Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

How about a breakfast that tastes like dessert but is actually PACKED with nutrition. I love it when it feels naughty and it’s not.

Sometimes I sit back and look at my life and I think, wow, I created this. This is a far cry from where I used to be which was, how did I get here? The difference between the two thoughts is simple. One comes from a highly awakened state and the other is from a very deep sleep.

Looking to spice things up with your sweetie this Valentine’s Day? Woo them with this mind-blowing superfood elixir.

Lately I have come to appreciate the power of positive affirmations. Simply speaking a sentence aloud a few times can change our state of mind. Once we change our state of mind we can start to feel the positive emotion behind our words. When we harness the emotion our energy shifts and so does our reality.

One of the most common poses in yoga class is bhujangasana, cobra pose. This heart opener promotes flexibility through the spine. When in full asana, the yoga practitioner embodies the magnificence of wide-hooded cobra. No matter if your cobra is a baby or fully-hooded, the serpentine movement required of bhujangasana will open you into the energy of the cobra. This serpent energy is perfect to embrace as we are still in the beginning of the new year. During this time, we begin to shed layers, release past restraints, and set intentions for growth and abundance.

So what I am bringing to my Super Bowl party? Spinach Artichoke dip, of course! This Spinach Artichoke dip whips up in less than 30 minutes and combines raw ingredients with warm sautéed veggies. It’s best served warm with a few slices of cucumbers or flax seed crackers.

This is a SUPER side dish for the Super Bowl! For most people, super bowl parties means lots of foods that don’t actually support you in your health goals. It’s the beginning of the year and you’re still committed to your healthy living resolutions…so don’t let one BIG party derail you.

Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest food event next to Thanksgiving in our country. Topping the list of party favorites are wings, pizza, beer, dip, popcorn and soda. While we do love to indulge from time to time, we wanted to challenge the dairy-filled, greasy, gas-inducing status quo of typical Super Bowl party fare to see if we could come up with a healthy replacement.

Yoga has many facets to reveal. One facet might be more prominent than another based on a number of factors including: your ability to adapt and your teacher’s ability to reveal. One facet not well known is the energetic aspect of yoga. This is not to be confused with the “physical intensity” of the practice. The energetic aspect I refer to is the unseen part of what happens to you in your subtle body and in the room, as a result of the yoga.

Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? Who do you want to inspire?

It’s so important these days to keep a mental check of your thoughts. Here are three things you can do to let go of the negativity holding you back and let in the love that is all around you.

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.