We’ve all heard the phrase - in order to love others, you first of all need to love yourself. And, it’s actually true. It’s so important to show unconditional love to yourself, without that you can’t allow others to truly love you back.
The problem - these days our lifestyles are so focused on achievement and comparing ourselves to others and a motivation to push ourselves constantly to do more. The result of this is that we’re so critical of ourselves these days, and we focus on the things we’ve done wrong or haven’t done rather than our successes and achievements.
So how on earth are we supposed to love ourselves and move from self-criticism to unconditional love? It’s incredibly hard to make this change, and it’s important to not expect a drastic change overnight. Relationships with yourself are the exact same as your relationship with others - it will take time, attention and effort to start to show yourself some love. So take it step by step.
Accepting yourself
If loving yourself sounds too scary, try just accepting yourself. Acceptance is easy. When you notice times where you’d usually critisise or be mean to yourself, start to accept yourself and say ‘its okay!’. This will start to change your thought patterns, not all the way from negative to positive, but to neutral, which is a great first step.
Realize what you’re doing is enough
We always push ourselves to do more, to earn more, to look better or achieve more, and it’s hard to believe that we have value just as we are sometimes. But try to remember that you don’t need to be anything else than you are right now. Every person is enough, and valued, and this doesn’t change throughout our lives.
Kill comparison
Comparison can be the antithesis of self-love. We’re taught from hearty day one to compare ourselves to others, and it’s easy to get sucked into conforming and feeling like you’re not as good as other people. The truth is that you and your own value has nothing to do with other people’s or how you perceive their value!
Stop judging
Judging is just another form of comparison and when we judge others we’re subconsciously judging ourselves. So when you notice yourself start to judge others, try and show some care and compassion instead. When you do this for others, it will be easier for your to do this for yourself also.
Set boundaries with others
All relationships need healthy boundaries. So make sure you’re sticking up for yourself and letting the people around you know what is and isnt okay with you. Saying ‘no’ isn’t a scary thing - it’s how you start to set boundaries.
Appreciate yourself
In order to build a relationship with anymore - even yourself! You need to appreciate them. So take the time to list some qualities that you admire in yourself and show yourself some gratitude for these things.
Make time for yourself
Quality time is really important, even with yourself. Try to think of things that feel good to do and make sure you put the time aside to do them. This could be going to watch a film, exercise, cooking a great meal, practicing yoga, or even reading a book. Whatever it is, make time for yourself.
Trust yourself
It’s important to trust yourself so you look after your best interests. Don’t sacrifice any of your needs for the needs of other people around you. Prioritse yourself, and if needed, enforce your boundaries so you step in and look after yourself when needed.
Be great at communication
Good communication is everything, even with yourself! It’s important to take time to check in with yourself, and be sure to listen to yourself and pay attention to what you want and need. Try to speak to yourself in a loving way, or the way that you would speak to other people.
Be kind!
When we love other people, we forgive their mistakes, and we’re compassionate and supportive when they face challenges, so try to be this way with yourself. Give yourself more understanding and care while you learn to love yourself. Kindness is a great way to show love, so be kind to yourself everyday.
Ultimately, loving yourself takes a lot of time and effort, just like learning to love others in your life. But when you achieve it, there’s a great feeling of unconditional love you’ll never find anywhere else.
By Amy Cavil
“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! Shout loud ‘I am lucky to be what I am.’” – Dr. Seuss
Don’t you love how wisdom can come from just about anywhere and who doesn’t count on Dr. Seuss? One of the most important qualities to cultivate to live our ideal life is self-love. If we cannot look inside ourselves and accept and love our light and our shadow sides, we’ll never truly be happy. Yoga is rooted in learning to reveal, accept, and love who we are. Through consistent practice, we can create patterns of self-acceptance and self-love and shine our brightest. Or shout out “I am lucky to be what I am.”
Take a moment to consider how you talk to yourself. Are you patient, kind, and compassionate? Do you speak to yourself the way you speak to someone you love or admire? Many of us are much more critical and judgmental of ourselves than we are of others. We focus on our flaws and what we’ve done “wrong” instead of being gentle when we make what we feel is a mistake. Over the next few days, pay attention to your inner monologue and if you find you’re being harsh to yourself, see if you can reframe.
Yoga Sutra 2.33-34, “Vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam” translates to cultivating positive thoughts every time a negative thought enters the mind. Applying the wisdom of Patanjali to the concept of self-love helps us shift our perspective to one of full self-acceptance and love. Use your time on the yoga mat to cultivate an attitude of acceptance for who you are in the present moment. Change that inner dialogue full of judgment to one of kindness.
