"I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living." ~ Anaïs Nin
This week, take a deep dive with us into some classes that explore the depths of yoga philosophy and offer inspiration and insight into the yogic path. All yoga is valid and works simultaneously to benefit physically, emotionally, and mentally. Some days a juicy physical practice is what you need, other times you’re seeking a deeper message.
Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga path is described and analyzed in the Yoga Sutras. The text depicts the yogic journey toward Samadhi or enlightenment in practical steps. In theory, the path is simple, but Patanjali emphasizes that it isn’t easy. This week’s classes delve into various philosophies to help you not just stretch your hamstrings but also to expand your perspective on life.
1. Yamas - The five moral restraints
2. Niyamas - The five moral observances
3. Asana - Posture
4. Pranayama - Mindful breathing
5. Pratyahara - Withdrawing the mind from senses inward
6. Dharana - Concentration
7. Dhyana - Meditation
8. Samadhi - Absorption / Enlightenment / Union of Self
The first two steps on the eight-limbed path, the Yamas and Niyamas, are excellent building blocks on your yoga mat and off. The Yamas can be interpreted as attitudes or behaviors. The Niyamas are the five internal practices or observances, and both combined are tools to help you live life to your highest potential.
The first Yama and foundation upon which the rest of the path is based, is Ahimsa, which is avoiding all forms of violence to yourself and to others. A = “not”, the absence of, the freedom from” and Himsa = Violence, Killing, Judging, Harming.
Often, students assume Ahimsa is limited to actual physical harm but in fact, the concept is much broader. Ahimsa means avoiding harming yourself or others through judgment, criticism, or negative talk which diminishes a person’s well-being. How do you speak to yourself? If you listen, you may notice you are tougher on yourself than you would ever be to friends, family, or even strangers.
Practicing Ahimsa encompasses being compassionate, patient, loving, kind, and understanding to yourself and others. Practice releasing fear so you can expand your ability to be loving and compassionate. Step onto the mat today with one of this week’s classes to help you on your path.
Deep 30 Vol. III Mark Morford (New!)
Evening Enlightenment Yoga - Jackie Casal Mahrou -
Everyday Yamas Ahimsa - Kristin Gibowicz
Mindful Movement - Elise Fabricant
The recipe I share with you is an Estonian classic. Well, almost. Traditionally it is cooked with a lot of fatty pork, but my version is completely vegan. Also, the potatoes and carrots are not traditionally added here, but rather served as a side. I wasn't planning to cook this recipe, but a fridge clean-out soup, but while cooking, it got way too thick. Of course, there is always an option to thin out the soup with extra water or stock, but this time I felt halfway through the cook that maybe a stew is a better option. So, a stew type of a thing is what I ended up with and I am most likely going to eat it for a few days in a row now.
To be fair, I am usually not a big fan of cooked sauerkraut - I always find it the best while it is still fresh and crunchy, full of good bacteria. But, somehow, I had managed to buy too much to consume it fresh and needed to find a way to use it up so it is actually my first time ever cooking sauerkraut. I still love the fresh version more, but in our chilly autumn weather, the cooked version does have its place. It is super homey, a little funky, and maybe even weird, but definitely delicious.
If you are a fan of traditions (and not vegan or vegetarian), just replace the oil with a few chunks of really fatty pork and start the recipe by rendering some of the fat, then continue with adding onion and everything else, skipping the carrots and potatoes. The rest of the process is exactly the same, but you might wish to extend the cooking time a bit to make sure the pork is falling apart tender.
Oh, and the name of the original dish is “Mulgi kapsad” which translates to “cabbage from Mulgimaa”, Mulgimaa being a county in Estonia.
Cooking time: 2-3 hours, most of this is passive
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 onions 2 carrots 1 cup barley 4 cups of vegetable stock 4 medium potatoes 2 cups of sauerkraut Salt and sugar, to taste
1) Chop the onions and sweat them in the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat for 5 minutes.
2) Cube the carrot and add this to the onion. Let them soften for 5 more minutes.
3) Add the barley and the stock to the pot, bring to a boil. Then add cubed potatoes and cook until they are soft. This takes around 15 more minutes.
4) Add the sauerkraut, mix, and have a taste. If you feel it needs more salt, add it now. Also, I like to add 1 tbsp of sugar here to start balancing the flavors.
5) Let it simmer on low for 2 hours, mixing now and then and making sure it does not stick to the bottom. Add more water if needed.
6) After 2 hours have a taste. Maybe you want to add more sugar or salt (it depends on how sour your sauerkraut was and how salty your stock was). You can keep cooking it to develop even more flavor if you have time.
By Kadri Raig
Kadri is a food blogger and yoga teacher from Estonia. She loves to spend time in the kitchen, but most of her recipes are simple and usually don’t require more than 20 minutes of active cooking time. She thinks everybody can find time to cook healthy food at home - it's just a matter of planning. "I work in an office full time, teach yoga 7-8 hours a week, and write a blog. If I manage to cook most of my meals, then so can you!" Connect with Kadri and enjoy many more of her delicious healthy recipes on her website: www.kahvliga.ee.
“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” Alan Cohen
Now, we’re not suggesting that by mixing up your yoga and exercise routine you’ll transform your life, but it’s a start! We show up on our yoga mats the way we show up in our daily life. It’s easy to fall into a rut and repeat the same workouts, practice with the same teachers, or walk the same route.
And it’s easy to stay in a dead-end job, a crappy apartment, or a stagnant relationship because it’s easier than taking that first step toward something new. New and unfamiliar can equal scary, right? If you tend to wait for change to happen to you instead of instigating a shift yourself, maybe you simply need a nudge in a different direction.
No need to quit or give notice or break up with your partner, even if you know it’s time to move on. Baby steps can work better than ripping off the Band-aid. Perhaps you could register for a new career site and peruse the listings. You could drive around the neighborhood where you dream of living and check for rental signs.
Relationships are a more complex. Only you know if it’s over or if a heart-to-heart or a therapy session could breathe new life into it. The thing is you must DO something, or you may exist in complacency or stagnate forever.
If you’re not ready to make the shift in your daily life yet and require some support, start with your yoga practice. Engage your body, mind, and heart in different ways on the mat and see what happens off the mat. This week’s fresh classes are outside of the box.
These unique fitness workouts are powerful, beneficial, and complementary to your regular yoga practice. Check out a planet inspired HIIT class, a barre fusion flow, a quick core workout, and an animal movement class. Engage yourself in a fresh way!
Mars Workout - Ali Duncan (New!)
Fusion Flow - Annie Coyle (New!)
Quick Core Break - Claire Marti (New!)
An Intro to Animal Movement - Jack Cuneo
I don’t know what is happening on your side of the world, but here in Estonia, we are fighting inflation rates of around 25% which means that everything is getting more and more expensive every single day. This also means that it makes sense to use up all the ingredients fully. Of course, nose-to-tail eating makes sense at all times and is super close to my heart anyway. Especially so for all animal products. I rarely eat fish or meat, but if I do I make sure that none of this is wasted. This way I will get more food for my money, and nothing is wasted – I find this way of eating just respectful.
Here in this recipe, I have used the fish bones to make a broth, and no matter how good you are at filleting a fish, there is always some meat still left on the bones, which can be utilized in a nice soup. Sometimes I don’t feel like cooking fish broth a day after I have been eating fish anyway and on those occasions, I always pack up the bones and fish head in the freezer so I can make broth when I feel like it. It also makes sense to cook a larger pot of broth, so I sometimes wait until I have 3 or 4 fish heads and carcasses waiting for me and then cook up a large pot of stock.
