Who is ready to create a little bliss from the inside out? Sometimes creating a sense of Santosha or contentment is as simple as slowing down for some self-care. Life is all about balance and Yin yoga is the perfect practice to soothe your soul, create more mobility in your joints, and balance your internal organs. This quieter style of yoga will help you feel fantastic emotionally, mentally, and physically.
If you’re new to Yin, here’s a quick description of the practice. Yin consists of three primary principles or tattvas:
One: Find your edge or appropriate depth for you in the posture.
Two: Settle into stillness.
Three: Hold the posture for time, usually one to five minutes.
Whether you’re a beginning yogi or an advanced practitioner, Yin is good for you! Because of the emphasis on taking your time to find your individual edge in each pose, you can find the appropriate intensity for how you feel on any given day.
It sounds simple, right? But often, especially if you’re accustomed to more vigorous movement, holding a yoga pose for time is challenging. When you’re working to keep your body motionless, employing Pranayama or breath control techniques becomes vital to creating a meditative state.
Breathing mindfully allows you to stay calm while the physical shapes you’re holding work their magic. Yin targets the deeper layers in the body, specifically the connective tissues––ligaments, tendons, and fascia. It takes discipline and strength to stay still in uncomfortable positions. Yin postures balance the internal organs like the kidneys and adrenal glands, stimulate circulation, and calm the nervous system. All these benefits combine to help you feel better on every level.
So whether you’re an athlete who needs to balance out intense physical training and stay in peak physical shape or a person dealing with a lot of stress at work, Yin yoga will keep your body healthy. Because of the extended holds, Yin requires you to quiet your mind and direct your attention to growing more calm and encourages a release of emotions stuck in your physical body.
Check out this week’s classes and see how awesome Yin yoga can make you feel.
Chakra Yin Flow - Claire Petretti Marti
Calming Yin + Sound Bowl Savasana Reset - Elizabeth Brumfield
Yin Yoga for Perimenopausal Women - Kylie Larson
Yin Yoga with Affirmations for Solar Plexus - Marie Castello
Some days you feel like focusing on backbends, some days you want to open your hips, and some days you want a step-by-step class to master your handstand. Plenty of specialty yoga classes will help you narrow your focus and pursue specific goals. Some days, however, you want a practice that’s going to address your head to toe health: enter Full Body Yoga!
While there are numerous benefits to focusing on a single body part or seeking a particular feeling like serenity or vitality, one of yoga’s magical benefits comes from its ability to be a complete solution to feeling your best. A well-rounded yoga practice focuses on flexibility, balance, and strength––inside and out.
When you’re flowing on your mat, your entire body, mind, and spirit are engaged. It’s not like when you’re lifting weights and you’re isolating the back of your arms with triceps extensions or working your pectorals with a bench press. Instead of working body parts separately, a full body yoga practice requires your muscles to work together so you’re moving more like an athlete. Moving through a standing yoga flow requires you to integrate your arms and legs with your core and trunk. This powerful practice helps you develop coordination, balanced strength and mobility, as well as flexibility.
When you’re synchronizing your breath with your movements, you’re engaging your respiratory system, your circulatory system, and your nervous system. A yoga class that engages your total body requires all your internal and external systems to work in synergy with each other. As a result, your mind becomes more clear and quiet, your emotions soften, and your energy levels stabilize.
For those days when you’re seeking one modality to address the complete you, look no further than this week’s four new full body yoga classes. Each class has been designed to make sure you’re working your full body in fun and creative ways. Enjoy!
Full Body Loosen Up - Shy Sayar
Full Body Mash Up - Jessica Oldfield
Full Body Power Vinyasa Flow - Tereza Sauerova
25-Minute Full Body Yoga - Keith Allen
Who has tight hips? Or maybe the better question is who doesn’t have tight hips? Everything from sitting to running to handling emotional stress contributes to stiffness in the pelvic area. No matter why your hips are tight, yoga can help. And what’s so powerful about hip openers is that when you create an opening in your body, you also create an emotional release.
On the physical level, hips include connective tissue and some of our biggest muscles––the glutes––and the psoas muscles in the front of the pelvis. The psoas is the only muscle that starts in the front of the body and finishes in the back body. Often, lower back pain is caused by tight hip flexors. The psoas, or hip flexors, are strong muscles that are easy to over-develop and grow tighter each time we go for a jog or sit in a chair for a few hours. For a healthy spine and back, it’s vital to keep these muscles supple.
The outer hips house the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus and the piriformis. When these muscles aren’t kept consistently open, they can impact the sciatic nerve, causing debilitating pain. Spending a few minutes each day to keeping your hips healthy and happy will keep you happy and healthy as well!
On an internal level, the hips are where the Svadisthana or Sacral Chakra is located. Svadhisthana is known as “Great Goddess” and relates to emotions and dreams, the feminine, the water element, the sense of taste, the adrenal glands, and the color orange. What does that all mean? The second chakra is where our energy for creativity, pleasure, new ideas, and sexuality resides. The hips are often referred to as “saddle bags” and emotionally, it is where we tend to dump unresolved emotions, past trauma, and pain. In other words, it’s where we store our emotional baggage. Nobody needs to lug that stuff around, right?
Just as it takes time to create our tight hips, it takes patience and persistence to open our hips. The hips are about all types of relationships––creative or business partners, children, and romantic partners. Issues surrounding trust and personal boundaries can manifest not just in tight hips but problems with reproductive organs and elimination. Asanas that address both the external and internal include forward bens like baddha konasana (butterfly), Paschimottanasana (seated forward fold), and Virasana (hero’s pose).
Check out this week’s classes, specifically designed to keep your hips healthy!
Journey To Lotus - Dana Hanizeski
Hips - Denelle Numis
Holy Hips! - Rob Loud
Jiva With a Twist - Jill Pedroza
Mobility vs. Flexibility: What’s the Difference?
Often when people think of yoga, they automatically assume it is all about flexibility or simple stretching. But yoga is also an excellent modality to improve joint mobility. Flexibility is defined as “the ability of a muscle or muscle groups to lengthen passively through a range of motion”, whereas mobility is the “ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion.” SS Physio Australia.
It's important to work on mobility and flexibility and a well-balanced yoga program provides both. Dynamic movement is one of the best ways to maintain or increase mobility in your joints. Mobility takes strength and requires your muscles and joints to work together. A couple examples of poses that are excellent for mobility are Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog) and Utkatasana (Chair Pose). Both poses emphasize the posterior chain of the body as well as shoulder, hip, and ankle mobility.
For athletes, mobility is vital. Moving your body through a full range of motion is necessary to move efficiently and prevent injury. Sometimes mobility is limited because muscles are too tight but passive stretching isn’t enough to create the space for the joints to move freely. Kylie Larson’s new Yoga for Athletes: Lower Body Mobility and Recovery specifically addresses these issues.
As we age, maintaining mobility is important to stay active and independent as long as possible. Hatha, Vinyasa, and Yin yoga are all great practices to increase and maintain mobility in the joints as well as flexibility. If your posture’s been suffering, try Michelle Marchildon’s Yoga for Mobility and Shoulders.