It’s important to take time for yourself each day to refill your own well so you can show up for others in your life as your strongest, most vibrant self. Taking time to practice yoga or meditate or do something you enjoy is an act of self-care. We’re here to help you shift your perspective to view self-care as a necessity and not a luxury. We’ve got a specially curated two-week yoga challenge designed to give you a daily dose of self-love. It’s free for everyone and with three multi-level class choices per day, you’ll easily find one for you!
Take a step toward a more content and joyful life and join us!
Who said that smoothies need to be sweet? I highly recommend giving this one a try. It is also a good way to get in your recommended vegetable portions for a day and you could even blend in some lettuce or spinach leaves to make it extra nutritious.
I always find that smoothies need some kind of a creamy element. In sweet versions, I usually use banana for that. In savory versions, avocado works well, making this smoothie creamy and luscious. As tomato is rather watery, I recommend preparing this smoothie right before enjoying it as otherwise, it will split. If you need to prepare it in advance, make sure you shake it well before drinking!
I always add a ton of hot sauce and pepper, sometimes even a drop of Worcestershire sauce as I enjoy strong flavors and everything spicy, but feel free to start adding only a drop and working up from there. You can always add spice but never take it away.
Bloody Mary Smoothie
Serves: 1
Cooking time: 5 min
Ingredients:
3-4 fresh ripe tomatoes
½ avocado
2 stalks of celery
½ lemons
1 tbsp oregano leaves
Salt and pepper
A few drops of hot sauce if desired
Instructions:
Just throw everything into a blender and whizz away.
Recommendation – start by only adding a few drops of hot sauce – you can always add more if needed.
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 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.
When you think of people who are high-achievers, who are always able to eat healthy, excel at work or school, workout and do everything on time might have some superhuman powers. But while it’s easy to brush this away as something achievable, it is actually all down to habit. And habits can be begun to build in just seven days.
People with good habits rarely resist the need to procrastinate, or eat unhealthy food, or skip their exercise. That is mostly because when autopilot takes over, we eliminate any temptation. When we establish good habits, less willpower is required to make the right choices. Sounds great? Well, building good habits takes effort. However, there are a few science and research-backed ways that help you set up good habits. If you try one of these every day, you should be able to start to build a habit.
Day 1 - Set your specific goals
The way you define your goals and the habits you want to form matter. If you set yourselves abstract and vague goals, it’ll be harder to form habits out of them. Being more specific about what you aim to do and how often will help you to form habits. Sit down and think about what you want to achieve, and try smaller, specific goals in line with the habits you want to form
Day 2 - Create a plan
Now you have a goal, create a plan to get there. Think about what will push you to follow through. You’ll make more progress towards your goal if you do not just decide what you will do to meet it, but also how and when you’ll be motivated to do it, and also where and how you’ll do it. Be specific in your plan as to where and when you’re going to put in the work, and you’re much more likely to create habits. This is because it reduces the chance you’ll forget to follow through - if you put it in your calendar or diary you’re even more likely to stick to it. If you anticipate and maneuver around any potential blockers, this will also help.
Day 3 - Find ways to make it fun
When you set out to build a habit, it’s going to be really easy to overestimate your willpower and you might try and get there the quickest and most efficient way. Today, try to think of ways you can make your goals fun for you. Research has shown that if you focus on finding ways to make your goals fun, you’re more likely to achieve more. You are more likely to stick with things you enjoy, as repetition is key to forming habits, so making the experience positive is critical.
Day 4 - Try a different time or place
By the time we have our habits on autopilot, it's easy to fall into a fairly consistent routine, doing things at the same time of day and in the same palace. But in these early phases, it might be easier to put some variety into your routine, to figure out what works best for you. You might like workouts more in the evening rather than first thing for example - so why not try something different today? Also, a flexible habit means that you can still do your goal when life gets in the way. If your routine gets too stale, you’ll also get bored and might be more likely to follow through less.
Day 5 - Give yourself time off if needed
If you try to squeeze in your goal when you just don’t have time, it becomes stressful and you’re less likely to achieve it. Give yourself a day where you allow yourself the day off if you really need to. Missing your goals and beating yourself up for it can hinder your way to good habits, but being compassionate when you just don’t have the time and letting yourself take the day off can help you to be less discouraged.
Day 6 - Find support
Seeking support can help you to stick to your habits, so today, make it a task to find people with the same goals or habits you’d like to emulate. Tell people about your goals and habits, and surround yourself with similar people, as we are always influenced by the people around us - so we might as well make them a good influence! Habits are contagious, so maybe try and find a group of friends that are a little far ahead of you. It’s also a great way to make new friends!