Autumn is a perfect time to enjoy hot meals and a slightly spicy bowl of steaming soup is just a wonderful meal to have right now. So warm and comforting. Loaded with the goodness of fresh vegetables and I also added in some edamame beans to load it with even more protein. I enjoy the texture edamame beans bring to the soup. So good!
Cooking time: 1 hour (most of it is hands-off cooking time) Serves: 4 people
For the broth: The carcass of 1 smaller trout (use the fillets for another dish) 1 tsp rapeseed oil 1 carrot 1 large onion 2 stalks of celery 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (In case you have some odd ends of other vegetables, just throw them in the broth too) 4 black peppercorns 1 bay leaf Salt, to taste 4 cups of hot water
For the soup: 1 tsp rapeseed oil 1 onion 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger 1 red chili 1 stalk of celery ½ leek 1 large carrot 1 cup of diced potatoes 1 cup of broccoli florets 1 cup edamame beans (frozen is okay) Fresh parsley, to serve
1) Start by preparing the broth. Sautee the vegetables in a bottom of a large saucepan for 3-4 minutes. Then add the fish bones to the pot, cover with water, add in black peppercorns and a bay leaf and leave to simmer on low for 30 minutes. Skim the foam off the stock in the first 10 minutes of cooking time.
2) In the meantime, chop up the onion, ginger, chili, and celery finely.
3) Cut the leek, carrot, and potatoes into larger pieces, and the broccoli into florets.
4) Sweat the finely chopped veggies in the bottom of another saucepan for 5-6 minutes. Add in the carrot and keep cooking for 3-4 minutes more.
5) Once the stock has been simmering for 30 minutes turn off the heat, and pour the stock on top of the onion, ginger, chili, celery, and carrots. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
6) In the meantime, pick the remaining trout flesh off the bones. Discard the rest.
7) Then add in potatoes, and cook for 10 more minutes.
8) Add in broccoli and edamame and keep on cooking until the veggies are done. About 5 more minutes. Mix in the trout flesh.
9) Check the seasoning and serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it. - Tori Amos.
Life is a meandering journey filled with highs and lows, twists and turns, and during difficult times, it can feel unbearable. We all experience pain and suffering––it’s inevitable. We also enter this lifetime with Samskaras, or shadows of past pain and suffering. For example, an emotional trauma suffered as a child that was never fully processed can show up as pain in the hips and lower back. Yoga offers a way to deepen your awareness of your subconscious emotions and process them.
Yoga can help heal your wounds––the mental, emotional, and physical. Through mindful breath and movement, we create not just a physical release but a psychological one. One of the primary ways yoga works is by profoundly impacting the central nervous system. Soothing the parasympathetic nervous system with quieter practices like Yin and Restorative yoga can help you relax, stress less, and sleep better.
Yoga and meditation reduce cortisol levels, which are our stress hormones. If we’ve got too much cortisol pumping through our bodies, we are constantly in a state of fight or flight and our adrenals become fatigued. It’s vital to balance out all that energy expenditure and quiet the mind. A more vigorous practice can help you purge excess tension. When our system equalizes through yoga, feelings of anger and sadness diminish and positive emotions like joy and confidence increase.
No matter what phase of life you’re experiencing, yoga can help. Yoga has been used for everything from healing a physical injury to programs for people suffering from PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, to access the areas of the brain where individuals house trauma and fear. Even the traditional medical arena encourages yoga and meditation for their patients more and more frequently. Explore this week’s classes and experience the healing benefits for yourself. Don’t be afraid to go deep and harness yoga’s powers to help you heal from within.
The Only Way Out is Through - Shannon Paige (New!)
Be Here Now: Sound Bath Meditation - Elizabeth "EJ" Brumfield (New!)
Strengthen, Protect & Heal the Lower Back - Desiree Rumbaugh
Yoga Nidra for Self Healing - Shy Sayar
Physical healing is often very straight forward, we rest, we take medications, and follow doctors orders. Emotional healing on the other hand, can be a tricky journey that can be hard for many people. People look for emotional healing after all types of trauma, and growing after these types of trauma can be hard, in fact, we might never be the same as we were before.
Emotional healing is the process of acknowledging, accepting and processing any painful life experiences and strong emotions. This can involve a lot of self-compassion and acceptance, as well as becoming more empathetic. You might avoid emotional healing by minimising your pain and negative emotions - but that can slow down the process of emotional healing.
Emotional healing can take time, and you need to fully process your feelings, which might take longer than you realise. Emotional healing will look different for everyone, but you will eventually be able to be more present with both yourself and other people. Common stressors that can lead people to look to emotional healing can be loss, divorce, job loss, illness, or stressful world events. Emotional healing is possible for any scenario.
Healing is not an easy process, but it can be rewarding and help you find clarity and inspiration in your life. But you might want to ask yourself some questions before you start your healing journey. Think about how not healing is negatively affecting your life, and what you want your life to be like. Also have a think about if you’re ready to experience the healing journey and any emotions it might bring up for you.
Here’s some tips for emotional healing to make the journey as easy as possible:
Remind yourself that you’re not broken, and don’t beat yourself up all the time. Self compassion is essential to heal from trauma, and you’ll find it very hard to improve your emotional well being if you’re not compassionate about yourself. This also includes being thankful towards yourself, acknowledging how far you have made it despite any struggles.
Trying to go it alone can hide your healing journey, even if you feel like you want to hide away until you are feeling better. The reality is that friends and family want to help you and it can be great to have a support network that is aware of what you are going through.
Emotional healing isn’t simple, and trauma can have deeper roots inside of you than you realise and can be affecting you in more ways than one. Be realistic and don’t expect to fix everything all at once.
Sitting through your feelings can be one of the hardest things to do. You’re probably experiencing a whole range of deep feelings like grief, anger or sadness. These emotions aren't fun - but it's important to let yourself feel rather than ignoring or rushing through them. It can feel uncomfortable but acknowledging rough feelings is part of the process of healing. The good news - these feelings will pass!
Healing, especially emotional healing, is never linear. You can be making breakthrough after breakthrough, and then have a day where it feels like all that work has been undone. Don’t worry when this happens, and know that you are doing the work and eventually it will get better.
Some of the benefits of emotional healing can also improve your physical health. If you're afraid to start healing, here's some of the benefits that you can reap from the positive emotions you get through healing: Improved cardiovascular health, lower stress output, lower heart rate, improved respiratory health.
If you’re looking to start your emotional healing journey, some ways you can get started include:
Therapy Mental health professionals can help with the painful feelings emotional healing can bring on, and help you move forward at a pace that is right for you, and help you find insight you might not be able to find by yourself.
Mindfulness When we are healing, it can be easy to get distracted by the past, and stress about the future. Mindfulness can help you stay in the present, and see that you are fine at this exact moment. Journaling can help, as it is a great way to reach insights into your mind by working through your feelings and experiences. Most importantly, allow yourself to feel the fullness of your emotions, without tattaching further meaning to them. And when you feel emotions, take note of how long it takes before the feeling goes away, using your mindfulness skills in the meantime.
Move your body Moving your body can help to process your emotions, especially exercises like yoga. Listen to your body and how it wants to move, and allow yourself to move in this way.
And remember, there is no end point or finish line to cross to signify the end of your healing journey. Emotional healing can be so gradual that you might not even realise how much you have healed before other people notice it. But, if you find yourself looking back at trauma without becoming overwhelmed, and if you are bouncing back quicker from stressors, or even if you feel peaceful and more chilled, this shows you are well on your way to feeling emotionally healed.
By Amy Cavill
Do you ever feel like you are losing focus or having trouble thinking clearly? If so, it may be the result of stress and burnout, and these factors can contribute to the condition often referred to as brain fog. This mental fuzziness can be frustrating, especially when your focus needs to be on your life, work, and family.
