return home from vacations feeling depleted and stressed. Integrating body, mind and soul into a vacation and returning home feeling rejuvenated, healthy and possibly inspired is a healthy way to re-enter your life and your work.
This list just scratches the surface of what yoga retreats can offer. It’s a rare gift to be able to create experiences that combine rewarding and fun activities like travel and wellness.
Dukha in Sanskrit can be translated as suffering, or less translatable, the unsatisfying quality of being. Sukha is its inverse, and can refer to the pleasurable quality of being, or even up to joy and bliss.
When we sit in sukhasana, perhaps it’s not an easy shape or pose that we’re putting ourselves into, but in taking this basic seat for meditation or seated practice, we are signifying that we are on the path to ending our experience of suffering – we are on the path towards sukha and away from dukha.
I keep hearing my teachers say ‘suffering can end now’ and ‘enlightenment can begin now.’ In every moment we have a choice on how to proceed. Simply coming into a seat to meditate or practice asana can be a signal that we are now in this moment, as best as we can, taking ourselves off the path of suffering and facing the addictions and attachments we use to avoid it.
With that framework in mind, easy pose being hard makes total sense for me. Meditation is hard. Facing myself is hard. But it is taking me into the path of bliss. So, I’m gonna try to be a little kinder to easy pose now, because I know the pose is only where we begin.
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Here’s a snapshot of what my life has looked like growing up and how much change my family has gone through in the past 25 years.
You get the gist. Basically, I’m the odd one out. Also, today we live in a very different world then previous generations.
Over the course of the past 5 years I’ve lived in 5 different states.
I ate dinner last night at 9:00pm (gasp!).
My schedule changes daily.
And within the past month I got married, traveled internationally on our honeymoon, bought a house, and moved.
I know a thing or two about change, but that doesn’t mean that I’m wonderful at it. I’d like to think I’ve at least become a little bit better at managing it.
Ride the wave of seasonal change
This time of year, change is in the air in a major way. It’s a change of seasons as kids head back to school and summer vacation winds down. Depending on where you live, the weather might start to change as well. Of all the seasonal changes, this one seems to warrant a particularly unpleasant amount of upheaval and resistance.
For some companies, it’s a new fiscal year. And for almost everyone, schedules start to change in some way, large or small.
I was speaking with a colleague of mine a few days back asking her about her new job. She recently left her corporate job to try out self-employment. When I asked her how things were going, she responded cautiously and mentioned that if someone would have told her how much anxiety she would feel, how much would be left uncertain, how slow things would go at first, she might not have left.
This conversation reminded me how change never really ends or stops. It keeps on coming and all we can do is get more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Another big change is on the horizon for a couple places I work. One company is opening a slew of new studios, meaning lots of managements shifts and schedule changes for existing and new instructors. Another studio is going through a rebrand, which comes along with the challenge to educate existing clients about the changes and ensure everyone that everything is going to be okay.
Change is a good thing
As with any change, there is always backlash from someone. Someone will think the changes are good and someone will think the changes are not so good. Whether or not the changes are good or bad doesn’t really matter. What matters is how you react to the change and how it affects your life.
Can you go with the flow or will you resist? Will you refuse to eat dinner at any time other then 6:30pm simply because that is all you’ve every known or will you keep your mind open to new possibilities knowing that you can always choose to go back if the new way doesn’t work for you?
Becoming comfortable with discomfort may be the biggest thing yoga has taught me. A lot of yoga poses are uncomfortable. For me, Shoulder Stand, Plow, Chair, and hip openers like Runner’s Lunge are incredibly uncomfortable. I breathe through them anyway. I go deeper if I can and if I can’t I listen to my body and back out when the time is right.
In the past, if confronted with an uncomfortable situation, I might have walked away or avoided the situation until it went away. Today, I’m a little more savvy. Sometimes, when there is too much going on, I revert to my old ways but then I catch myself trying to run away from the discomfort. I have to remind myself to face it head on.
To grow we must move forward
There is a quote that I can’t seem to find that says something along the lines of if you’re comfortable, you’re no longer trying.
This isn’t to say you should never be comfortable, but it is to say that true personal growth comes from working through your discomfort.
Are you experiencing change in your life? Have you felt uncomfortable lately (I know, the stars and planets have been all weird and stuff)? Bring your awareness to how you’re dealing with that discomfort and be gentle with yourself. Try not to judge. Try not to analyze too much. See if you can let things be just as they are and move forward.
So how to deal with change you ask? Start by noticing how you react. Then consciously choose to keep an open mind and a level head. From there, keep flexing your discomfort muscle and practice being at peace with things as they are. I’m right there with you getting used to a new home!
A teacher trainee in the Teacher Training program I just led shared this quote with me:
“We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps” -Herman Hesse
Where is your path leading you?
Zucchini bread, zucchini noodles, zucchini chips, zucchini on the grill, roasted zucchini…these are all ways I love zucchini.
But what else is there?
That was the question I asked myself this week as I pondered my meal plan.