Day 7 - Take a look at how far you’ve come
It’s important to track your progress and take stock of the changes you’ve made to meet your goals - and look at how much closer you are to having better habits. Celebrate your successes today, because it will motivate you so much more to keep at it and develop those habits into that autopilot frame of mind. Write down the ways your life has improved so far thanks to your newly found habits, and you’re much more likely to stick to them!
By Amy Cavill
What do Lady Gaga, Lebron James, and Paul McCartney have in common? They are all dedicated to daily meditation and expound on the positive effects it has on not just their careers but on their entire lives. You don’t need to be a superstar to benefit from a daily meditation practice, but you might feel like one after you immerse yourself in this 1-Week program with popular YogaDownload instructor Keith Allen.
If you’ve tried to meditate and given up in frustration after a few weeks, or days, or even minutes, you aren’t alone. Learning to meditate isn’t easy but it’s worth the effort. Your guide through this week's meditation program, Keith Allen, says, “Meditation is something that becomes easier and more enjoyable the more you practice it, even if it seems impossible and hard at first. It's also something that one benefits from, from not trying too hard to be good at it.”
A common misconception about meditation is that you’re trying to stop your thoughts. Absolutely not! You don’t want a blank slate, but you want to learn to filter out distractions and repetitive thoughts that prevent you from feeling clear and focused. Once you learn to quiet the chatter, you begin to move toward the life you wish to manifest.
Meditation is the ability to direct the mind without distraction or interruption as defined in Yoga Sutra 1.2 Citta Vritti Nirdohaha. When we practice the discipline of consciously shutting out the negative thoughts and external interruptions, our mind quiets and stills. In that stillness, clarity can expand. What we focus on expands, so discover what you truly desire and direct your attention toward it, with energy and intention.
Whether you’re trying meditation for the first time or the hundredth, this collection of 6 diverse and accessible classes for all levels will help you establish a daily meditation habit. What’s great is you can meditate for as few as five minutes and still garner all the benefits of this ancient practice. Commit to creating a more peaceful, focused, and happy mindset––just press play!
Whoever invented the breakfast burrito is a genius in my eyes. Such a filling start to a day. Lots of veggies, a few eggs, and a little bit of cheese all wrapped up into a tortilla make me so happy. I always add a ton of coriander and jalapenos in as I love the zing and spice but feel free to change it up to your liking. Avocado is also a must here in my eyes and if you are as lazy as I am (maybe optimizing your activities is a nicer way to say it), it makes sense to add the avocado inside of your burrito. Otherwise, it would be nice to serve it as guacamole on the side.
As a side note, I must add that multitasking is rarely a good idea, and this goes also for cooking these burritos. If you forget that they are on a hot pan and decide to answer an email until they are cooking, it might very well happen that you burn the burritos. This is what happened to me today, but oh well. Luckily, I remembered soon enough that I am cooking and managed to salvage them just in time.
By the way, if you also always struggle to use up a whole package of tortillas then I have a tip for you – just store them in the freezer wrapped up in the original package plus an extra plastic bag to tightly seal the package from all sides. This way you can take out only one or two tortillas whenever you need.
Quick & Easy Breakfast Burrito
Cooking time: 15 minutes
1 tsp grapeseed oil
1 small onion
¼ red capsicum
1 small tomato
Jalapenos, to taste
2 eggs (free-range, please)
¼ cup of shredded cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 whole wheat tortilla
1 small avocado
A few sprigs of fresh coriander
Salt, pepper, and lime juice, to taste
Directions:
Chop the onion, capsicum, tomato, and jalapenos into small cubes and fry them in oil on medium heat for a few minutes.
Beat the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and mix in the cheese. Add the mixture to a pan and stir until incorporated.
In the meantime, spread the avocado in the middle of a tortilla, and season with lime, salt, and chopped coriander. Add the egg mixture on top of the avocado, and fold the tortilla as well as you can.
Quickly rinse the pan, so it is more or less clean after cooking the eggs and the veggies. Add the folded tortilla back to the pan and cook for a few minutes on both sides until nice and crispy. (not too long, today I managed to burn mine)
Bhramari pranayama is a calming and relaxing pranayama. Sound and vibration are an important part of this technique. Before getting into how to practice this fun breathing technique, let's look at why one would want to practice it.
Here are some of the various benefits of Bhramari breath.
How to practice Bhramari breath: It is like a humming bee. You will use your fingers to close your ears. You can either use your thumbs to gently close your ears, or your first two fingers. You will also close your eyes and in some schools, they practice using the first two fingers to cover the eyes (with the thumbs on the ears), or you can simply just shut them.