The good news is that you can remedy this issue by staying active and practicing yoga. Today, we will talk a bit about the reality of brain fog and how you can use yoga to clear your mind and get back to life as you know it.
What Is Brain Fog?
Although brain fog is not really a medical term, it is also typically referred to as mental fatigue. The symptoms associated with this condition can include trouble concentrating, short-term memory loss, difficulty solving problems, and potential behavior and mood changes. Basically, you don’t feel like yourself, and it can be harder to do the things that are easier when life is going well, and you are less stressed.
While we will talk about the benefits of yoga, you first need to look inside and determine why you are filled with anxiety and fix that aspect of your life so you can get back to normal. Sometimes it is work, money, a family issue, or it could be external factors that affect us all, like the economy or disturbing news stories. You can alleviate a lot of that stress by talking to friends and family or journaling your frustrations at night, so you can get restful sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.
You can also feel better by improving your overall view of life. Think about the good things that you have and take every chance you get to stop and smile. In fact, smiling can help your mental and physical well-being. Health professionals have found that when you grin and laugh, your mood can improve almost immediately. Smiling can even ease your pain when you get an injection, and doing so can even lower your blood pressure. So, when you are doing your favorite yoga pose, put a big smile on your face.
How Yoga Can Help
There are many reasons why medication and yoga can help to alleviate brain fog. For starters, yoga is a form of exercise, and regular activity can improve your cognitive abilities and help you to fight off illnesses as you get older. Exercise can help to keep your blood pressure in check, which helps reduce the loss of brain matter. Elevated blood pressure can also increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Needless to say, it is important to take care of your body and mind now or that brain fog could evolve into something more drastic down the line.
Yoga, in particular, is instrumental in fighting brain fog because it helps us to focus on our individual awareness, and it gives us a peaceful environment where we can think about our problems and find a solution. Some experts believe that the act of going upside down in a downward dog or headstand can help to clear the fog in our minds. You’ll also improve your balance at the same time.
When you attend a yoga class, you may also get a chance to work on your mindful breath work, which is sometimes referred to as Pranayama. The point of these breathing exercises is to connect your body and mind, and by focusing on your breathing, you could feel a decrease in your stress levels, your mindfulness, and even the quality of your sleep, which is essential for a clear head in the morning.
The point is that you are spending time focusing on yourself, and when you make yourself the priority, then you can get through anything.
Poses To Try For Brain Fog
You may not realize it but there are actually several specific yoga poses that can aid in eliminating brain fog. For instance, many experts recommend the sphinx pose, where you lengthen your legs to strengthen your core and keep your head raised as you focus on a certain point on the wall. This exercise can be helpful because it helps to sharpen your mind and release the tension in your body. Best of all, it is an easier exercise for experts and beginners alike.
Another pose is shoulder stand, where you lie on your back and then inhale as you raise both legs together using your core and rest your weight on your shoulders and upper back. This particular exercise harkens back to the advice from earlier about being upside down to achieve better focus. Plus, this move is great for enhancing your concentration, and it improves the blood flow to your head and brain, so you may be able to think through some of your problems.
Other poses to consider include the thunderbolt, reclining hero, and big toe pose, which are also all known for their stress-relieving benefits.
As you can see, yoga can be incredibly helpful for fighting brain fog and clearing your mind so you can focus on the things that matter. Consider this advice and the poses mentioned above, and you could start feeling better sooner than you think.
By Katie Brenneman
Three Ways Yoga Sparks Your Inner Fire
Are you ready to feel passionate about your life, right now? If you’ve been feeling lethargic or in a rut, here are three ways yoga helps you stoke your inner fire.
1. Improve Your Digestion: Yoga and pranayama techniques can literally stimulate your internal organs, which helps your digestive system operate at ideal capacity. In the Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar says in order to operate at our optimum levels we need to burn up “the rubbish.” When we focus on working our solar plexus or core, it helps us to digest, assimilate, and eliminate our food efficiently so we feel energized. When our gut is healthy, our prana or life force energy flows freely.
2. Boost Your Mood: A high-energy yoga practice releases endorphins, which are the “feel-good” hormones that give you a natural buzz. Strong, fiery classes help you let go of your worries, at least for a while. If you’re truly engaged and linking your breath to your movements, you find that flow state where your mind quiets and your worries fade. You won’t have the time or energy to think about anything else on the mat. Vigorous movement is great for your mood!
3. Build Your Confidence: Yoga can help by stoking the fire in your belly or “tapas” with dynamic classes that boost your healthy ego. Your self-confidence and identity is housed in the Manipura or navel chakra. Sometimes we fall into patterns of questioning ourselves and settling into a pattern of insecurity. Asanas like Parivrtta Trikonasana (Twisting Triangle) or Navasana (Boat Pose) don’t just strengthen and lengthen your spine, they empower your sense of self.
This week's classes are powerful practices that energize you and leave you feeling fired up and ready to conquer the world. If you've been bogged down, feeling dull, or uninspired, this week's classes will reconnect you with your inner flame.
Devotion Intensive IV: Smoking Camels - Mark Morford (New!)
Empower Yourself Vinyasa - Claire Petretti Marti (New!)
Element Yoga: Fire - Denelle Numis (New!)
Energy Flow - Tyrone Beverly (New!)
As you know, I love gardening and friends gave me two chili plants for my birthday this year. One of them is the habanero, and I don’t even know what the other is, but it has fruits very similar to the habanero. Surprisingly it turns out that they are both super spicy – so spicy that I ended up cooking 15 times more hot sauce than I intended as the batch started with was so super spicy, I was not able to eat more than a drop. And I love spice! So now my fridge is basically filled with hot sauce and not much of anything else fits in there anymore. I guess my future is spicy. And if somebody invites me to a birthday party, you better believe that the gift is going to be in a nice bottle of hot sauce.
For you, I calculated the more reasonable amounts as nobody needs a ton of hot sauce. Of course, when adding habaneros make sure you know your spice tolerance. I assume nobody starts cooking hot sauce if they don’t like spice, but still – there is a difference between spicy and spicy, so maybe start with 3 chilies. And if it turns out too spicy be like me – add more mangoes and more vinegar, bring to a boil and blend again. I ended up going grocery shopping for more mangoes and apple cider vinegar 3 times. And I am not even exaggerating.
Once you are done with the sauce, bottle it up in clean jars and it will keep in the fridge for at least a few months as it contains a lot of vinegar. The sauce is delicious on pizza and sandwiches, mixed with Greek-style yogurt for a quick dip and everywhere else that needs a little spice.
Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
Cooking time: 20 minutes
3-4 yellow habanero chilies
2 large ripe mangoes, diced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
1-2 tbsp coconut sugar
Instructions:
1. Chop the habaneros. Large junks are okay as we are blending them later anyway.
2. Place the chili in the pan with vinegar and salt, and let simmer on low for 10 minutes.
3. Add mango cubes and simmer for 10 more minutes under the lid. Mix in 1 tbsp of coconut sugar.
4. Place into the blender and blend until smooth. Have a taste, and add more sugar if you feel like it.
5. Bottle up and drizzle on everything that needs a little kick.
Kadri is a food blogger and yoga teacher from Estonia. She loves to spend time in the kitchen, but most of her recipes are simple and don’t take more than 20 minutes of active cooking time. She thinks that everybody can find time to cook healthy food at home, it is just a question of planning. "I work in an office full time, teach yoga 7-8 hours a week and write a blog. So if I manage to cook most of my meals, then so do you!" Connect with Kadri and enjoy many more of her delicious healthy recipes on her website here: www.kahvliga.ee.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a seminal text on yoga, states that “when the breath wanders the mind is unsteady. But, when the breath is calmed, the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.”