Keep in mind that (maybe like you) I’m cleansing, the family is not, and the kids have after school activities galore, making family mealtime even more of an obstacle.
There are a lot of hurdles when it comes to eating well and feeding your family nutritiously, but with practice, planning and keeping things simple – it can be done.
And hopefully recipes like this one help take the guesswork out of it.
Check out the recipe for Coconut Curry Zucchini Soup below.
This recipe is fast and easy, family friendly (just go easy on the curry at first), and best of all, it helps use up some of the zucchini overflow that’s bursting from the garden right now.
I hope you and your family enjoy this warming seasonal soup!
With love and zukes,
Coconut Curry Zucchini Soup
Yield: 4 bowls
2 TB. coconut oil 1 small white onion 1-2 TB. green curry paste, or to taste 1 can full-fat coconut milk 2 large zucchini, chopped (about 5 cups) 3 carrots, shredded (about 1 cup) 1 cup water, plus more if needed to thin Juice of one lime, plus one for garnish 1 tsp. salt 2 cups cooked quinoa Handful of fresh basil, chopped, for garnish
Instructions: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent and fragrant. Add the green curry paste along with one tablespoon of cream from the top of the coconut milk. Stir well and sauté for another minute.
Add the zucchini and carrots and sauté, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining coconut milk and water. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat.
Season with the juice of lime and sea salt to taste.
Serve over a scoop of quinoa and garnish with basil and more lime juice and sea salt to taste.
And I have an AMAZING life with EPIC changes coming up that I am so excited about! And in this moment, still, I am annoyed. Guess I’m still struggling with “embracing it all.
Not to mention that I left my heart on the Playa …. Literally. Left it, exposed as it’s ever been. Ever. I’ve never loved in a moment as I did that sunrise on the Playa. Shiva-Shakti in all it’s glorious balance. I am so grateful to be reminded about my manifesting skills. My heart is still raw and open to what was to be, or not to be. I don’t know, but I must trust. All the stars say I must trust, so I do; without worrying, planning, scheming, or unconsciously manifesting.
I want to write about exposure, the theme for the week, however, I must write about it all. Yes, all of it.
I must touch on the Divine timing of all of this. The New Moon in Virgo, asking for organization and Jupiter, wanting to create a bigger container than we may be comfortable with, because it’s not ALL pretty.
The Solar and Lunar Eclipses coming up that will give us all a portal for expansion, endings, and beginnings. The way we are all manifesting at such a rapid rate that it’s IMPERATIVE that we are awake to our truth. The fact that nothing is more important right now than your spiritual practice and plugging into what connects you to Source. And to the unwavering FAITH and TRUST that is necessary right now in this crazy, mystical shit storm that is re-aligning us with our truth and deepest desires.
Because the truth is the Universe is asking us ALL to expand beyond what we can intellectually believe we can achieve. We must all drop deeply into our intuition and be free from the constraints of what “makes sense”. And maybe that means pulling the plug for some, and maybe it means just changing the way you do things by 5 degrees each day.
I must remember that “Just as any creative project begins with a blank slate, your life as a creative project will unfold in it’s right timing with power and purpose as long as you practice unwavering Faith and Trust every step of the way” .. Thank you Virgo Magic for this lovely reminder.
I have a lot to say honestly, and I think that I want to preface it all by saying that every single person on that Playa, had a different experience. Because I think Burning Man is a vortex of individual experiences that are necessary for the evolution of each participant. If they’re open to it.
So while I write my own, personal, raw, vulnerable musings, please hold your tongue and your judgments, and just sit with one person’s experience. Because if we “Burners” sit long enough, we will all see what we are meant to learn individually and how that ripples into the collective. So that’s all I’m doing here
When I first was offered the opportunity to attend Burning Man, all I could think about was how great it would be to “get it off my bucket list”. And to be able to teach yoga at the base of The Woman is quite an honor for this Midwest Yogini. “I just need to go once”, were my words I think.
But you know what, Burning Man will never get crossed off my bucket list. Burning Man is now part of me, something I will never be able to give up, cross off, or forget. Burning Man is a love, a conquest, a reboot, a complete recalibration of my soul. A reminder of who I am at my deepest level and each experience is personal, unique, and potent. Now I see why so many people flock. It’s what we all crave whether we want to admit it or not.
We all want to expose ourselves from our most primal place. We all want to dance in the dust, wear little or no clothing, love each other, and do what we want, when we want. We all want to be able to honestly let go of our grip … on everything. We all want to embrace our insecurities and love them. None of us enjoys being on a timeline, a deadline, or ruled by time at all. But a sweet friend said to me while I was there….“Time is a just a grid on the Playa. It’s just a place where you live.”
Everyone wants to believe in magical encounters, in destined love, in a tribe, in their intuition, in their ability to be alone. Everyone wants to be transparent, authentic, and to feel intimate connection with another soul. Everyone wants to wander.
No one wants to be tethered to their damn phones, no one wants to listen to notification after notification beep on their iPad or computer. And no one wants to compete with another … we have just been conditioned, or “defaulted” to believe that as truth.