Keep your mouth closed and take a deep inhale, and as you exhale make a prolonged “buzz” or “om” sound and feel the vibration resonate throughout your entire body. Do this at least 5 times in a row (you can go longer) and notice, when you open your eyes, how much more relaxed you feel.
Practice more pranayama classes here!
Deepen your sense of connection to the world around you and to the space inside you by taking the time to focus on nature. This week’s yoga classes are focused on nature and a few are even filmed outdoors. Nature reminds us to appreciate the singing of birds, the kiss of a soft breeze, the smell of flowers, and the feel of the earth beneath our feet. Nature helps us live in the present moment.
One way to harness the power of yoga and nature is to set up your yoga mat outside. Breathing and flowing in the fresh air helps remind us of our connection to Mother Earth and how we are part of something greater than ourselves. It’s easier to feel at one with the universe when you’re immersed in it. Grab your phone or tablet and try one of this week’s classes in your backyard or at the beach.
If you’re stuck inside, try one of our classes filmed outdoors and enjoy the visuals. Yoga uses the symbolism of the elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether in its philosophy from everything to each chakra being associated with an element, like Muladhara being the element earth, and Svadhistana reflecting water, and Manipura as fire. Yoga and the natural world are intertwined.
Often, yoga teachers offer instructions like rooting down into the earth in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) or spreading upwards like the branches of a tree in Tree Pose (Vrksasana). Another way yoga invokes nature is through poses named for animals like Eagle (Garudasana), Crow (Bakasana), and Tortoise (Kurmasana). When we spread our wings or hone our focus, we are pulling in the power of these wild creatures to feel connected to the universe.
Connection is one of the most important goals in yoga and flowing with nature keeps us grounded in the here and now. Join us this week in a celebration of nature with these four themed classes.
Upper Body Release with Erin Wimert
Ali Duncan - Water Flow
Kylie Larson - You are Resilient AF
Dana Hanizeski - Heal Your Back with Iyengar Yoga
Everybody loves chocolate and everybody loves muffins, right? At least everybody I know does. Chocolate muffins do not really scream healthy. You might already know that I like to make otherwise indulgent recipes somewhat more healthy without losing any flavor. I did the same this time by making the muffins 100% plant-based and choosing the oat flour carefully, also gluten-free.
These muffins have a funny story behind them. A few weeks back we had our first sunny and warm day this year, and I used this to work in my garden. I also had a yoga class to teach that evening but somehow I managed to get into such a zen mode, that I just didn’t look at the time at all. So, when my partner asked me 5 minutes before my class was about to start if it was canceled today I was super surprised by how late it was. Luckily the studio is really close to my house and I was only late 5 minutes after a nice run. So as an apology for being late (I hate being late), I baked the muffins for my students. They approved and now I can share the recipe with all of you, my yoga and healthy food-loving friends.
Sugar-Free Vegan Chocolate Muffins
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yields: 12 muffins
3 ½ + 2 oz dark chocolate, divided
3 ½ oz peanut butter
2 bananas
1 ½ oz coconut oil
½ cup almond milk
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
3 ½ oz oat flour
3 ½ oz almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 360 F and prepare a muffin tray with 12 holes.
Mash up the bananas (feel free to use a fork or make it extra smooth and use a stick blender.
Add 3 ½ oz of melted dark chocolate, peanut butter, coconut oil, almond milk, and vinegar.
In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.
Divide the batter between muffin holes and top with the rest of the dark chocolate.
Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy warm or cooled down.
There are many benefits of yoga and possibly more than we even know. It is a practice that is meant to benefit your entire being. Your body, mind, and soul are all connected, and each of them can benefit from practicing yoga. To many, the physical benefits of yoga are the most obvious. They are real and plentiful and increasingly backed by science and research.
There is an array of benefits of yoga however and they're not all physical. Below are some key benefits, and while these are some common benefits, the benefits of yoga are certainly not limited to this list.
Here are some of the various benefits of yoga by category:
Systems of the body:
Musculoskeletal systems:
Mental & Emotional Health:
Spiritual:
Every single person is unique, and yoga’s benefits will be different for each of us. Different styles of yoga emphasize and aim for specific benefits. You can come to your mat for greater physical fitness, better mental health, a sharper mind, or a sense of purpose. There is no right or wrong reason to practice, and it’s possible you’ll experience this whole array of benefits with time and consistent yoga practice.
Treat yourself to these benefits of yoga, by showing up on your mat, with this yoga challenge!