The practice of controlling or extending your breath is called Pranayama, one of the eight limbs of yoga. In Sanskrit, the word Pranayama consists of “prana” and “ayama”. “Ayama” means to stretch or extend, and “yama” means to regulate and direct. Prana is life force or energy that consists of the three gunas, or nature’s building blocks.
The three gunas are:
Sattva: is luminous, balanced and refined energy––what we’re seeking to become.
Rajas: is the activating, dynamic force that propels movement.
Tamas: is heaviness or the inert, dark, stagnant quality of nature
By learning to control the flow of prana within us, we can change how we feel and how well energy flows through our bodies. Regardless of the conditions outside of ourselves, we can harness the gunas to create sattva or balance within us.
Different pranayama techniques enable us to control heart rate and blood pressure. If you’re feeling anxious or stressed out, your breath comes in shallow, short bursts which tax your system. Changing your breathing to extend your inhales and/or exhales can aid you in tapping into your parasympathetic nervous system, or relaxation response.
If you’re feeling weighed down physically, mentally, or emotionally, switching up your breath patterns can energize and wake you up. Kapalabhati pranayama or “Skull Cleansing” Breath utilizes rapid forceful nostril exhales to energize the entire body and clear the mind. It’s a great antidote to lethargy.
You’re probably familiar with Ujjayi pranayama, which is an even paced nostril breathing with a slight constriction in the back of your throat. Ujjayi is a warming breath and translates to “Victorious Breath.” If you need to cool down, Sitali pranayama is a cooling breath which entails breathing in through the mouth with your tongue curved and exhaling through the nose. Changing the way you breathe changes the way you feel!
Many of the respected teachers who helped bring yoga to the West, like B.K.S. Iyengar, believed pranayama was more advanced than asana and that students should master the physical postures prior to attempting pranayama techniques. Others, like Pattabhi Jois, believed in teaching asana and pranayama at the same time. Yoga relies on mindful breathing and pranayama is a vital part of the practice no matter when you choose to learn more about it. Ready to dive deeper? We’ve got an upcoming all-levels Pranayama Immersion program with you a wide variety of short, simple, and powerful pranayama practices. If you’re ready to go deeper, check it out!
When you think of yoga, you probably think of exercise, relaxation, and stress relief. These are all good reasons to practice yoga, but there’s another benefit. Yoga can also do wonders for your immune system.
So, how does yoga help, and what techniques can you use to bring balance to your system? Let’s talk about the science behind your immune health, and seven powerful yoga poses for boosting your immunity.
Yoga Reduces Stress
When you’re under stress, the effects aren’t restricted to your mental health. Your physical health also suffers. To date, there are more than 300 peer-reviewed studies that show that prolonged stress reduces your immunity.
When this happens, your body isn’t able to fight off viruses and bacteria the way it normally can. If you’re constantly getting sick, it could be because of stress! Yoga reduces stress systemically, limiting its impact on your immune health.
Yoga Reduces Inflammation
According to a study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, yoga reduces inflammation. In the study, researchers performed 15 separate trials with an average sample size of 70 people. Participants suffered from chronic inflammation and practiced Hatha yoga, which focuses primarily on poses.
The Study
The researchers looked for compounds called cytokines, which trigger inflammation in the body. They also looked for C-reactive protein and antibodies, both of which indicate that there is inflammation. Participants who practiced yoga saw all of those markers go down. In one trial, scientists even found changes at the genomic level. Proteins in the cells that are critical for producing cytokines went down, literally reducing the body’s ability to create inflammation.
How Long Does Yoga Take to Work?
One thing the studies weren’t clear on was how long it takes to achieve anti-inflammatory effects. The studies were all over the map, lasting anywhere from eight to twelve weeks, with participants practicing yoga between once a week and once a day. The length of the sessions were even different – ranging from 30 to 90 minutes. But if you make yoga a regular habit, you’re bound to see some benefits.
Yoga is Exercise – And Exercise is Good for Immunity
Yoga isn’t just about mindfulness and relaxation. Depending on the intensity of your routine, it can also be a form of moderate exercise. And moderate exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of illness.* That’s because it stimulates all your body’s systems, including the immune system and nervous system.
Other Benefits of Exercise
According to the CDC, exercise has the following short- and long-term benefits:
· Improved sleep
· Reduced anxiety
· Lower blood pressure
· Reduced risk of stroke or heart attack
· Better bone health
· Weight loss
· Reduced risk of some kinds of cancer
· Improved coordination
· Reduced risk of nervous system disorders like depression and dementia
Once again, this only works if you’re exercising on a consistent basis. If you’re having trouble sticking to your yoga routine, a wellness app might help.
Other Ways to Boost Your Immunity
Your immune system is important. It’s what keeps you from getting sick! So when it comes to boosting your immune function, it’s best to take a multi-pronged approach. Here are some other ways to kick your immune system into high gear:
· Get plenty of sleep
· Avoid processed foods
· Hydrate regularly
· Exercise daily
· Limit your alcohol intake
· Practice grounding
Six Immune-Boosting Yoga Poses: Now that we know why yoga is good for your immune health, let’s talk about some specific techniques you can try. Here are six yoga poses – and one breathing technique – to boost immunity this cold and flu season.
Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)
To perform the tree pose, stand on one leg, and lift the other leg to the lotus position, with your hands clasped above your head. Focus your eyes forwards, and hold the position for a few seconds. Return your raised leg to the ground, and repeat the process with the other leg. Do this as many times as you like.
The tree pose is designed to bring a sense of balance. As you balance your body, you also balance your mind. It’s designed to strengthen your legs, feet, and ankles, as well as loosen your hips. It’s great for focus, as well as for general well-being. It’s also relatively easy, although you should avoid it if you have vertigo.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
To perform the cobra pose, lie flat on your stomach, with your elbows out and your hands palm-down next to your chest like you’re about to do a pushup. Lift your head, neck and shoulders, but keep your chest on the floor as you inhale a full breath. Then do a half pushup, keeping your thighs on the ground and arching your back as much as possible. Hold the position for five seconds, then slowly lay back down.
This pose strengthens and stretches the muscles in your back, buttocks, chest, core, and shoulders. It also improves blood circulation and increases your lung capacity. Many people use this yoga pose because they have asthma, but you shouldn’t try it in the middle of an attack. Wait till you feel better and do it then.
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
The seated forward bend starts in the dandasana, which is a basic staff pose. This is one of the standard starting yoga poses, where you sit with your legs outstretched and your back straight. Put a strap around your feet, then stretch out and grab them with your hands. Your knees should be slightly bent. Now inhale, and stretch your arms to the side. Then stretch for the sky and keep your back straight.
Exhale, and fold your whole body forward at the hips. Grab your feet, and bring your face close to your knees. Continue breathing, and try to lean further in as you exhale.
The seated forward bend is helpful for high blood pressure, diabetes, and general stress. It stretches the upper body and trunk, and can even alleviate anxiety.
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
If you practice yoga, you’ll already be familiar with downward-facing dog. This is the yoga pose many people return to when they need to regain a feeling of calm. With your head down, you get a quick rush of blood and energy which can help you focus your mind.
This pose stretches your hamstrings, and provides a near-instant mood boost. Not only that, but it can help clear your sinuses. If you’re feeling congested, it’s a great way to get some relief.
Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
Legs up the wall is exactly what it sounds like. Facing your wall, sit down on the floor. Then lay on your side, and roll onto your back while lifting your legs up against the wall. Keep your feet hip-width apart, and slowly scoot your butt toward the wall. It doesn’t have to touch, but it should get as close as possible.
Now lay your alms flat with your palms facing upwards. Then relax all your muscles. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing, and lie there for at least 10 minutes.