To mix things up and have some fun, try Lila Whiting’s Inversions Strength & Conditioning, and Body Movement by expert, Dawnelle Arthur.
Take some time to address your joints and mobility so you can continue running and hiking and doing whatever you want well into your sunset years.
Yoga for Atheletes: Lower Body Mobility & Recovery - Kylie Larson
Inversions Strength & Conditioning - Lila Whiting
Yoga and Mobility for Shoulders - Michelle Berman Marchildon
Body Movement - Dawnelle Arthur
Whether you leap out of bed without the assistance of an alarm clock or you hit snooze five times before you consider throwing off the sheets, morning yoga may be the game-changer you need. Stepping onto your yoga mat first thing can set the tone for your day and start your it on a positive note. Here are three of our favorite reasons to wake up and stretch.
1. Elevate Your Serotonin and Boost Your Mood
Yoga is a natural way to boost your mood and create a positive mindset. According to the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, “serotonin production plays a role in the treatment of depression. Serotonin is believed to play a major role in happiness.” Starting your day with even a short yoga class is a natural way to create a positive perspective for your entire day. Yoga is a practice of learning to control your busy mind and direct your attention where you want it to go and elevating your “feel good” hormones can help. Who doesn’t want to feel happier?
2. Kickstart Your Agni/Digestive Fire
Asana or physical postures don’t just build stronger muscles, enhance flexibility, and help with balancing on one leg (or both hands). One of yoga’s most powerful benefits is giving your internal organs a gentle massage, which stimulates healthy digestion. Seventy percent of your immune system resides in the gut. It’s vital to keep your digestion flowing freely to move toxins efficiently through your body. A stagnant system makes you feel heavy and sluggish and can become a breeding ground for dis-ease. Twists like Ardha Matsyandrasana (Half-Lord of the Fishes) and forward-folds like Paschimottanasa (Seated Forward Fold) compress and stimulate your stomach, intestines, and more. Stoke your Agni or digestive fire first thing and aid your metabolism all day long!
3. Put on Your Oxygen Mask First
When you take the time to practice yoga in the morning, you’re practicing self-care. Most of us lead busy lives and often expend tons of energy taking care of other people, whether at work or at home. Sometimes, we forget to refill our own wells and end up feeling burned out. A regular practice balances us out, internally and externally and enables us to show up as our best selves.
This week, try these classes designed specifically to practice first thing in the morning before the craziness of the day unfolds. You’ll ensure you’re setting yourself to have a great day, no matter what!
Morning Flow - Katy Bateman
Weekly Yoga Series - Morning Yoga - Sarah Shannon
Gentle Joint Release - Caitlin Rose Kenney
Love Your Alarm Clock - Celest Pereira
Unfortunately, stress makes an appearance in all of our lives regularly. It could be the day-to-day responsibilities of caring for children and working full-time that trigger it. It could also be what’s going on in the world. 76% of respondents in an American Psychological Association study said that the future of our nation was a significant source of stress for them.
It’s hard to hear that people feel so stressed so often. But the good news is that there is a way to navigate it healthily. There are many ways to do so, one of those being yoga.
Before we dive into the benefits of using yoga to manage stress and how to go about incorporating it into your life, let’s touch on why stress management is so crucial.
We can all count on stress to make a constant appearance in our lives. Anything that threatens our physical, mental, or emotional health can trigger our body’s sympathetic nervous system and the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Then, we go into fight or flight mode to escape the danger.
We can’t escape stress completely. But stress management is crucial because chronic stress can lead to serious issues like high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Symptoms of various mental health conditions can worsen. Isolation and low-self esteem are common. And it can lead to destructive behaviors like substance abuse.
With the harm stress can do to your mental and physical health in mind, combating it is crucial. That’s where yoga can help.
Yoga is a discipline that involves controlled breathing, simple meditation, and other mindfulness practices that support a process of self-discovery, physical transformation, and emotional stability.
Its practices help you calm your mind and body and center yourself, something so crucial for immediate stress relief and long-term management. Let’s look at how your mind and body benefit from using yoga for stress relief in more detail below.
Stress can do some pretty nasty things to our minds. For one, if you’re already living with a mental health condition like anxiety or depression, stress can exacerbate your symptoms and send you into severe anxiety or depressive episodes.
Also, stress can do a number on your self-esteem. You start to feel so overwhelmed that you’re hopeless and lose confidence in yourself to be able to move through what you’re experiencing. Your mindset becomes inherently negative and it’s hard to come back from that.
Yoga promotes mental clarity and stability. So, it can help you keep any symptoms of mental health conditions in check. And as you get better at yoga and master more poses, your self-esteem will improve and your mindset will grow in a more positive direction.
We briefly mentioned the physical effects of stress. For one thing, the likelihood of developing chronic illnesses increases. Headaches, difficulty sleeping, muscle tension, chest pain, and exhaustion are also typical. So are digestive problems like Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) where you experience symptoms such as gas and bloating, heartburn, and difficulty swallowing.
One of the main things that makes GERD worse is stress. This is because stress can increase acid production in the stomach, aggravating the condition. As you relieve your stress with yoga, you can lessen the chances of GERD flair-ups.
Also, yoga, generally, can help you maintain physical fitness. You become stronger and more in tune with your body, thus helping with the physical effects of stress mentioned above.
The first step to using yoga for stress management is committing to it. Yes, doing yoga as needed when a stressful situation arises can be impactful. But the best results come from practicing yoga consistently. That’s how it’ll become a long-term stress management technique.
You should also think about whether you want to do self-led yoga or join a group with a certified yoga instructor. The latter might benefit you more if you’re a beginner and want to learn how to safely use yoga for stress management. But which one you choose depends on your needs and familiarity with yoga.
Finally, it’s a good idea to research the different styles of yoga. Some of the most common include:
We can’t say that one is better than another to manage stress because what helps someone navigate stress differs from person to person. So, it’s best to try a few styles and see which one helps you most.
If you’re simply looking for yoga poses to do when you’re feeling stressed, we’ve got you covered. Try some of these poses when stress strikes:
You can Google these poses to see them in action in videos and ensure you’re doing them correctly. You can also search for additional poses that are best for stress relief.
Stress will get us all at some point. Make sure you’ve got a coping mechanism like yoga in place so that it doesn’t alter your quality of life.
By Katie Brenneman
“Don't focus on negative things; focus on the positive, and you will flourish.” Alex Wek
Or, according to Yoga Sutra 2.33: Vitarka-badhane pratipaksha-bhavanam, When disturbed by negative thoughts, cultivate the opposite mental attitude. This practice of actively working to shift your perspective is key to creating a life where you’re flourishing and living your fullest life. When we flow on our yoga mat, we don’t simply impact our physical bodies, we release fear and negative blocks holding us back from experiencing more love, happiness, and peace. Sometimes manifesting your dreams begins with something as simple as sweating it out.