Power isn't always about force. With a consistent yoga and meditation practice, you aren’t working toward simply becoming more peaceful. You’re creating a calm, focused mind which helps you step into your personal power. In our busy, multi-tasking world, becoming present and living in the here and now is one of our biggest challenges. Instead of falling into a pattern of spreading your energy too thin, this week take the time to become clear, calm, and strong.
According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, yoga is all about citta vritti nirodaha or learning to direct the attention of your mind where you want it to go. Yes, mind control! Another way to consider it is learning to quiet the monkey mind. We’ve all got a pack of wild monkeys zooming around in our brains which fill us with endless chatter and distraction. Meditation and yoga help us quiet the mind and become present in stillness.
Patanjali lays out the eight-limbed path of yoga, which is a road map. After the Yamas, Niyamas, Asanas, and Pranayama, we move into Pratyahara, Dharana, and Dhyana as the final stepping stones to Samadhi. These principles guide us to our most powerful sense of self.
Pratyahara: Pratyahara means to turn your focus inward by tuning out external distractions. Yes, this is easier said than done! How do we learn to ignore everything that our senses pick up? The smells? The sounds of the lawn mower outside, the sunshine outside the window, or the breath of the person on the mat next to us? We cannot avoid sounds, smells, sights, so we need to learn to accept their existence without losing our focus.
Dharana: Dharana translates to a single-pointed focus of concentration. By intently directing the mind toward one thing, we eliminate the space for anything else. In a traditional Dharana practice, the focus is a mantra or a tool for the mind. This mantra can be the breath or an activity like dancing or surfing or gardening, where our attention is wholly connected with what we are doing. Our minds become more clear, peaceful, and steady.
Dhyana: Dhyana occurs when we’ve mastered our senses and we’re no longer aware that we are meditating or trying to focus. It’s an effortless flow––it’s that moment when you are truly “in the moment” without trying to be in it. In other words, you stop trying to concentrate and you are just doing it!
Through yoga and meditation, we learn to move into Samadhi or the highest level of absorption or transcendence. This week's classes give you a chance to work toward a state of dhyana where you’ll be your most powerful. Check them out!
Keith Allen - Wake Up Slowly 2: Brand New Day
Pradeep Teotia - Mindfulness Meditation
Shy Sayar - Transcending Emotionality
Asparagus season is a short one, but oh boy how enjoyable it is. I love fresh asparagus and to be completely honest – I often end up just snacking on raw asparagus before I get to cooking them. Sometimes I don’t even have anything left to cook… But some other times I am patient enough to start cooking and today were one of those days.
Asparagus only needs gentle cooking and overcooking them does not make them any favors, but rather turns the gentle crunchy sprigs to stringy and tough. Less is more also applies to seasoning them. No need to overcrowd it with flavors – a simple buttery sauce is enough.
And about the sauce – I highly recommend having a chunk of crusty bread to mop up all the sauce from the plate because you do not want to waste even one drop of that.
P.S. Outside of the short asparagus season, this sauce is also nice with blanched green beans.
Asparagus with Lemon and Golden Almonds
Serves: 2 as an appetizer or side
Cooking time: 20 min
7 oz green asparagus
¼ cup blanched almonds
1 ½ tbsp butter
The juice and zest of 1 large lemon
A few sprigs of thyme
Start with toasting the almonds on a dry pan until golden. I recommend using medium heat and shaking the pan now and then to make sure they cook evenly. It takes a few minutes in total. Set aside. To skip this step, you can just use almonds that are already toasted. Chop the slightly cooled almonds roughly.
Increase the heat and add the trimmed asparagus to the same pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes (depending on the size) until slightly toasty and gently cooked through. Alternatively, you can grill them outside. Make sure you do not overcook them. Set aside and season with salt.
Keep using the same pan (nobody likes doing dishes) and reduce the heat to a medium again. Melt the butter, thyme, lemon zest, and almonds and cook until the butter is frothy and slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, then squeeze in the lemon juice (be careful about the splatter) and pour the almondy-buttery-lemony topping over the asparagus.
Enjoy warm as an appetizer or a snack or make a full meal out of it by adding gently cooked fish.
Working with your chakras can be highly healing. If you are interested in holistic healing, you’ve probably heard of the concept of chakras and know a little bit about chakra healing.
The chakra system has origins in India, over four thousand years ago. Knowledge of chakras came to the western world through the practice of yoga. Chakra literally translates as ‘wheel’ or ‘disk’ and refers to the sphere of bioenergetic activity emanating from the nerves branching from the spine. There are seven of these wheels or chakras, and they are stacked in a column of energy that spans up from the base of the spine to the top of the head.