This pose is helpful for everything from general anxiety to examination stress. It also makes good meditation practice.
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Anulom Vilom Pranayama)
Start by sitting cross-legged, as you often do in yoga practice. Put your hands on your knees, and close your eyes. Put your right thumb over your right nostril, and take a deep breath through your left nostril for a count of four. Put your left thumb over your left nostril, and hold both nostrils shut for a count of two. Then reverse the process and breathe through your right nostril, re-block the left, and so on. Do this for five minutes.
Alternate nostril breathing boosts your cardiovascular health as well as your immune system. It also helps reduce your stress hormones.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, consistent yoga practice is a great way to keep your immune system healthy. You just have to be consistent, whether that means working with a trained yoga teacher or doing your favorite yoga poses at home. The health benefits are undeniable!
By Dawn Chambers
Dawn Chambers, PT, DPT is a private practice physical therapist and wellness blogger. She is passionate about women's health and wellness and a self-proclaimed "outdoorsy girly girl". When she is not working, you can find her playing tennis, hiking, playing golf, and practicing self-care.
Meet my new obsession – the acai (pronounced “ah-sigh-ee”) bowl.
As you probably know by now, I’m a HUGE advocate of the green smoothie! I especially praise them as the breakfast of champions for their unwavering ability to deliver a ton of nutritional punch into the first meal of the day.
They also keep your digestive system from having to do a ton of work first thing in the morning, essentially allowing the digestive tract more time to rest. More rest means more efficiency, which translates to more of the gunk coming out of the backend.
Back to my new obsession.
The acai bowl recently caught my attention because it answers the conundrum we’re sometimes faced with when people on our cleanse tell us that they just don’t get down with drinking their breakfast. The acai bowl is the perfect solution because it’s chock full of all the stuff like a green smoothie but can be enjoyed in a more traditional meal sense with utensils and all.
In case you haven’t heard of acai yet here’s the skinny – Acai is a berry that comes from the Amazon rainforest of Brazil and is considered a superfood known for antioxidants, omega fatty acids, protein, fiber and amino acids.
All this from one little berry! Can I get an Amen?
Besides the fact that the flavor in this recipe is to-live-for, I’m over the moon for the endless acai bowl possibilities. Not to mention the other big bonus is that kids love these things. They’re sweet, fun to eat (translate messy!), and a great way to get superfoods into our kiddos’ bodies on a regular basis.
Check out the recipe and let me know what you think in the comment section below. What kind of acai bowl do you want to try next? You know I’m thinking a green one!
With love and acai berries,
Jo & Jules
Acai Chia Breakfast Bowl
Yields: 2 servings
Ingredients for Bowl:
¼ to ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk 2 frozen packets of unsweetened acai berry (I use Amafruit) 2 ripe and frozen bananas 1 TB. chia seeds, soaked in water for at least 15 minutes
Ingredients for Toppings:
1 banana, sliced ½ cup raspberries 1 mango, chopped
Directions:
Place ¼ cup of coconut milk in a high-speed blender with acai berry packets, bananas and chia seeds. Blend on high until creamy to make bowl base. Add more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency. Transfer to a bowl and top with banana, raspberries and mango or any of your favorite fruit medley.
Jo Schaalman and Jules Peláez are co-authors of two books 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 and their brand new The Conscious Cleanse Cookbook! Together they’ve led 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.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” - Corrie Ten Boom, Clippings from My Notebook
Did you realize that fear exists only in the future, not in the present moment? Maybe you’re scared to attempt your first handstand or fear what might happen when your rollercoaster car teeters at the the peak above an enormous hill right before it drops. Perspiration pops up on the back of your neck, butterflies flit around in your belly, your pulse kicks in your veins in the seconds before you do something that scares you. But, when you’re balancing on your hands or screaming and laughing on the ride, you are not afraid. You’re simply experiencing.
Worrying about the future won’t change it. According to Yoga Sutra II:16, Heyam duhkham-anagatam, the suffering not yet come must be overcome. Or in other words, anticipate the mistake and prevent it. We cannot control external events, we can only work on becoming as strong, calm, and happy as possible today.
Stressing about falling out of that challenging posture won’t help you remain steady. When you spend today anticipating something negative that might occur tomorrow, you sap the joy from today. Yoga reminds us to focus on navigating the now, filtering out repetitive thoughts, and learning to accept the present moment.
As humans, we struggle to release regret for the past. All those unprocessed emotions sit in our tissues and manifest as tightness and pain. Part of our yoga practice is designed to release what no longer serves us. When we create space in our bodies, we’re able to let go of past trauma and pain. Think back to the last time you held pigeon pose for a few minutes––didn’t your heart feel lighter?
Sitting with our emotions while we breathe and move on the mat empowers us to let go of our worries. Expand your emotions creating a stronger more supple body, a clearer mind, and a softer heart. Then, when tomorrow comes, you are better equipped to handle whatever happens. Check out these great classes and see how optimistic you feel!
Elizabeth "EJ" Brumfield - Unworry: Yin & Sound Healing
Alanna Kaivalya - The Gratitude Meditation Practice
Maria Garre - Beat the Winter Blues Namaskara
Worrying happens to the best of us. We all will endure stresses in our lives, whether it's through work, our personal lives, our relationships, or even just irrational intrusive thoughts. This worry can get into our brains and can make our day-to-day lives and daily tasks that little bit harder. It would be great if there was some kind of off switch we can press to turn off these worries, but stopping or reducing worry is a little bit harder than that. However, there are habits that you can bring into your day-to-day life that can help your worries to slip away, freeing you to focus on the positive and productive things in life.
Set Yourself Worry Time
So, setting time aside especially to worry might seem counterproductive to reduce worry. But, if you know you’re already going to worry about something, instead of letting the worry take over your thoughts, if you set a specific ‘worry time’ you can start to take control over your worries. Find a time convenient for you where you can word to your heart's content. This can help to free up your mind during the rest of your day, and you might find when you focus on your worries for a limited time, you find yourself working to find solutions to the things you are worried about.
Write Down Your Worries
Most of us don't just have one worry, we have a few, or groups of worries. Sometimes once we start worrying about one thing, lots of other thoughts and worries start popping into your head. If you write them down on a list - and on paper or digitally, not just in your head, you can reduce your worries. It will force you to confront exactly what you are worried about, and once they are written down, you might see that they seem smaller than when they were bouncing around in your brain.
Keep Busy
Spending too much time worrying and thinking about things? A simple way to reduce this is to keep yourself busy! It might be obvious, but if you force yourself to do something while you're feeling worried, it can help those worries to float away. Try to occupy your body AND your mind, with something that requires focus, like working out, a yoga practice, or your favourite hobby. When you find the right task you’ll notice your worries go away in moments.
Stay Social
In a similar vein, if you occupy yourself by talking to friends or family, it can help your worries to feel smaller. Chatting triggers the language and emotional components of your brain - which forces you to focus on the conversation rather than going inwards and thinking about your worry. Keep it interesting for a few minutes, and you’ll find yourself focused on the conversation and not your worries.
Meditation
Meditation works best when you’re feeling moments of calm. So when you aren’t feeling worried, find a moment or two to clear your mind and practice meditation. If you try to not think of anything, and if you do, acknowledge the thoughts and let them go. Mindfulness is hard to achieve, but if you keep practicing you'll be able to enter this state of mind easily - even when you’re feeling stressed and worried.
Work Out
There are so many benefits both mentally and physically that exercise provides. Working out releases the happy chemical serotonin, and also helps to reduce overall stress - making you feel better throughout the day. Working out can also help to reduce anxiety, which will help you worry less overall. Try working out in the morning, so you worry less throughout the day, or go for a quick walk or jog when you feel worries creeping up on you throughout the day.