Yoga is a practice of self-discovery. Whether you’re interested in learning how to stop getting in your own way, releasing past trauma and stress, or motivating yourself to take action, a mindful practice can fuel your journey. Vinyasa is a flowing style of yoga linking breath to movement and is derived from Ashtanga Yoga. It’s like one long dance with your breath where you create a moving meditation. A strong, dynamic yoga practice can dislodge and set free emotions trapped in your physical body.
Vinyasa means to place in a special or sacred way and is an excellent means to build strength, balance, flexibility, and connection. Settling into the rhythm and flow helps you find harmony within yourself and with the world around you. When you can sink into sustained attention, you are fully present and at the height of your personal power and light. In other words, you’re “in the zone” where doing stops and you’re simply being. You’re setting yourself up to bloom.
Vinyasa Flow yoga is an excellent path to evolve and live the life of your dreams.
This week’s classes are designed to help you find your flow state where you can release restrictions and feel balanced, joyous, and clear. When we flow on the yoga mat, we are moving our life force energy or prana and creating our most vital self. Join us for these freedom-inducing practices and see how much you can flourish!
Flow to Flourish (Chatarangua Free Vinyasa) - Claire Petretti Marti
Fusion Flow: Entraining Grace - Annie Coyle
Freedom Flow - Jackie Casal Mahrou
Wild Thing Flow - Jill Pedroza
“The result of contentment is total happiness. The happiness we get from acquiring possessions is only temporary. We need to find new ones and acquire them to sustain this sort of happiness. There is no end to it. But true contentment, leading to total happiness and bliss, is in a class by itself.” – T.K.V. Desikachar
Yoga Sutra II.42, Santosha is interpreted as the greatest happiness, the underlying joy that cannot be eradicated despite life's challenges. Cultivating gratitude for life, as it is exactly in this moment, is a true path to finding contentment. We cannot control the curveballs that life throws our way––we can only control our reaction to them. Stepping away for a few days to several weeks is an effective way to remind yourself that you can be happy anywhere.
Yoga retreats are an opportunity to literally turn off the buzz of Smart phones, television, computers, traffic and the rest of those modern conveniences that over-stimulate us and keep us stuck in “fight or flight” mode. The profound relaxation and joy established while disconnected from “real life” helps us tune in to how we’re feeling and appreciate the present moment.
When you arrive to your retreat, external noise is silenced, and profound peace is accessible. Unlike when you’re home focused on all life’s daily responsibilities, you can get quiet enough to hear your thoughts, experience your feelings, savor delicious food (prepared by someone else), and lose yourself in new surroundings. A great retreat is one where you have the freedom to listen to your inner voice. Do you feel like going for a hike or an arranged outing? Would you prefer to nap or read in a cozy nook? When you slow down, you can remind yourself what brings you joy and choose to be as active as feels good or mellow as you want.
In a retreat setting, finding true contentment and gratitude for the present moment is as natural as breathing. A week away practicing yoga offers a gentle reminder of how blessed you are. By creating an active practice of gratitude, rather than a reactive attitude to external events, you can find an enjoyment for what each day provides.
Of course it’s easy to feel gratitude in a setting like Scotland or Thailand or France. But, if we take the time to establish a santosha perspective, we can learn to be content the other 51 weeks of the year.
Are you harnessing the power of the world around you to connect to your truest self? This week’s classes dive into how aligning yourself with the cycles of the moon can help you connect more deeply with your own light. While it’s vital to turn your focus inward during yoga and meditation, it’s also essential to connect with universal energy. Everything is connected.
A powerful way to align with the cycles of nature is to tune in to the cycles of the Moon. Yoga helps us find balance––inside and out. Hatha yoga’s name derives from Ha-tha, which means Sun and Moon in Sanskrit. Ha = Sun. Tha = Moon.
The solar channel of the body encompasses the sympathetic nervous system, masculine energy, and the right side of the body. The lunar channel is the left side of the body and encompasses the parasympathetic nervous system and the divine feminine. We’re all made up of masculine and feminine, light and dark, and active and passive. Yoga can help us learn to balance these forces out and aligning with the moon’s phases is a powerful way to do so.
The moon’s phases control the ocean tides. Water covers 71% of the earth so watery energy is powerful. The waxing and waning moon correlate to universal and personal energy. The first two weeks of the lunar cycle when the moon is waxing or growing larger are a time of positive growth. It’s the perfect time to manifest your desires and use the lunar energy to support your growth and intentions. Use this two-week cycle to go for what you want!
When the moon is waning or growing smaller is the time to release what no longer serves you, whether that’s negative thoughts or emotions, relationships that no longer make you happy, or something as basic as cleaning out your closet. Think of it as a great time to purge and lighten up, just as the moon contracts to a minuscule crescent of light. It’s a great time to prepare, organize, and plan for the future.
When you learn to align yourself with nature’s cycles, you become more in the flow with everything around you. Check out these fabulous new practices today!
Deep Slow Lunar Flow: A Hip-Opening "Surgery" - Shy Sayar
Moon in Cancer - Gemma Celento
Absolution Flow: Sun & Moon - Mark Morford
Lunar Flow - Lisa Richards
“True silence is the rest of the mind and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” William Penn
It’s true––sleep is a form of nourishment and necessary to wake up refreshed. Or put another way, rest is just as important as work. If all you do is work, you’ll burn out and be less able to live a well-balanced, healthy happy life. And if all you do is sleep or lay around on the couch, you’re missing out on the world around you.
Many of us live busy lives, so it’s important to quiet your mind and tap into your parasympathetic nervous system. Life is all about balancing active, “fight or flight” energy and passive “rest and digest” energy. If you’re a chronic insomniac or only suffer sleepless nights occasionally, an evening yoga practice is a great way to get ready for bed.
Yoga at night can tire out your physical body, but more importantly, quiet your busy mind. You know when you’re exhausted and can’t wait to go to bed, only to have your mind start racing and racing and racing…a gentle evening ritual will give you space to process. If you can quiet and soothe your inner self before laying your head on the pillow, you increase your chances of a rejuvenating night of sleep.
This week we’re focusing on yoga that can help you relax and fall asleep faster. These four classes are all designed to help you chill out and have restful, nourishing sleep. And if you’ve just got a few minutes to spare, try a couple of our favorite restorative poses: Vipariti Karani (Legs up the Wall) and Suptha Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose). Restorative yoga helps us step away from “doing” mode to “being” mode and is a great way to release the events of your day.
Tonight, try one of these great classes and see just how sweet your dreams can be! G’night!
Evening Practice - Sarah Shannon
Candlelight Bhakti Yoga - Christen Bakken
Lunar Flow: Ease Into Evening - Denelle Numis
Meditative Zen Practice - Nancy Nielsen
Influencers have become a familiar part of the fitness industry. They tend to be considered some of the most important marketing tools for businesses in a landscape dominated by social media. Not to mention that this can also be a viable career choice for talented content creators with fresh perspectives on physical, mental, or holistic wellness.
