Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Ok world, I’ve done it! No drinking for a month. It actually wasn’t very hard. I still went out and just had soda water. I wasn’t a hermit. I still had fun with friends. I also realize that I prefer a balance of this yogic lifestyle and also living and enjoying this physical and by nature material world. I’m right in the middle of Dharma Mittra’s 500Hr Teacher Training. If I thought not drinking would be a challange...well, let’s just say I didn’t really know what I signed up for. No coffee, no caffeine, no eating before noon, no eating after 6pm, 45 minutes of breathwork and meditation daily, 1 hr of practice daily, no salt, no tree nuts, no coconut, basically no fun. Kidding! Kind of.

"Extremes are easy, strive for balance." ~ Colin Wright

I was recently hanging out with some old friends and mentioned that I’m living a nearly refined-sugar free life. (I say nearly because I believe in balance and, on occasion, sharing a chocolate croissant with my family is worth it.) They gasped. While I’ve always attempted a clean diet, it was shocking for them to imagine their former fro-yo lovin’ friend off of sugar. I chalk it up to one of the things that a breast cancer diagnosis did for me – scared me straight off the sugar crack.

This soothing toddy will warm your bones as we transition from long summer days to the fall and winter months. The ginger lends a spicy kick, turmeric brings in an earthy quality along with an array of health benefits, the honey soothes the throat, and lemon balances it all out. You can make the turmeric honey paste ahead of time and keep it on your counter so that you can whip up this delicious toddy in just a couple of minutes.

Summer is winding down and as the season starts to shift, it’s a perfect time to integrate some more calming practices to not only beat the last hot days of summer, but also to remind ourselves how important it is to chill out in our busy, high-tech world. Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, offers advice on how we can acclimate to the heat and balance it out through both diet and our asana, pranayama and meditation practices. When we align ourselves with nature, we learn to live in balance no matter what’s happening externally or internally. Without launching a dissertation on Ayurvedic principles, we’ll give you the quick basics on how Pitta energy can be exacerbated in the summer and provide some practices that will help you stay calm, cool, and collected no matter how steamy it gets.

About a year ago I shared an article about the Ayurvedic perspective on circadian rhythm. In it, I shared how different times in the day have different qualities associated with them, thus making certain times more appropriate for specific activities.

Ever wondered what the difference is between a yin class and a restorative class? Or maybe you even wonder what this yin yoga is in the first place! Yin yoga is a relatively new “form” of yoga that has become popular in the past decade or so. While the practice itself has always existed, the practice as it’s offered today in studios across the world has evolved. Today I’d like to offer you my perspective on the yin practice and give you a little experience.

Thank Goddess for this theme! After all the astrological upheaval that began all the way back with Venus Retrograde, followed by a deep dive into the Sun by Venus, followed by a Solar Eclipse, then Mercury in Retrograde, then a Lunar Eclipse, finishing with the finale of Mercury stationing direct, where else can we go but into balance?

As a beginner, among the many confusions of learning yoga, is figuring out your stance for standing poses (meaning Warrior II, Side Angle, Triangle, etc.). How long from the front foot to the back foot? How much width between the heels? What are the angles the feet are turned? Is there an absolute right way? And it’s also highly probable you haven’t given this a second thought and just step your feet apart and do your best to make the shape. Here’s a step by step guide to keep it simple and increase the power of your postures.

If you’re a guy who grew up in America, you most likely competed in sports. It’s part of our upbringing and a large part of who we are as a culture. Sports prepare you for life. They teach work ethic, how to win respectfully and how to lose with dignity and seek redemption. We like to work hard, physically compete and earn our victories. As the yoga trainer for Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union and other professional athletes, I’m inspired to hear them rave about the benefits of yoga on their athletic performance.

Inspired by the wisdom of nature, Ayurveda is the oldest continuously practiced health care system in the world. The word ‘Ayurveda’ comes from ‘Ayus’, meaning life (mind, body, senses and soul) and ‘Veda’ meaning science or knowledge. We can translate Ayurveda as “Science of Life”. According to this science we are all microcosms of the natural macrocosm. The five great elements found in nature are also found in each of us. We are all unique combinations of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.

I always think as the summer’s sun begins to wane and the cooler autumn’s air begins to descend upon us, it means that things are going to slow down, that life is going to calm down and with that, so too will my list of things to do. But year after year, this has not been the case, at least with my life. This year, more so than most, I find myself needing to seek balance more than ever. So, inspired by my teacher‘s invitation, different however from my own, as the heat of the summer moves into the ‘desired’ introspection and cooler air of Fall, my invitation for you is to seek balance between all that is still calling you outward and your body’s need now to begin its’ journeying within; to do not what you feel you have to but to do begin now to do that which truly nourishes and rejuvenates your soul. Not sure how to do this? Feeling a little all over the place? Spread too thin? Not sure where to even begin?