Disconnect
We’ve never been easier to contact with the internet and mobile phones. But this constant communication can be a huge source of anxiety and worry, without us even realizing it. Our phones constantly buzzing with emails, texts, calls, and social media can cause worry, as well as using our devices to check the news, social media, and events. It can be easy to let these forms of communication interfere with your thoughts. When you can - disconnect. Turn off your phone and disconnect from the internet for a while, to help you switch off from the outside world.
Get Enough Rest
Sleep deprivation is extremely detrimental to our health. It can actually cause anxiety disorders in people. So if you already struggle from worry, a lack of sleep can make it worse. If you don’t get enough sleep, the brain regions that are associated with worrying get activated. So make sure you get rest when you need it!
Clean
Keeping a clean and tidy living space can help to reduce anxiety. Did you know that clutter can cause anxiety? A tidy home means we have a soothing safe space to retire to. And the actual act of cleaning can reduce worry - this is because it can be a meditative act, keeping us present and giving us something to focus on.
Consider Supplements
Some supplements can have benefits for stress and worry. Daily multivitamins can help to address any nutritional deficits that will improve your health overall. Other supplements to consider are Melatonin; which can help to regulate your sleep patterns to help reduce stress. L-theanine has been proven to reduce stress and promote relaxation. Finally, B vitamins can help to reduce stress and improve mood.
I call these "habits" for a reason; while some of them can work in random, one-off instances, the majority of them gain power when you use them regularly as an evasion tactic for worrying thoughts. Don't be frustrated or disheartened if you're still affected by worries after using one--instead, try a different strategy and work to integrate both as institutions in your life for a healthier, freer mind.
Every summer I organize a few yoga brunches, where I host my friends with a fun yoga class at first and then feed them. These corn pancakes were a part of the brunch table last time and they were a hit. The yoga class part was a fun one too as after around 60 minutes of the class that was planned to be 75 minutes it started pouring, so we needed to cut the savasana (something I have never done before), and instead of enjoying a picnic ate in my living room. Luckily there is nothing that a nice brunch table doesn’t fix, so no harm done. But I still don’t recommend cutting savasana!
The fritters are super moist thanks to the fresh corn, crispy (stay crispy too, for a relatively long time), and flavorful from the onion, chili, and coriander. They work wonderfully as part of a brunch table spread, but if you wish you can also serve them as a fancy appetizer plated up on a pretty plate with avocado puree and pico de gallo. Whenever possible, try to use fresh corn. If you can not find fresh corn, use the frozen one, but make sure to thaw it first and discard all the water.
Crispy Corn Pancakes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
4 cups of fresh corn kernels (if you can’t find fresh, substitute with frozen and thawed)
5-6 sprigs of spring onions
1-2 red chilies (depending on the type and hotness you like)
Small bunch of fresh coriander
1 cup rice flour
½ cup corn flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
Up to 1 ½ cups water (you might need less)
Rapeseed oil, for frying
Chop the spring onions, chilies, and coriander finely.
Mix the chopped vegetables, corn, flours, and seasoning.
Start by adding 1 cup of water and mix well. The batter needs to be similar to sour cream, so if you feel that you need more water, add it a tiny bit more and mix again.
Heat a drop of oil on a frying pan and start by frying off 1 tbsp of your mixture. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side. Have a taste and add in more seasoning, if you wish.
Then fry the rest of the dough mixing well before each time you spoon the dough onto a pan.
Enjoy warm, if possible (but they are nice while cooled too)
Aparigraha is about non-attachment. This is not a vow to live in poverty, but more of an invitation to be satisfied with what you have and avoid excess and perpetual dissatisfaction. There is abundance in the spirit of Aparigraha. A person with a lot of money who steals from others and is constantly worried about not having enough is not really rich in the truest sense of the word.
Yoga teaches us that our greatest satisfaction comes from within. In many modern societies, there is tremendous emphasis on acquiring more and more trappings of excess materialism. Having nice things and living comfortably is wonderful, and Aparigraha isn’t about denying ourselves the nice things in life - but about not becoming greedy.
On the yoga mat, this non-attachment shows up in how we treat the practice. If you’re striving to be better than the person on the mat next to you, you’ve likely lost sight of why you love yoga and why you came to practice in the first place. It’s about going inwards and connecting deeply to yourself.
Here are yoga classes that inspire the spirit of Aparigraha!
Everyday Yamas: Aparigraha with Kristin Gibowicz
Awaken Your Generous Spirit with Elise Fabricant
Guidelines for a Balanced Life: Arm Balancing with Les Leventhal
Do you love celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones? Marking important occasions with rituals and celebrations is a great way to express gratitude for what’s meaningful in your life. This week, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating 16 years of YogaDownload! We appreciate our global community of yogis, that would be you by the way, and wouldn’t be here today without your consistency and dedication to yoga.
One of the ways we’ve distinguished ourselves over the years is by consistently bringing you fresh content every week. As part of our celebration, we are featuring throw-back classes from some long-time YogaDownload teachers who have been with us from the beginning and are still creating new practices for you. The teachers you love and appreciate return to the studio over and over because of you.
Our founder, Jamie Kent, started with the premise of making yoga accessible to people who couldn’t make it to the studio for various reasons––physical, financial, or temporal. YogaDownload offers tons of classes (almost 2,000!) in various lengths and styles to accommodate your schedule and your individual needs. Whether you are a beginner, an advanced yogi, someone needing yoga for cancer recovery, or you need to manage back pain, we’ve got classes for you. Over the years, our offerings have expanded from classes to meditations, pranayama, workshops, challenges, and programs from your favorite teachers.
Anniversaries are a time to check in and review all you’ve accomplished, celebrate where you are now, and look forward with anticipation at what’s on the horizon. Take a few moments to see what’s available on the site today and explore all the workshops, specialty programs, take a few classic classes and try a new teacher …all you need to do is press play!
Remember you can practice yoga 24 hours a day with a myriad of choices in style, length, and instructors. Yoga gives you the opportunity to take care of yourself, body, mind, and spirit. Thank you so much for being here: we wouldn’t exist without you!
Dawnelle Arthur - Age Defy: HIIT & Yoga Sculpt
Kylie Larson - Tittibasana Flow: Balance and Fly
Jackie Casal Mahrou - Warming Heart Flow
All cocktails don't need to be served cold and all tea does not need to be just tea. So you are free to decide if you wish to call this drink a warm cocktail or next-level tea, it is delicious either way.
Truth be told, I usually don't like adding anything that contains calories to my drinks. Alcoholic beverages are an exception, but I never drink milk, juice, or lemonade if I am thirsty, and I never add any sweeteners to my hot beverages. But I needed to create a hot cocktail for an event and just serving tea did not cut it, so I experimented a little and am super happy with the result.
Rooibos has a nice warmness to its taste, and mango with passionfruit complements it well. At the same time, Aperol, which is a super nice summer drink with sparkling wine, gives it slightly bitter notes and it all balances out to my liking. It is not going to be my go-to drink while reading a book late in the evening, but I am definitely serving it as an aperitif at my next autumn dinner party!
Hot Tropical Rooibos Tea Cocktail
Cooking time: 5 minutes
½ oz Monin passionfruit syrup
½ oz mango puree
½ oz fresh lemon juice
1 ½ oz Aperol (or Lyre’s non-alco Italian Spritz that tastes exactly like Aperol)
Rooibos tea
Orange peel, star anise, and pink peppercorns to garnish
Mix the passionfruit syrup, mango puree, lemon juice, and Aperol in a mug.
Top with previously prepared hot rooibos tea.
Garnish and enjoy.