This isn’t the same as saying that success as a fitness influencer is necessarily guaranteed. If you choose to follow this path, you will in effect be setting up your own fitness marketing business. There are also a variety of challenges to navigate if you’re to break through in a healthy, successful, and sustainable way.
We’re going to outline a few things you should know if you want to be a fitness influencer.
There’s no question that influencers have had an impact on society in general. But what about the effect on the fitness industry? Having some knowledge of this can help you make more informed choices about your road to becoming a fitness influencer. You can find ways to leverage the good outcomes independent content creators have while strategizing how to navigate the less positive elements.
Primarily, fitness influencers have served as motivational tools. Audiences can see that a regular person utilizes practical strategies to reach fitness goals, rather than a sports star or celebrity. This can make being physically fit seem more attainable, with followers adopting the tools and techniques their favorite influencers use. This can be great for promoting health and encouraging the public to make time for self-care. Not to mention that the trust and independence influencers represent can prompt meaningful engagement with brand partners.
That said, there are certainly negative impacts surrounding fitness influencing. There is often pressure from businesses and audiences to maintain a constant online presence, which can contribute to mental health challenges. It’s also not unusual for creators to experience abuse that can lead to body dysmorphia and eating disorders. It’s also vital to understand that influencers aren’t employees of the brands they represent. This means that they aren’t protected by many legal employment safeguards many other fitness industry workers can rely on.
One of the first steps on the path to becoming a fitness influencer is to build an audience. Many businesses won’t approach or consider influencers for partnerships if there isn’t already a good follower count in place. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need millions of followers. Rather, you should have a relatively consistent audience that is actively engaged with your content. Indeed, a lot of businesses are keen to partner with micro-influencers (1000-10000 followers) because these tend to have more committed audiences.
There are some actions you can take to develop your audience, depending on the platforms you use. TikTok is one of the primary platforms fitness influencers are focusing on at the moment, particularly for Gen Z engagement. Getting TikTok followers involves using research to drive your content strategy. Understand what types of content, personalities, and activities followers in your target demographic appreciate. Regularly review the trending fitness hashtags and use them. Use analytics data to understand which of your posts resonate with audiences and leverage these to create impactful future posts.
It’s also worth testing the waters with some non-sponsored reviews. Firstly, this establishes your independence and trustworthiness, as audiences will recognize that you’re not connected to another business. This may result in more follower growth from those seeking reliable information.
You can also utilize the engagement data from these posts to pitch your services to potential brand partners. Even showing your follower click-throughs to affiliate or ambassador programs you’re signed up for can help demonstrate your value as a partner to businesses.
One of the mistakes some potential fitness influencers make is assuming that they will simply be working with brands. This can mean they overlook that influencers should be brands themselves. Demonstrating that you are a fitness brand partner rather than a creative contractor can be powerful. It shows that you’ve put thought into developing a profile that’s meaningful to your audience, representative of you as an entrepreneur, and clear enough for other businesses to have confidence in.
Effectively raising brand awareness involves adopting strategies that help you stand out from the crowd. Firstly, gain clarity on the core points of your identity. Know what your values are and solidify the brand “voice” you want to use. Narrow down the specific fitness audiences you want to service and what your unique attributes as a creator are. You can then design visual elements, such as logos, video title cards, and even merchandise that reflect these. Keep using these elements in your content to get audiences to recognize your brand.
It’s also worth considering how focusing on a niche can be an important part of your brand-building efforts. There are a lot of fitness influencers out there and you may find it difficult to compete as just a general content creator in the field. Niche subjects — such as yoga for runners, urban outdoor activities, or routines to address certain physical challenges — can help you make a more refined brand profile. You’ll develop a reputation as an authority in this area, which both audiences and potential brand partners can recognize.
Being a fitness influencer can be a rewarding career choice, but it can also be challenging. Get to understand the positive and negative impacts influencing has had on the fitness industry so you can navigate and leverage these accordingly. Take the time to build an audience utilizing methods driven by solid research and analysis. Creating a personal brand is also essential to stand out from the crowd. It’s a competitive industry, but with planning and focus you can have a positive influence on many people’s fitness journeys as well as on your own success.
Future Pain Can Be Avoided: Yoga Sutra 2.16: heyaṃ duḥkhamanāgatam
Yoga Sutra 2:16 discusses how through the practice of yoga, we can avoid future pain. Patanjali focused more on how yoga impacts our thoughts and perspective, but this week let’s apply it to…back pain! Because if you’ve ever been slowed down because your back hurts, you’re not alone.
Back pain impacts millions of people at one time or another, whether from a specific injury or from long-term poor posture. Most of us sit too much and as a result, our spines become compressed, our muscles and connective tissue tighten, and then we are hurting. This week, we have six practices designed to give you a spinal tune-up and help prevent future pain.
We tend to store emotions in our tissues and if we don’t create a release, physical tightness and strain can result. Whatever is causing your back pain is individual. How yoga helps is universal.
On the physical level, three major factors contribute to back pain:
(1) Tight Hamstrings: If your hamstrings are too tight, they can pull on the muscles in your lumbar region, creating imbalances and lower back pain.
(2) Tight hip flexors (Psoas): The psoas muscle starts in the front of your body and connects in the back body and so, keeping them mobile is important to a healthy back. Everything from too much time sitting or too much time running––or basically doing anything at all results in tight hip flexors. Assume they are always tight and need to be stretched.
(3) Weak abdominal muscles: If you don’t build a strong center, you’ve got no support for your torso or spine. Take the time to build a strong core and create a protective girdle for your spine.
When you release physical tension and address muscular imbalances, often an emotional release occurs at the same time and the pain disappears, inside and out. Emotional stress and mental anxiety stored in our bodies can cause physical pain and yoga helps us relax our minds and hearts.
These classes are not for the time you’re in acute pain after a recent injury, instead, they are appropriate for when you’re ready to begin gentle movement.
So if you’re ready, try some yoga to address the root of your back pain, whether it stems from physical, emotional, or mental causes.
Yoga and Mobility for the Back - Michelle Berman Marchildon
Feel Alive Series: Spine in Focus - Elena Mironov
Yoga for a Healthy Back - Claire Petretti Marti
Get Up, Stand Up: Lumbar Love - Dia Draper
Power Yoga for a Healthy Back - Kristin Gibowicz
Reclaim Your Mobility with Spinal Twists - Caitlin Rose Kenney
"You know the Day destroys the night, night divides the day…Break On Through" -The Doors
Without darkness, can we truly appreciate the light? Each one of us is composed of light and shadow. Masculine and feminine energy. Life is all about balance. The warmth from the sunshine on our skin. The cool gleam of a full moon’s rays. Yin and Yang.
Yoga Sutra II: 46 Sthira Sukham Asanam states that the posture must be strong and soft or in other words, be a combination of effort and ease. Sometimes there is power in movement and other times strength resides in stillness. Most of us need a combination of both to feel balanced and content.