In addition to the seven major chakras, there are also lots of minor chakras found in the hands and feet, and other areas of the body. But generally, when we talk about chakras, we mean the seven major centers of energy. You might work with specific chakras for different results, but all the chakras are interrelated and can affect each other.
The lower chakras can help to ground us and build a strong foundation. If you have more energy in your higher chakras, you might be full of imagination, and a very spiritual person. While this is great, sometimes our chakras can become distorted and unbalanced, and we might struggle. For example, while the third eye chakra can help us to be perceptive, we can become prone to confusion and illusion if it becomes unbalanced and we can lose our clarity.
Different qualities and imbalances are associated with different chakras, and paying attention to your lower chakras are very important. These chakras relate to issues such as feelings, power, and sexuality, and are an essential aspect of love.
The Root Chakra
An unbalanced root chakra can cause issues with fear, and this may stem from experiences of neglect, abuse, or wounds related to survival. A balanced root chakra will give you a sense of stability and trust in the world, and if it becomes unbalanced, you may come across issues to do with survival and the ‘right to have’; meaning you might find it hard to let yourself have nice things.
Physically, the root chakra can show up as issues with the lower body, like the feet, legs, and lower back, as well as the solid aspects of your body like teeth and bones. Additionally, you might suffer from digestive disorders or issues with eating.
Healing practices for your root chakra can include physical activities to connect with your body - like yoga! As well as lots of physical touch. The root chakra has a red color, and is also associated with sandalwood and cinnamon, as well as sage. Drumming music is also associated with it - so bringing any of these aspects into your life can help you feel more grounded and present in your body.
The Sacral Chakra
This chakra is associated with the ‘right to feel’. If you grew up hiding your emotions or not expressing emotions, you might have an imbalance in your sacral chakra. Avoiding feelings and emotions can cut us off from the important information that feelings bring us. It can make us feel numb and disconnected from what we really want.
This can also cause a lot of feelings of guilt, perhaps excessively. While a balanced sacral chakra shows up as emotional intelligence, an imbalance can cause poor boundaries and a fear of change. Physically, you can suffer from lower back pain, lack of flexibility, or sexual problems.
To heal the second sacral chakra, you have to assign yourself healthy pleasures. The color associated with it is orange, and essential oils are jasmine and neroli. Engaging with these aspects in your life can help to heal second chakra issues.
The Solar Plexus Chakra
The third Chakra is the solar plexus chakra, which focuses on the right to act. The solar plexus chakra can become imbalanced if we fear punishment, or act a certain way that we don’t really want to. This chakra is connected to personal power, and when we don’t have enough space to develop our inner authority, it can become imbalanced and we can feel shame.
A balanced solar plexus chakra can help us to define and discover ourselves, and make us feel responsible. When it’s imbalanced, we can become easily manipulated, or dominated. Physically, issues with the solar plexus can show up as digestive disorders, chronic fatigue, and stomach issues.
Healing practices can involve exercise, and trying to take a few more risks. The color for the solar plexus is yellow, and smells include lemon and juniper. Bringing these elements into your life can help to heal the solar plexus chakra.
Does anybody need a confidence boost? This week’s classes are centered on improving your confidence and enhancing your willpower. By turning your attention and focus on your navel or Manipura Chakra, you’ll stoke your inner fire or “tapas” and step into your personal power.
According to yoga philosophy, we are made of three bodies, the physical, subtle, and the causal. The subtle body mirrors the physical body and consists of energy channels called nadis. The seven primary chakras flow along the Sushumna Nadi, which runs along your spine. In Sanskrit, chakras mean wheels of light and each one relates to different emotions and states of being. The Manipura chakra is the third chakra, located at your solar plexus. Yes, that means plenty of core work will do the trick!
When you’re feeling self-assured, courageous, and shining your brightest, your Manipura chakra is steady. Clear signs of imbalanced Manipura show up as acting arrogant and bombastic or on the flip side, being plagued by self-doubt and insecurity. Life isn’t a straight line path and we all have periods where we question ourselves or over-estimate what we can accomplish. No matter how you’ve been feeling, focusing on your solar plexus will shift you back into balance.
To balance Manipura, try twisting asanas (postures) like Parivritta Trikonasana (Twisting Triangle) and seated and supine twists. Another physical benefit of asanas emphasizing your center is that they stimulate your internal organs and improve digestion and elimination. When the prana in your body is flowing freely, you feel lighter and more joyful.
Core strengthening asanas like Navasana (Boat Pose) and Phalakasana (Plank Pose) will both stoke your determination and protect your spine. Your center is considered the powerhouse of your being––not just physically but emotionally. Another way to focus on building a more powerful center is through balancing postures, which require you to engage your core. The attention to muscular engagement gives your Manipura chakra a boost.