I found Burning Man to be one of the most epic adventures of my life thus far. And I’ve had a lot of adventures to be sure. This one exposed my heart, my truth, my fears, my distractions, my primal Goddess in all her forms. My Shakti power at work creating, destroying, and manifesting a life that is so incredible. Burning Man ignited a spark that will burn for quite awhile, amidst the to-do’s of my life with my two kids, this environment of San Fran and the North Bay, the yoga school, my non profit and the gathering of conscious people … I am re-sparked.
I mean really … pretty lovely.
But here’s the deal … if I had to pick one word, just one word to share for this week, it would be exposure. I exposed myself way beyond my comfort zone. I hate camping! Despise it! Can’t stand getting in a tent let alone with an inch of playa dust in it. I can’t stand the cold, hate it. My ideal vacation is lying on the beach, coconut in my hand, getting up in between naps and love-making to jump in the ocean and maybe eat some food.
I exposed myself to not knowing, to harsh elements out of my control, to my fears, to my most uncomfortable places and you know what? I noticed everything about myself and I loved it. I loved the exposure. I loved the innocence, the vulnerability, the noticing. I loved seeing all sides of me and knowing that I am not perfect, nor do I want to be.
But I do want to expose more of myself. I want that feeling on a daily basis. I want to feel primal and in alignment with all that is real. I don’t want to fall into the default world. I want this truth of Burning Man to be a bigger part of the default world. Where people hug, and love, and don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks. Where people see the bigger picture of life and our deepest connection.
Expose yourself just a little bit and you can be a contributor to that reality. A reality where we all love, and appreciate, and dance and sing and truly see what is real.
Who’s with me?
While Taylor Swift, with a net worth larger than many small countries, can easily boycott Apple and other distributors that offer free or deeply discounted tunes, not all artists can afford to do that. By standing up for her fellow musicians, Swift swiftly brought Apple around.
If only it were true for the yoga industry.
The fact remains that many yoga studios offer deep, deep discounts on classes and do not pay their teachers for the trial students. I just recently checked into a class in my neighborhood and inquired about the 30 days for $30 deal I saw advertised.
“You can have that deal,” the teacher said. “But I do not get paid for you.” I paid full price.
Now at this point I know a lot of readers are going to write in and say they cannot afford to pay for a full price yoga class, which runs between $12 and $25 in urban areas. And I feel you, downward dogs. Really I do.
But realize that nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it say that you are entitled to free yoga. You can get free education and have free speech, and perhaps some free medical assistance, but as of yet yoga has not been subsidized by the government.
In fact, your yoga teacher paid between $3,000 and $15,000 for an education to keep you safe, and she most likely does not have good health insurance to take care of herself. So why do students feel entitled to free yoga while the teacher starves?
Furthermore, if you cannot find a free yoga class in the city where you live, honestly, there is something wrong with you. This weekend alone there were more than 25 classes in my town that were $10 or free to celebrate the solstice.
All of which brings me to the yoga studio. With cheap classes and abundant yoga opportunities, not all studios make a million dollars. Some are struggling to pay the rent. This is a very competitive business. Some say this has forced the industry into offering discounted classes.
But the dirty little secret is that they often do not pay their teachers for those students.
Here are some discounts that teachers may not get paid for:
You get the idea. There is actually a studio in my town that does not pay a teacher the per head rate for the first eight students in the room, even if they pay full price! And you know I can’t make this stuff up.
People, it is time for a change. Studios and teachers need to find a way to stimulate business and support each other fairly. But nothing will happen until yoga teachers stand up and say, no more.
Taylor Swift was able to do it on behalf of her fellow musicians. But one yoga teacher cannot do this alone (Believe me, I’ve tried). There are too many teachers willing to work for next to nothing, or for nothing. Teachers need to recognize the worth of their offering.
“We don’t ask you for free I-phones,” Swift wrote to Apple. “Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.” The same should be true for our teaching.
Can I get an Amen, or at least an Om?
By Michelle Marchildon
Michelle Berman Marchildon is a yogi, mother and writer trying to maintain a sense of humor in a hectic world. She’s a longtime, professional, award-winning journalist, author of The Yogi Muse Blog and the memoir, Finding More on the Mat: How I Grew Better, Wiser and Stronger through Yoga. Her book for yoga teachers, Theme Weaver: Connect the Power of Inspiration to Teaching Yoga, has become one of the fastest growing and widely accepted texts for yoga teachers throughout the world.
She’s a Featured Columnist for Elephant Journal and Origin Magazine, a Contributing Editor for Mantra Yoga and Health Magazine, and a contributor under contract to Sports Illustrated. She has also written for Yoga Journal, Teachasana, My Yoga Online and 90 Monkeys. Her wit and dry humor has earned her the title, ‘The Erma Bombeck of the Mat.’ She teaches yoga and raises her family in Denver, Colorado. Her classes are available on www.yogadownload.com and www.yogasteya.com.