Just like the day is balanced out by the night, work is balanced out by rest. If you’re accustomed to a sweaty, vigorous Vinyasa class, learning to slow down is work. And, if you’ve practiced Yin yoga before, you know just how challenging holding Pigeon Pose (Sleeping Swan in Yin language) can be. Yang style yoga is active and dynamic. Yin yoga consists of only a few postures, usually seated or lying down, where the intention is to stay as still as possible.
To keep our sympathetic (active) and parasympathetic (passive) nervous systems healthy, it’s a great idea to practice both types of yoga.
If you’re new to Yin Yoga, here are the three primary tattvas that define it:
One: Enter the posture to an appropriate depth or edge for you.
Two: Seek a sense of stillness and work to remain as static as possible.
Yin works to soothe your nervous system and relax ligaments, tendons, and fascia. By targeting the deeper layers in the body, this style of yoga brings more blood flow to the joints and better circulation to the internal organs. Yang practice strengthens your muscles and bones, increases mobility and stamina and invigorates your system. All yoga helps us to process our emotions which reside in our tissues, relieve stress, and clear our minds.
This week, mix up your practice with a little Yin and a little Yang!
Another Yin/Yang Balancing Flow - Claire Petretti Marti
Yin Yang Yoga for the Lower Back - Elise Fabricant
Rockin Bhakti VinYin - Christen Bakken
Action and Rest - Erin Wimert
Nirvana is defined as complete freedom from pain, worry, and the external world. In yoga, it’s considered the highest spiritual state. Used in a broader sense, nirvana can be defined as a state of bliss or a release from all suffering. This week, we’re sharing four practices designed to give you that sweet feeling in your neck and shoulders. You’ll loosen tight muscles, balance your Visshuda (throat) chakra, and clear your mind.
Whether you woke up with a stiff neck or spend hours daily in front of a screen, tension in the shoulders and neck can prevent you from feeling your best. Upper body pain can arise from poor posture, injuries, heredity, overuse, and mental stress and worry. Asanas (postures) focused on opening the muscles and connective tissue around the spine, neck, and shoulders relieve tension and enhance mobility.
For many of us, the issues stem from mental and emotional stress. The outer and inner selves are inextricably linked. Opening your physical body benefits the subtle body, where our chakras reside and vice-versa. No matter the source, yoga addresses the physical, mental, and spiritual impact, alleviates pain, and enhances excellent posture.
The primary chakra impacting neck health is the Vishudda or throat chakra. The fifth chakra relates to your authentic expression––how you speak your truth, and how your words impact the world once spoken. If you struggle with speaking up for yourself and are constantly either repressing your true feelings or even lying, neck and throat issues can manifest as pain in your neck. Learning to be clear and direct with your words is important to keeping your neck and shoulders feeling good. As long as your neck is healthy, you can try: Matsyasana (Fish) and Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) poses to bring you back into balance. Simple neck stretches are great too!
Check out this week’s offerings to relieve stress and tension, build proper posture, create more freedom in your body, mind, and spirit, and find nirvana!
Neck and Shoulder Release - Katy Bateman
Upper Body Opener - Lila Whiting
20-Minute Shoulder & Upper Body Love - Keith Allen
Shoulder Opening Flow w/ music by Selador - Erin Wimert
Maximizing the strength of your glute muscles isn’t just about looking great in your yoga pants. Having a powerful backside is incredibly important for hip stability and proper posture. Sitting causes the glute muscles to turn off completely, so if you spend most of your day in front of a computer, it’s time to make sure you dedicate time activating your glutes!
Most people have heard of the gluteus maximus, which is the largest muscle in the body. Two other gluteal muscles, the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, are deeper than the gluteus maximus and play an important role in building and maintaining a powerful posterior. These two smaller, deeper muscles make up more of your “side butt” and are responsible for leg abduction and internal and external rotation. Yoga is a great way to strengthen all three of the glute muscles and keep them supple.
Strong glutes are vital in improving athletic performance, maintaining proper posture, and preventing back and knee pain. Because the gluteus maximus is the biggest muscle in the body, it stabilizes the pelvis and helps power running and other lower body pursuits. Yoga poses like Setu Bandhu Sarvanghasana (Bridge Pose) and Utthita Hasta Padangustasana (Standing Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) are excellent for building strength and balance in your glutes. If the glutes are weak, other muscles like your hip flexors, lower back muscles, and hamstrings will take over and do too much of the work, potentially leading to injury.
When you aren’t activating your glutes properly, back and knee pain can result. Pelvic stability is vital for proper posture and works to support the back and core muscles. It’s also essential to healthy knees. Otherwise, knees can be pulled out of alignment and create all kinds of issues. Try Shalabhasana (Locust Pose) and concentrate on contracting your glute muscles while your legs are in the air. Utkatasana (Chair Pose) not only helps lower body strength, but it also stretches your torso and lower legs.
This week’s classes are specifically designed for your glorious gluteus maximus! Enjoy!
Meet Me at the Barre 2 - Erin Wimert
Gorgeous Glutes - Jessica Oldfield
Connect to your Glutes - Lila Whiting
HardCORE Yoga with Weights™ - Booty Camp - Becca Riopelle
Yoga continues to play an invaluable role in many people’s lives. It can present significant health benefits and tends to fit well into many routines. Not to mention that it can be adapted to fit into a range of spiritual and secular practices.
One of the ways that yoga can have a positive influence in your life is by enhancing your relationship with the natural world. While it may not currently be a part of your regular routine, establishing a regular outdoor yoga practice can present significant holistic benefits. Too many people also overlook the fact that yoga can be both more enjoyable and enriching if you make the effort to head into nature once in a while.
Let’s explore this idea a little further. What are the ways yoga can increase your time in nature and why does this make a difference?
Yoga is an activity many people perform inside. This may be in their own homes, in purpose-built studios, or at their local gym. So, why is it important to utilize this activity to enhance your connections to the outside world?
The primary incentive is the wide range of health benefits from spending time in nature. Simply spending time regularly surrounded by green spaces and observing nature can help lower blood pressure. Moderate exercise outdoors can reduce the risk of chronic conditions, such as cancer and obesity, too. There are also connections between exposure to nature and greater cognitive focus, which is vital in everyday life as well as your yoga practice.
Alongside the health benefits, you can also find outdoor activities open you up to more community experiences. Too much time spent indoors can be isolating and oppressive. Attending to your yoga routines in a variety of natural environments may also develop your appreciation and understanding of the ecosystems in your area. Not to mention that you can gain from positive social experiences by performing yoga in parks, forest areas, or beaches with others of a similar mindset.
One of the main reasons that yoga can increase your time in nature is its innate flexibility. This isn’t an intentional pun on the physicality of yoga poses. Rather, it’s a nod to the fact that yoga can be performed pretty much anywhere. You don’t necessarily need any special equipment unless you want to use a mat or blocks to make things a little easier. Therefore, it is a perfect activity for your time in nature, no matter where you are.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t focus on specific needs, though. You may find certain environments or features more conducive to your personal approach. Do some research on local natural areas that don’t have a lot of foot traffic if you don’t want to be disturbed. If you find the sound of birdsong helpful for centering yourself, it can be smart to review appropriate areas with relevant habitats. For locations in which you have inclement weather, it may be smart to research alternative outdoor spaces that provide a little shelter for those rainy days.