Another way to increase your self-confidence is through guided meditations and practicing mantras like “So hum” which means “I am” and boosts your ego. Trust your gut feelings and stimulate your solar plexus energy with us this week! This week’s classes were specifically created to build your self-confidence, strengthen your core, and help you show up feeling your best. Enjoy!
Kristin Gibowicz - What's Wrong with Being Confident?
Dana Damara - Chakra Flow Series: Manipura Chakra
Denelle Numis - Manipura Movement Flow
Confit means baking something in fat. In this recipe, the tomatoes are not fully submerged in the oil, because I just find it unnecessary. I think it is enough to make sure the bottom of the tray is covered in oil and then just move the tomatoes around halfway through the cooking. Of course, if you feel like splurging, you can always add more olive oil – the oil will be infused with tomato flavor and herbs if you are using them, so you can use it to season salads, pasta, and simple sourdough bread…. So feel free to do this.
Here in Estonia, the summer is slowly arriving, but our tomato season is still a few months away. But even the imported tomatoes already taste better compared to the mid-winter ones that taste like nothing. Actually, because tomato flavor is brought out by baking them for a long time, the recipe would be good to enhance flavorless out-of-season tomatoes too. To bring out even more flavor I recommend keeping the tomatoes on the vine while baking. Please do not eat any tomato leaves or stems as they are not edible but only used to infuse the oil! I love the smell of tomato leaves and wines! Even my favorite perfume reminded me of tomato leaves, but unfortunately, they stopped producing it ☹ So if some of the readers have acquaintances in Nina Ricci, please ask them to bring back the very first edition of Les Belles! 😊
Back to the tomatoes – my favorite way of enjoying them is on top of simple sourdough toast, but they are also wonderful on salads, pasta, and as a side of fish dishes. I will go and have another slice of sourdough now!
Simple Confit Tomatoes
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 min
2 pounds cherry tomatoes, preferably on vine
1 cup good quality olive oil
Salt
Fresh herbs – oregano, basil, thyme (optional)
Preheat the oven to 300F.
If you are using herbs, place them in the bottom of your baking tray so they would infuse the oil, and not burn in the oven.
Place the tomatoes on top of the herbs. Try to stay in one layer, but if some of the tomatoes are on top of the others, this is okay.
Pour the olive oil on top of the tomatoes, season with salt, and mix them with your hands, so every tomato would be covered with oil.
Bake for an hour and a half. Feel free to gently move them around halfway through.
Enjoy warm with pasta or cooled down and preserved in the oil they were baked in on top of sandwiches, salads, or simply as a snack.
The main vedic-yogic system of understanding, assessing, and addressing the needs of the mind and the emotions is the triguna system. This system is like a lens through which we may view everything in existence as the division into and interactions between 3 basic qualities called gunas.
Tamas is metaphorically described as pertaining to darkness and heaviness, oriented towards the past and arising from it as karmic consequences of past actions. While tamas is naturally involved in the arising of all forms, such as the body, an excess of tamas results in mental heaviness: depression, nostalgic sadness, mulish stubbornness, pathological materialism and grasping attachment. An excess of tamas may arise from unaddressed mental patterns of insecurity, overeating, oversleeping, or overaccumulation of possessions.
Rajas pertains to the fire of unbridled passions, primarily oriented towards the future in a relationship of desire and greed. While rajas is naturally involved in drive and action in the world, fueling forward motion in life through the wish for expression and meaningful impact in life, an excess of rajas results in mental aggression: unbridled anger, powerful craving, jealousy, zeal, and selfish drive without consideration for the needs of others. An excess of rajas may arise from hyperactivity, hypersexuality, or aggressive language, music and marketing.
Sattva refers to the qualities of light, both in weight and in brightness. It is described as the energy of love, peace, joy and wisdom, and is entirely oriented towards the present moment. Much of the purpose of yoga may be said to be cultivating sattva, which may be achieved through meditation, mantra, service, selfless prayer, generosity, and acts of kindness and consideration.
Want to learn more about yoga philosophy? Check out this lecture series on the Yoga Sutras!
One of the beautiful things about practicing yoga is that often we start out viewing it as a physical practice but we quickly learn how much deeper yoga goes. Yoga links the body, mind, and spirit and whether you’re focused on all three or not, you reap all the benefits. This week, we’re focusing on the lower body, which is comprised of your legs, hips, and core as well as your Muladhara (Root), Svadhistana (Sacral), and Manipura (Navel) chakras.
