Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Holy savasana! It’s time for yogis to wake up from resting pose — the English translation for the Sanskrit word pronounced shiv-asana — and smell the incense. In the latest salvo proving big business is here to stay in the yoga world, a company received a patent last week for its technique of filming yoga classes for online distribution.

It’s estimated that over 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but only 8% actually achieve their goals. With the odds stacked up against us, why do we keep doing this to ourselves?!?

I’ve had thousands of New Year’s wishes and “anthems” come into my awareness these last few days leading up to today. So many, it’s almost overwhelming. This whole instant access to information can be daunting and too much for one person to navigate honestly.

From dealing with rabid crowds at the mall to toiling over the perfect gifts for the special people in your life, the holidays can be a stressful time...especially if you've waited until the last minute to do your shopping (despite promising yourself last year that you wouldn't find yourself in this position again)! Worry not, yogis! The little elves here at Yoga Download are all about putting the PRO in procrastination. We've scoured the interwebs for unique last-minute gift options so you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your cozy little homestead. So kick back, grab a hot cuppa something yummy and get your shopping on...

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the home, Not a yogi was stirring, not even an OM.

I love to eat. I was raised in an Italian family in the Midwest who ate three hearty meals a day with a side of pasta at dinner each night. My family owned a chain of banquet halls and at five years old I was scooping lasagna and garlic bread onto the plates of family, friends and strangers.

I am inspired to write about connection again at this time of the year for those of you who adore the holidays as much as I do. And for those of you who don’t – you may get something out of this as well so read on.

People ask me all the time, “How do you do it? How do you manifest every single thing you say you are going to do?” And I laugh because although I’ve gotten really skilled at manifesting the ‘good’ things, I’ve also been witness to patterns that create less than desirable outcomes time and time again.

On the topic of Savasana, I've heard some variation of this for years: "Savasana means dead man's pose." That's because when you're in Savasana, you're supposed to be as still as a dead man." Then there's something about how stillness is elusive in modern Western society and how we deserve a few minutes of peace and quiet in a chaotic world.

I am inspired to write about connection again at this time of the year for those of you who adore the holidays as much as I do. And for those of you who don’t – you may get something out of this as well so read on.

There is an epidemic in the industrial world that is accepted, embraced, and nearly revered by most of us. Do you suffer from this vastly-spreading, oddly coveted disease? It remains nameless, but you know of it, for sure. If you don’t have it, then you most certainly know a person — or ten — who has caught it and talks about it with a hint of self-importance.

Treat yourself and your family to this healthy and decadent dessert this Thanksgiving!

As we approach Thanksgiving time, we’ve been on the lookout for recipes that could fit into the holiday season, but wouldn’t leave us feeling the usual “Thanksgiving hangover.”

This stuffing is so good, you’ll never miss the real thing. And that’s coming from someone who, as non-turkey eater, considers stuffing to be the main event at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

Have you ever had an encounter with someone who tries to make you feel small? Someone who belittles you? Or do you ever find that you are in fact the person who does this to yourself? I had an encounter with this a while back. Someone made me feel small, and tried to get in my head. I felt small. I felt caved in. And THEN it transferred over into my yoga practice. I tried to do a headstand and BOOM, hit a wall (literally). Couldn't stick the pose. And then I thought - what if instead, I focus on being BIG? And I lifted up with a little more ease.

I have been sitting here… for literally… THREE DAYS trying to blog. About what? I’m not sure! I must have started 10 blogs and not ONE was resonating with me! It all felt so ‘canned’. Last night I fell asleep on my computer! Apparently I thought that if I laid my face on the keyboard some magical inspiration would arise. The only thing that did happen was I woke up laughing and said out loud… “Damn, I am one helluva spiritual warrior!” So I decided to stop fighting and struggling to come up with something new this month. That will come later… I pulled this from my book, Oms from the Mat. Here’s an amazing reminder of what we ALL are inside and out.

Treat yourself to a pumpkin facial this Fall! Every year I save the fresh pumpkin after carving our Jack O' Lantern and make myself this special treat. It's so fresh and fabulous! Whether it's fresh or canned pumpkin that you use, you will feel renewed as your skin soaks up all the many nutrients of this seasonal squash.

Do you believe that people change? I do. In fact, the reality is that we are always evolving. To be clear, we are given daily opportunities to evolve. Whether or not we choose to take those opportunities and use them for the evolution of our soul is another matter.

Stability and security… what does it mean to you?

'Tis the season for Pumpkin! This savory, decadent, and healthy smoothie is great for an afternoon snack. Let us know what you think!

Back in July, you may have seen the New York Times article called, "Yoga Practitioners Gaze at Their Inner Selfies." Author Kayleen Shaffer examined the juxtaposition of vanity and yoga and created quite a stir among supporters and haters alike. Though nobody wants to admit it, most selfies are about vanity; but with yoga, there's another dynamic: yoga isn't supposed to be about the shape of the poses. (If it were, it would be a competition that pre-teen gymnasts would win.) If it's so much about controlling the mind, breath and ego, are we trivializing the practice by snapping photos of ourselves in awesome poses? Or are we just celebrating this beautiful practice? In a world where many yogis also enjoy photography and iPhone apps, how do we strike a balance?

Get motivated and inspired for your yoga practice with a story that invites you to shift your perspective!

In the wake of the controversy over YogaGlo's recent patent application for their methods of filming online yoga classes and their subsequent Cease & Desist Order against Yoga International, we would like to chime in and offer our thoughts regarding this situation.

Blame no one. Turn the arrow around on yourself in ALL situations. This is one lesson that I am slowly beginning to not only know, but understand and embrace. In the last year, I have been faced with countless opportunities, as most of us are, where pointing the finger at someone else is the obvious and logical choice. And what I ended up with is more angst, contraction and stress in my body as a result of the blame I created. The person I was pointing at usually does not change, and the only person who ends up feeling horrible is me.

September was National Yoga Month. Did you notice? Was there a parade, a prime time special or an acknowledgement at your local yoga studio? Right now, National Yoga Month is a nice idea, but let's not rest on our laurels - we certainly haven't seen what it can do yet.