The in-built flexibility of yoga can also mean you can combine it with other actions. It’s worth considering how your daily walk can be a positive aspect of your yoga practice. Are there parks along the way that can be a stop-off point for a few poses? Are there features of the landscape that can double up as natural apparatus in place of yoga blocks or support for arch poses?
Taking your yoga practice outside is not just a way to increase the time you spend passively gaining from your natural surroundings. It can also be a key activity for engaging more meaningfully with the environment. Much like gardening, camping, and birdwatching, outdoor yoga enables you to embrace and learn from the natural world while attending to your pursuits. This tends to make for a more holistically beneficial experience.
Many people find it positive to pair yoga in nature with meditative practices. This involves utilizing components of the natural world to support your focus. In this way, nature is instrumental in grounding you, helping to imbue your yoga sessions with a deeper connection to the world. This can be especially helpful if you’re experiencing feelings of being adrift in your life or find that you lack energy.
Alongside this, both nature and yoga are considered to have healing powers. Combining the two can be a powerful way to enhance the effects of each. Outside, you can ensure you’re breathing fresh air while performing your poses, nourishing your body as you channel the energy of the earth. You may also find it helpful to utilize poses alongside surroundings that are considered to symbolize specific natural elements, so you can relevantly address certain wellness challenges you’re facing.
Spending more time outdoors has significant positive effects on your physical and mental wellness. Yoga can be instrumental in helping you gain these benefits through its innate flexibility; you can practice almost anywhere. Not to mention that the activity in itself can help you enhance your meaningful relationship with the outside world. With a few simple adjustments to your routine, you can ensure yoga in nature is a positive part of your lifestyle.
Whether you can slide right into Hanumanasana or Monkey Pose like an Olympic gymnast or if the idea of dropping into this pose strikes fear in your heart, we’re here to persuade you to approach the splits with a fresh perspective. Of course, there are modified versions to accommodate injuries or physical limitations, but some version can work for you. And dedicating time to master something seemingly impossible results in deeper lessons than the simply finding the posture’s full expression.
According to Hindu mythology, Hanuman, the monkey superhero, was the son of Vayu, the wind, and Anjana, a monkey woman. By stretching his front leg forward and pushing off with his back one, Hanuman could traverse long distances with powerful leaps. One renowned leap was during the battle of Lanka, when he leaped from the southern point of India to Sri Lanka to save Rama’s brother Lakshman from a mortal wound. Many stories about Hanuman impart lessons about love and unity.
Approach Hanumanasana with the symbolism of Hanuman, reaching further to save someone! This posture requires a methodical approach, with lots of care and attention. When we focus on learning a new posture, the benefits extend deep below the surface of muscle and bone. The practice takes patience, discipline, and consistency to move into the splits. Through the process of moving toward Hanumanasana, we tap into our inner dialogue and learn more about how we react to challenges. We don’t simply create openings in our physical body, we challenge our mind and spirit.
For those of you who can regularly move into the full expression of Hanumanasa, there’s still a benefit from slowing down and approaching the pose with a beginner’s mind. Perhaps you always enter the pose the exact same way––this week try one or all of these classes and see if you see the posture in a fresh light.
Regardless of whether you ever achieve full expression of the pose, you’ll stretch and strengthen the muscles in your lower body, quiet your mind, and honor Hanuman. Take the leap with us!
Feeling out of balance? Maybe it’s time to turn your focus inward and create alignment from the inside out. We are all composed of energy or life force or as we call it in yoga, prana. Our energy fluctuates from minute to minute and sometimes maintaining our equilibrium is challenging. Yoga helps us align our energy through Nadis, which are energetic passageways carrying prana through our subtle body.
Keeping energy flowing is important to feeling our best because when our prana is stuck, our mind, our body, and our emotions suffer imbalances. By aligning the Chakras from the Muladhara (Root) at the base of our spine through the Sushumna Nadi to the Sahasrara (Crown) Chakra, we are creating balance in our system. The seven main chakras, or energy centers, are located along the spine and each one relates to different aspects of our body, mind, and spirit.
So, how do we align these energy centers to balance our passive, feminine energy with our active, masculine energy? First, tune in to where you’re experiencing physical pain or emotional imbalances. Then, check out this quick chakra summary so you can focus on the areas you need most today.
Chakra 1: The Root or Muladhara chakra is located at the base of your spine and is concerned with satisfying basic needs such as food, shelter, safety, and survival. It is associated with the earth element, the color red, and the testes/ovaries. Asanas to address Muladhara include standing poses.
Chakra 2: The Sacral or Svadhisthana chakra is in the pelvis, and connects with all types of relationships, including sexual and creative ones. It is associated with the water element, the color orange, and the adrenals. Asanas to address Svadisthana include forward bends like baddha konasana and Paschimottanasana.
Chakra 3: The Solar Plexus of Manipura chakra is in your navel center and is associated with your ego. It is linked to the fire element, the color yellow, and the pancreas. Asanas to balance Manipura include twists and Navasana.
Chakra 4: The Heart or Anahata chakra is in your chest and is associated with compassion and love. It is linked to the air element, the color green, and the thymus. Asanas to balance Anahata include backbends and arm balances.
Chakra 5: The Throat or Vishuddha chakra is in your neck and is associated with willpower, honesty, and authentic expression. It is linked to the ether element, the color turquoise, and the thyroid gland. Asanas to balance Vishuddha include shoulder stand and plow.
Chakra 6: The Brow or Ajna chakra is in your forehead and is associated with your sense of intuition and opening your third eye. It is the spirit element, the color violet, and the pituitary gland or “command central” of your brain. Asanas to balance Ajna include balasana or child’s pose.
Chakra 7: The Crown or Sahasrara chakra is located on the crown of your head. It’s associated with spirit’s connection to the universe, all the senses, and the pineal gland. Asanas to balance Sahasrara include headstands, savasana, and tadasana.
Some days, you might simply need to balance everything or focus on just one. Check out this week’s classes and see how open and free you can feel!
Chakra Balancing Yoga - Marie Castello
Meditation: Heart Focused - Keith Allen
Overcome Fear: Chakra Balancing Flow - Claire Petretti Marti
Manipura Movement Flow - Denelle Numis
When your yoga teacher moves into backbends, does it spark excitement or anxiety? Backbends have so many benefits for our body, our mind, and our heart but sometimes they can stoke fear, especially if you’ve had back injuries or issues. No surprise as the Anahata or Heart Chakra is the seat of courage, love, and fear. Let’s break down the benefits and the cautions to these enlivening poses because there’s a version for you!
Physically, bending backwards strengthens your back, shoulders, and hips. Backbends improve your posture and increase mobility of your entire spine, while opening the chest, abdominals, and front of your pelvis and legs. Emotionally, these poses open your heart for more compassion and aid in letting go of fear. Mentally, backbends energize and awaken your brain, helping impart a sense of clarity and alertness.