I’ve had Thai food on my mind lately since the weather is cooling off and Thai food adds some extra heat when it’s cold outside. I find the deep flavors in Thai dishes to be so comforting and grounding.
I spent time several years ago playing around with Thai-inspired recipes in anticipation of my honeymoon adventures in Thailand. I wanted to create some healthy crave-worthy recipes full of those refreshing, sweet, and zesty flavors.
This delicious Spicy Thai Salad was one of the recipes I made over and it’s still one of my go-tos almost 10 years later!
From its crunchy cabbage base to its lime juice-based dressing, this salad has all of the sweet and tangy Thai flavors that we all love. It’s super easy to throw together and will be a crowd-pleaser whether you serve it for a weeknight meal or a larger gathering.
Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments below! We love hearing from you.
With love and lime juice,
Jo and Jules
Spicy Thai Salad
Yields: 4-6 servings
For the dressing:
¼ cup fresh lime juice ⅛ cup sesame oil ⅛ cup olive oil ½-1 tbsp maple syrup ¼ cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours 1 tsp red chili flakes
For the salad:
¼ cup cilantro, chopped ¼ cup mint, chopped ¼ cup scallions ¾ head Napa cabbage, chopped ¼ head red cabbage, chopped ¼ cup carrots, julienned Handful of cashews
Blend lime juice, sesame oil, olive oil, maple syrup, soaked cashews and red chili flakes in a high speed blender. Set dressing aside or place in the refrigerator. Toss cilantro, mint, carrots, plus the Napa and red cabbage in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the salad and sprinkle with remaining cashews. Enjoy!
The art of doing yoga provides many benefits for the human body, from improving our flexibility and strength to how we relax and breathe. While yoga may not always be easy, it is a good idea to implement yoga into your exercise routine every week. Doing so is especially important if you are an athlete because you will learn the skills necessary to be stronger and perform better so you can master your craft.
Let’s talk about the importance of yoga for various types of athletes and how it can improve your performance.
Yoga For Equestrians
While casual observers might believe that the life of an equestrian is as simple as getting on your horse and enjoying the ride, real experts know how much mental and physical strength plays a part in good horse riding. It takes strong arms, a solid core, great balance, and powerful glutes.
There are many exercises that you can implement, including a plank press that will help you to work your core so you can keep your body straight while on the horse. There is also the tree pose that can improve your balance. Many of these yoga exercises can also help you to destress when you are not riding or during the off-season. Take the time to breathe during every exercise, and you can feel your anxieties melt away.
Yoga For Runners
While runners need to work on their speed and run on different terrains to prepare for a big marathon, they should also practice yoga. One of the biggest benefits of yoga for runners is the chance to stretch their legs, hips, and glutes so that they can run faster and for longer. Just about any yoga pose, from the spine twist to the downward-facing dog, can help with improving your running technique, flexibility, strength, and reduce your chance of injury.
Plus, when you practice yoga and slow down your motions, you get a chance to work on your breathing, which is very important for long marathons when you need to control your oxygen intake.
Yoga For Soccer Players
While yoga also helps soccer players to control their breathing and run faster without pain or discomfort, proper exercise can also help them in other ways. For instance, by performing forearm and sidearm planks, soccer players can keep their core muscles engaged, which also makes it easier to run and turn their entire body around quickly when necessary.
Yoga can also help a soccer player’s flexibility and mobility. By practicing low lunges and the pigeon pose, a player can increase the external rotation of their legs, so they can stay flexible while keeping one leg in place as the other kicks the ball. In general, yoga, like most forms of exercise, gets your heart pumping, and cardiovascular health is essential during a sport where you spend 90 minutes running back and forth.
Yoga For Rock Climbers
Rock climbing may seem like a tough sport, but it really is about light movements and strength training, so anyone who wants to get into rock climbing should consider taking up yoga. Like the others, this sport will require immense core strength, and you can use the exercises we mentioned to help you with that.
In addition, you will need to practice extreme mindfulness and body awareness when it is just you, a rock face, and the potential for danger. When you practice yoga, you get to work through your breathing and feel better overall, and that training could be necessary during your next expedition. Plus, when you keep your body strong, and you work on your flexibility, you are also less likely to be injured during the climb.
Yoga For Basketball Players
To many, basketball may seem as simple as throwing a ball through a hoop, but really, the sport requires constant movement, great balance, and the ability to leap high into the air in order to score a point. Yoga can help with all of that. For instance, by practicing a runner’s lunge several times per week, you can train your body to react more quickly and be lighter on your feet.
Yoga can also help you to play better defense. In order to be quick when trying to shake a blocking opponent, you will need to change direction within a moment of time, and to do that, you can try a standing pose like warrior one, which will have you aligning your feet in such a way that you will loosen your inner and outer hip muscles for faster movements.
Yoga For Football Players
Just like basketball, many positions in football also require the ability for players to turn at a moment's notice and run great distances while keeping their heads on a swivel. By practicing yoga poses like the downward-facing dog, a player can exercise their hamstrings and decompress the tension in the vertebrae. The ability to control breathing is also essential when performing during physically intense plays.
As you can see, yoga can improve performance in just about any sport or athletic event. Consider taking a class or adding yoga to your routine, and you will find that you are that much happier and healthier.
Enjoy YogaDownload's Yoga for Athletes Program!
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” - Oscar Wilde
It’s time to hit the pause button and contemplate how much time you take out of your day to refill your well. How often do you make yourself a priority––your wants, your needs, your desires? And consider whether you feel guilty if you choose yourself first.
We’re not talking about being selfish or narcissistic or self-centered. Often, we’re afraid that if we choose to take an hour to practice yoga or take a nap or fill in the blank here, we’re letting others in our life down. No! Remind yourself that taking care of your own physical, mental, and emotional health should be at the top of your daily list. It is only by loving and caring for ourselves that we can truly show up in the world as our best selves. Look at self-care as a priority.
These days, the culture of “busy” seems to be glorified. But having a busy jam-packed schedule, full of obligations you must handle before doing something you enjoy isn’t living your best life. We’ve only got the present and living it fully, in the now, is really all we’ve got. If you’re burned out and living appointment to appointment, you’re missing out. You’re also not going to feel as strong and powerful as you may need to deal with challenges and crises.
One of the most powerful aspects of yoga is the lesson to be present. To embrace the now. To learn to be fully in your feelings and experience what’s happening. If we’re always running around without stopping to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves, we’ll never find that inner joy and peace. It’s time to embrace the perspective that self-care is necessary!
We’re here with a gentle nudge, especially if you’ve been doing everything else except practicing yoga. This week’s classes are focused on devoting time to your well-being. No matter what else is happening in your life, carving out time to be in your breath and body can be your high point. So go ahead, show up for yourself!
Mark Morford - Devotion Intensive III: Do It On the Floor
Patrick Montgomery - Strength & Devotion
Shapadpreet - Kundalini Yoga Therapeutics: Release and Restore
Your routine in the morning can set the tone for the rest of your day. It’s important to set good habits that you can use to help create a morning routine that will eventually set you up for success.
If you start your day off stressed, and do things like snooze your alarm, skip breakfast and rush yourself to start your day, the rest of your day can seem chaotic and stressful as well. Your morning sets off your day, so when you form healthy morning habits, you’re setting yourself up for success.
Here are 10 simple habits that you can add to your morning routine, to help you feel, act and think your best for the rest of the day ahead.
Don’t look at your phone right away
A bad habit many of us have is to check our smartphones as soon as we wake up in the mornings - but you could be doing yourself a massive disservice. Doing this first thing sets your mind to a reactive state, rather than a proactive one, and can cause you to feel stressed and defensive for the rest of the day. Try to stay away from technology for at least an hour each morning, to give yourself a positive focus.