Our world has become dominated by technology. Many of us are in front of a screen for hours at a time. The computer, the smartphone, the television. As a result, our shoulders round, our necks are tight and extend forward, and proper posture flies out the window. Not only does this wreak havoc on our spines, poor posture causes headaches and other physical imbalances. On a deeper level, by closing off our chest in this way, we impact our heart center. When we arch the spine, lift the breastbone, and press our shoulders back, we’re improving our physical posture and stimulating Anahata.
The Anahata Chakra is considered the seat of love and compassion. When you experience fear or are finding it tough to forgive someone who harmed you, you can feel emotionally blocked and experience physical pain in your heart and lungs. Imbalances in the heart chakra can manifest as heart disease, lung disease, and circulation challenges. Backbends are a great way to move blocked prana out of your system and encourage you to expand your breath and open yourself to love.
Sound good? Well, what if you, like so many others, have back and neck pain and/or limitations? You can still garner the benefits of bending backwards by approaching the poses with caution. Gentle heart-openers with modifications and props are just as effective as a full Urdhva Dhanurasna! Appropriate backbends are available for everyone so be sure to make sure you’re helping your spine, not harming it. Remember, no posture should ever be painful.
Check out this week’s classes to boost your energy, open your heart, and strengthen your spine with a focus on backbends!
Structure and Strength - Erin Wimert
Dropping Back - Bend So You Don't Break - Jessica Oldfield
Backbends - Denelle Numis
Align and Flow: Backbends as an Offering - Jack Cuneo
As the old saying goes, you are your own worst enemy. When something in your life goes wrong, it’s easy to blame yourself, or drown yourself in sorrow. But, think about how you would treat a friend or loved one in the same situation. You wouldn’t berate them or be cold.
Instead, you would show compassion and be empathetic to their feelings. When you adopt a more realistic, kinder view of the problems in your own life, it leads to self-compassion. That can be easier said than done for some people, but it’s not impossible for anyone.
Self-compassion is essential. It doesn’t mean you never acknowledge your faults – just the opposite. It’s about acknowledging your failures and struggles, and being kind to yourself as you work through them without judging yourself along the way.
With that in mind, let’s cover a few of the easiest ways to show yourself compassion. It’s easier than you might think to strike a healthy balance between acceptance and self-improvement.
Stress is unavoidable. It’s a part of everyday life. A little bit of it can actually be a good thing. But, excess stress can cause you to feel overwhelmed, and can break down your mental well-being. The more overwhelmed and stressed you feel, the easier it will be to take your failures out on yourself and let those negative intrusive thoughts take hold.
While you might not be able to completely get rid of stress, there are things you can do to fight back against it every day, including:
Self-care is a fantastic way to de-stress while reminding yourself that you’re valuable. Even something like cooking a healthy meal for yourself can go a long way. Plus, some foods are even better for your stress levels, including fruits with vitamin C, unrefined carbohydrates, and foods with omega-3 fatty acids. By cooking with foods that you know are good for you, you’ll feel better about yourself and more likely to treat yourself with kindness and care.
It might sound strange, but self-compassion doesn’t have to be something you foster on your own. Whether you’re trying to heal from something or you’ve always had a hard time being kind to yourself, one of the best ways to discover your value and learn how to love yourself is to spend time with the people who truly care about you.
When you try to live life on your own, you’re going to end up facing challenges that are nearly impossible to handle. When you “fail” or experience setbacks, you’re more likely to criticize yourself, and even be cruel when it comes to those failures. Being alone allows your thoughts to wander. If you’re prone to negative self-talk, depression, or anxiety, spending too much time alone can cause those negative thoughts to completely take over, and you might start to believe things about yourself that really aren’t true.
Not only will a support system help you through those hills and valleys, but they’ll remind you how great you are along the way. It’s not about stroking your ego or making you feel good. It’s about helping you recognize that you deserve kindness and compassion just as much as anyone else. You are worthy of that kind of love from yourself. Sometimes, it takes being around others to help you realize that.
Never underestimate the power of a good cry.
Multiple studies have shown that there are real benefits to crying, even if whatever might cause you to cry usually doesn’t feel good. Crying is a self-soothing practice. It releases oxytocin and endorphins in the brain – chemicals that are designed to make you feel happier. These chemicals also promote healing, both mentally and physically.
Have you ever cried over something and then felt a sense of relief afterward? That’s not a coincidence. The negative situation didn’t magically disappear, but crying about it helped you find a release.
Crying is also good for your overall health. Some of the biggest benefits include:
Crying can be exhausting. You might feel like you should take a nap after letting your feelings out that way. But, that exhaustion really stems from the emotions you’ve been trying so hard to keep in for too long. A good cry can help you become more in tune with those emotions. You’ll recognize that they’re very real, worthy of acceptance, and important to work through. As a result, you’ll also see the importance and value of your emotions and you’ll be less likely to judge yourself.
Showing yourself compassion doesn’t have to be complicated. Start treating yourself as someone you love, and you might be surprised by the results.
“Each time we exhale, the world ends; when we inhale, there can be, if we allow it, rebirth and spiritual renewal. It all transpires inside of us. In our consciousness, in our hearts. All the time.” Tom Robbins
Stop what you’re doing for a moment––well, after you read this––and close your eyes. Place one hand over your heart and one hand on your belly. Exhale everything out and take the biggest inhale you’ve taken today. Inhale the possibility that you can change the way you’re feeling right now. Inhale and trust you can renew your spirit by tuning into your heart.
We’re here with a gentle reminder that yoga is one of the most powerful tools for regenerating your body, your mind, and your spirit. No matter what style of yoga you love to practice, the emphasis on conscious breathing helps to uplift your spirit. Pranayama, or breath control, coupled with mindful movement shifts your awareness inward and reminds you how perfect you are inside.
When we build our strength and balance from the inside out, we’re better able to handle whatever the external world sends our way. And, let’s face it, with everything happening in the world today, it’s easy for our emotional well-being to be in a state of flux. Yoga can help regulate the roller-coaster ride!
Ask yourself how you’re doing today. Check in with your mental and emotional health. Are you filled with joy? Contentment? Optimism for the future? If not, yoga can help you shed repetitive negative emotional and mental patterns, which fortify your inner strength and shift your perspective. Sometimes the slightest adjustments can yield the greatest benefits. Simply spending a little more time on the mat is all it takes to tweak your outlook.
This week we’ve got four classes sure leave you feeling refreshed. You’ll boost your mood, increase your energy, improve your sleep, stimulate your digestion, and be your most vibrant. If you’re not feeling your best, you’re missing out on this one beautiful life we have to lead.
Regenerating Vitality: Flow - Caitlin Rose Kenney
Gentle Renewal Flow - Jackie Casal Mahrou
Reset Refuge: Thrive and Shine - Elise Fabricant
Yoga Alchemy: The Axis - Mark Morford
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott
Every time your tablet, phone, or computer fails to function properly, experts will advise you to flip the switch off and wait. Most times, that momentary unplugging fixes the issue. When you slow down and shift your focus inward, even for a short time, you’re refilling your well and benefiting your nervous system. Yoga is an incredible way to reset your mind, body, and spirit.