Drinking water
Drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up can hugely help to hydrate your body. Adding lemon or drinking a warm glass can also really help to remove toxins from your body that can build up overnight - as well as stimulate your metabolism and digestion.
Positive thinking
Before you even get out of bed - try to think some positive thoughts, smile and be grateful for the good things in your life. Smiling can help to release dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins that can help you to feel good and can lift your mood - as well as lower your heart rate and relax your body. And practicing gratitude can also reduce stress hormones and improve your mood.
Get up and make your bed
Some of the most successful people in the world say that getting up and making their bed first thing is one of their morning habits. Even if you think it’s silly or unnecessary, such a simple action can help you to feel more put together and accomplished. Simple tasks like this that you can take charge of will help you to feel more able to take on more throughout the day.
Meditation and mindfulness can help to ground you first thing in the morning and help to regulate your mind and emotions, which helps to influence how you react to challenges and things throughout your day. During this time you can also set intentions for the day, to help you feel accomplished and help to steer the decisions you make.
Move your body
A walk, a yoga routine, or a full-on workout - starting your day by moving your body can help to energize your body and your mind. Think about what kind of exercise motivates you, and schedule it into your mornings. It won’t need to be complicated, or long or hard, but any kind of physical activity in the morning will help to get your blood flowing and quiet any distracting thoughts in your mind.
Do something nice for yourself
Simple self-care acts, like taking time to put effort into your appearance each day will help you to feel confident. Get up and shower, wash your face and do your skincare routine, pick out a nice outfit - or anything else that makes you feel more confident and put together.
Eat a good breakfast
Yes, we all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is because when you take the time to eat a healthy and nutritious breakfast, you have more energy throughout your day and a greater ability to focus and concentrate.
Write down a to-do list for the day
A daily to-do list can really help you to prioritize the things you need to do for the day, and help you to tackle the really important things first. Writing these do-tos down instead of keeping them in your head can help you to really focus and cut out distractions - as well as giving you a satisfying sense of accomplishment when you finally tick things off your list!
Get enough sleep
Okay, so this technically might not be a morning habit, but if you have a well-rested body and mind, you’re more likely to stick to your healthy morning habits. Your waking self is very reliant on how much sleep you have managed to get- if you’re feeling down and exhausted in the day, you’re probably not getting enough sleep. Sleep plays a huge role in our mental well-being as well as physical - and sleep deficiency can have very bad effects on your health.
If you want to experience your best day possible each and every day, choose to begin your morning with yoga. Unrolling your yoga mat in the morning empowers you to create and maintain a positive mindset regardless of what your schedule entails. Root canal at the dentist? No problem. Annual review with your evil boss? Those “helpful” comments will roll right off your back.
One of the greatest benefits of a regular yoga practice is that it helps us pause before reacting to external stimuli. We don’t have control over many external events, but we can learn control over how we handle challenging situations. You’ll have a powerful foundation for the day to be your strongest, most positive self and avoid being drawn into drama caused by snap reactions. Practicing yoga in the morning clears your mind, soothes your emotions, and warms and opens your body.
On the physical level, morning yoga boosts your energy levels and strengthens your muscles and bones. Practicing first thing in the morning boosts digestion and circulation, which enhances your immune system. Twists and forward folds massage your internal organs, releasing stagnant energy that may have accumulated overnight. Maybe you’ll feel so light and energized you’ll be able to minimize or eliminate caffeine if that’s something you rely on to be alert.
You also ensure you get your yoga in before the day gets away from you or other obligations arise. We cannot show up fully for others in our life, be it professionally or personally unless we are taking care of ourselves first. Look at stepping onto your mat first thing as your act of self-care and a way to fill your own well. By practicing yoga in the morning, you ensure you won’t miss the chance to be your strongest, most balanced self all day long.
Go ahead and set your alarm and see for yourself how great you feel! This week’s classes are designed for an early practice and will have you feeling open, inspired, and ready for a fantastic day.
Jackie Casal Mahrou - Beginner Sunrise Yoga: Stretch & Renew
Keith Allen - Wake Up Slowly 3: Rise & Shine
Robert Sidoti - Start Your Day Right
Pradeep Teotia - Wake Up & Flow
21-Day Yoga Challenge: Nurture & Nourish: Challenge starts October 17th
We’ve heard the term “self-care” bandied about a lot lately. Have you ever wondered what that means, exactly? We’re often so busy taking care of others in our lives from partners, pets, co-workers, and everyone we encounter, we don’t leave enough fuel in the tank to take care of ourselves. Are you as kind to yourself as you are to the person you love most?
Most of us aren’t. But it’s vital to love and care for yourself so you’re at your strongest, happiest, and most resilient. Self-care can take many forms, like ensuring your get a good night’s sleep every night, eating a balanced diet, spending time with friends and loved ones, spending time in nature, making sure you have plenty of play time and aren’t logging excessive hours at work.
Take a moment to consider what depletes you or makes you anxious. Stress is a very individual factor so take the time to be mindful about your triggers. Many rituals and pastimes can nurture and nourish you––there’s no one-size fits all recipe.
Grab a journal or piece of paper and write down five things that make you happy, no matter what. Your best friend? A walk through the woods? A good book? Dancing? Fill in the blank. Once you’ve accumulated a list, pick one thing and do it now! Even if that means dancing around your living room in your pajamas with only your cat watching. Then plan time in your week to do something just for you! You’ll feel happier and stronger and be able to show up for everyone in your life at your best.
Yoga and mindful movement have an incredible power to nurture your body, your mind, and your heart. There’s a style for every body, every mood, and every day. If you need to boost your energy, choose a vigorous fun Vinyasa or fusion class. If you need to soothe your nerves and even your soul, choose a gentle practice like Yin or restorative yoga. Meditation and Pranayama (breath work)
Because it’s so easy to put yourself last on your list of priorities, we’re here to help you commit to feeling your best. On October 17th, we’ve got a Nurture and Nourish 21-Day challenge with a wide variety of yoga classes to help you feel awesome! Choose to carve out time each day to be your brightest, shiniest self. You’re worth it!
Let me introduce you to the easiest and most flavorful salad ever. This Asian-inspired salad comes together super quick and smacks you in the face with the flavor. I love the funkiness of fish sauce and probably you already know that I do love spicy food. Sadly for my vegan and vegetarian friends, I haven’t figured out a perfect substitute for fish sauce in this recipe, so my best bet is for you to just omit fish sauce and season with salt instead, but it will miss out on some flavor. Sorry! But for the rest of you – make this salad right now! Especially if you are in the middle of zucchini season. It is super light but bursting with flavor. For me, a big bowl of this on a hot summer day is a perfect light lunch. The peanuts give it a nice crunch and some plant protein. If you need more protein, it works well with fried tofu, prawns, or simply steamed white fish too.
As I am writing this post for you now, it is pouring outside, and the super nice and sunny 85F summer weather that we had just 2 weeks ago has been replaced with rain and 50F, so I am missing the summer weather already. Luckily I still have zucchini so at least I can still enjoy summer on my plate!
Zucchini Ribbon Salad
Serves: 1
Cooking time: 10 min
1 young fresh zucchini (I used yellow, but all colors are ok)
2 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp salted peanuts
A small handful of Thai basil
1 tbsp fish sauce
½ tsp palm sugar
The juice from 1 lime
1 small birds eye chili (use less or omit if you don’t like spice)
Using the vegetable peeler cut the zucchini into thin ribbons. In case your zucchini has large seeds inside, don’t use this part for the salad (it is still ok to use for a soup or stew).
Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.
Mix the fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, and finely chopped chili until the sugar has dissolved.
Mix the vegetables with the sauce, add in Thai basil, top with peanuts and enjoy.