Simply by unrolling your mat for practice, you’re eliminating distractions and choosing self-care. All types of yoga will do the trick, but slower styles like Slow Flow, Yin, Gentle, and Restorative allow you to dive even deeper. Slower paced classes emphasize longer holds in postures, which gives you the opportunity to settle into stillness. When all you’re required to do is focus on your breath and experience how each shape feels, it’s easier to dig into your emotions and thoughts. You’ll have the time to sit with and process the feelings housed in your physical body.
A Slow Flow class might have half the poses of a Vinyasa Flow class. Yin and Restorative Yoga emphasize holding poses for longer periods, usually three to ten minutes per pose. If you’re accustomed to moving quickly or thrive in Power classes, you may find the pace challenging but you’ll develop more patience and clarity. These types of classes are excellent to cultivate mental discipline and prepare you for meditation. A slower yoga practice will help you find more mindfulness and aid you in savoring every day to the fullest.
The more stress you’re under, the more important it is to balance it out on the mat. If your day to day life feels like constant hustling and bustling, it’s probable that your adrenal glands are constantly overworked. So, instead of allowing your body to recuperate, you are in a steady state of “fight or flight mode.” Slower paced classes target your parasympathetic nervous system which helps you relax.
Take the time to try this week’s classes and see how calm and centered you feel!
Bite-Sized Yin - Elise Fabricant
Hip Opening Yoga Quickie - Jackie Casal Mahrou
Yin Yoga & Breath Work for Relaxation - Caitlin Rose Kenney
Mindful Motion for Healing - Shannon Paige
Who is ready to boost endorphins and create a strong, balanced body? This week, we’re focusing on how asana can help you grow physically strong. Sure, building muscle strength and endurance will help you feel better in your yoga clothes but being as strong as you can be is about how you feel more than how you look.
We’ve only got one body for this lifetime, and we have a duty to take care of it. Yoga will help you feel your best now and can play a major role in staying youthful and vital for years to come. Who doesn’t want to be that independent 80 year old out enjoying life fully, traveling, power walking, practicing yoga, spending time with friends and family? Longevity requires physical strength. Period.
Yoga Sutra 2:46 states the yoga posture should be a balance of effort and ease, or strength and softness. One of the primary benefits of building muscular strength and endurance is the ability to hold postures longer with proper muscular engagement. So, to maximize the mental and spiritual benefits of yoga, put in the physical work too. Yoga is one tool to keep you centered, balanced, mentally alert, and strong.
When we practice more vigorous styles of yoga and yoga/fitness fusions, we can quiet our minds and activate our digestive, circulatory, lymphatic, and endocrine systems. It’s a great way to shift from a sedentary period in our lives and reawaken our inner fire. By aligning ourselves with nature’s change in seasons, we boost our efforts and feel more connected with the world around us.
Whether you’re moving into Spring or into Autumn (Southern Hemisphere peeps, we see you!), it’s an excellent time to emphasize the physical aspect of yoga. It’s the perfect time to join YogaDownload on a two-week FREE Challenge designed to help you get strong. You’ll feel empowered, energetic, and lighter. And remember, yoga’s benefits are all connected. Classes that make you sweat and burn calories can aid in accessing yoga’s emotional and mental benefits.
Prioritize feeling great in your skin! We’re taking out the guesswork for you. All you need to do is roll out your mat and join our global yoga community every day for two weeks. Three different class options per day will provide something suitable for beginners to advanced yogis! Let’s get stronger together.
“The acquirement and enjoyment of physical well-being, mental calm and spiritual peace are priceless to their possessors.” ––Joseph Pilates
Pilates is an incredible exercise system which builds strength, stability, and flexibility in your core and spine while also developing mental focus and clarity. Before we dive into three reasons why you should consider incorporating Pilates into your fitness regime, we wanted to share the fascinating history behind the method originally called Contrology.
Joseph Pilates was considered a radical in his native Germany because of his teachings on the importance of physical exercise and mental discipline. He created an exercise program during World War I and he helped injured soldiers rehabilitate. In the 1920s, Pilates worked with boxers in Berlin to help them develop endurance and stamina until the Nazis approached Pilates to train the German military police.
Pilates chose to immigrate to America and opened his Pilates Universal Gymnasium in New York City. He created the Universal Reformer and other apparatus like the Wundachair and Cadillac. Famous dancers like George Balanchine and Martha Graham studied with him to rehabilitate their injuries and build strength.
You don’t need equipment for mat Pilates classes, so they are great for a home practice. Pilates has six primary principles: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath, and flow. Like yoga, it is a mind-body modality. Here are a few of the primary benefits:
1. A Powerful Core: The method focuses on what Joseph Pilates called the Powerhouse. In class, you’ll focus on effectively engaging the deep muscles of your core with precise, controlled movements. Most exercises are initiated from your center, which includes not just your abdominals, but your back and glutes. Pilates focuses on building and maintaining flexibility of the spine. It’s a great way to create excellent posture and prevent lower back pain.
2. Overall Balanced Strength and Flexibility: Pilates’ focus on posture and alignment help you develop a physique that is balanced, powerful, and limber. You’ll learn more about proprioception (awareness of where your body is in space), feel more graceful and comfortable in your body. Different exercises like the Double-leg stretch emphasize core stability, while others highlight strength and mobility, like the Roll-Up. Pilates works not just the large muscles like the hamstrings and quadriceps, but also the smaller accessory muscles which act like a girdle to streamline your limbs.
3. Enhanced Mental Focus, Clarity, and Calm: The emphasis on controlled movements combined with mindful deep breathing help create a clear, calm mind. Pilates emphasizes breathing synchronized with movement––inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. As a result, when you complete a Pilates class, you not only feel physically strong, but mentally sharp.
Pilates is a fantastic complement to your yoga practice. Ready to start? In addition to this week’s classes, we’ve got several Pilates classes and programs for students of every level. Check them out:
Quick Pilates Break - Claire Petretti Marti
Mad About Core - Jessica Oldfield
Pilates-Yoga Fusion - Cher Aslor
Tighten Your Core - Hayley Hobson
Here's a quick and easy recipe for a healthy and delicious vegan quinoa salad that can be made in just 20 minutes. It's perfect for a quick lunch or a light dinner.
This quinoa salad is crisp, delicious, and refreshing. It’s made simply with fresh cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, chickpeas, fresh parsley and a honey-cumin olive oil and lemon dressing.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, to give it time to fluff up.
In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and parsley. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin, salt, and pepper, then set aside.
Once the quinoa is mostly cool, add it to the serving bowl, and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
This quinoa salad is packed with protein and fiber from the quinoa and chickpeas, as well as vitamins and minerals from the fresh vegetables. It's a nutritious and delicious meal that can be made in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights or days when you're short on time. Plus, it's vegan and gluten-free, making it suitable for a variety of dietary needs.