If you’re interested in stoking your senses of stability, security, creativity, and passion, these classes offer external and internal benefits you’ll feel right away. The subtle body is a blueprint of the physical body––although you cannot see your nadis (energy channels) or chakras (energy centers), they exist within you.
The seven main chakras run along the Sushumna Nadi, which correlates to your spine. This primary energy channel starts at the Muladhara (Root) Chakra at the base of your spine and runs up through the Sahasrara Chakra at the crown of your head. Each chakra is an energy center with correlating color, essence, sense, gland or organ, karmic relation, and physical issues. These three chakras are in your lower body.
Mulahdhara Chakra is located at the base of your spine, is associated with the color red, the essence of earth, the sense of smell, and the testes and ovaries.
Muladhara is concerned with satisfying basic needs such as food, shelter, safety, in other words, survival. The karmic relation is to parents, home, money, employer/employee and those people involved in life’s basic necessities. Often, if you’re dealing with issues with these areas, problems can arise in the feet, legs, sacrum, and base of the spine.
Asanas to balance Muladhara include standing poses like Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I) and seated poses like Lotus or easy pose.
Svadhisthana Chakra is in the pelvic region, is associated with the color orange, the essence of water, the sense of taste, and the adrenal glands. It’s referred to as “Great goddess” or “Her favorite standing place.”
Svadhisthana is concerned with emotions, dreams, creativity, and relationships. The karmic relation is to people you’ve had sex with and/or been romantically involved with, creative or business partners, children, trust, addictions, and personal boundaries. If you’ve experienced issues with pleasure/pain, anger/jealousy, lack of intimacy/creativity or dreams fulfilled, you’re dealing with the second chakra. When you’re out of balance here, problems with the reproductive organs and digestive/elimination issues can manifest.
Asanas to balance Svadhisthana: Forward bends, Baddha Konasana (butterfly), Paschimottanasana (seated forward fold), Virasana (hero’s pose.
Manipura Chakra is in your solar plexus or navel, is associated with the color yellow, the essence of fire, the sense of sight, and the pancreas. It is called the “Jewel in the city.” This chakra is the line between your lower and higher consciousness.
Manipura is concerned with your ego, personality, gut feelings, and all activity motivated by the desire to be seen and acknowledged. The karmic relationship is to others who you’ve hurt to increase yourself––criticism, judgment, gossip to make yourself feel better. Physical issues with your stomach, digestion, and assimilation can arise when out of balance.
Asanas to balance Manipura: Twists like Parivritta Trikonasana (twisting triangle) and Ardha Matseyandrasana (seated half-lord of the fishes.)
This week, remind yourself that when you’re stretching your hips and hamstrings, you’re also balancing your sense of stability and personal boundaries. Try this week’s classes and see you feel––inside and out.
Erin Wimert - Lower Body Release
Desiree Rumbaugh - Strengthen, Protect, & Heal the Lower Back
Cicily Carter - Sacral Chakra Flow
I’m often asked how I can continue to drink green smoothies when the weather gets cold. This smoothie is my answer. It’s warming, earthy, and packs a gamut of immune defense – exactly what we need this time of year.
Between the lemon, ginger and turmeric, this smoothie is good for digestion and is very cleansing for the liver. It’s also chock full of antioxidants. To boot, it delivers a high dose of kale, which is a great way to fill up on vitamins, minerals, and other immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory phytonutrients.
Read more about the healing benefits of turmeric here and in the meantime, let’s get blending.
Please leave me a comment below and let me know what other ways you’re getting this tasty superfood into your daily diet.
With love and turmeric tastes,
Jules
Totally Turmeric Green Smoothie
Yield: 1 quart
2 cups coconut milk 1 banana ½ cup mango ¼ avocado 1 small lemon, peeled 1 in. fresh ginger 2 cups kale 1 tsp. turmeric
In a high-speed blender, blend coconut milk, banana, mango, avocado, lemon, ginger, kale and turmeric until creamy.
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.
The latest guidelines by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services say that physically able adults should aim for 150 minutes of exercise every week - a combination of both cardio and strength training spread throughout the week. This could translate into 30-minute workouts 5 days a week, but there are other ways to get your exercise that don’t take up quite as much time every day.
Research has shown that actually taking shorter periods of activity can be spread out throughout your day to meet the recommended total. Actually, sometimes quicker workouts can be better for you than one longer workout.
Short bursts of exercise, or ‘exercise snacks’ can reduce health risks and benefit your heart and brain, and can help lead to quicker weight loss. This is because when you engage in shorter bursts of activity, like a 10 minute workout, 2-3 times a day, you elevate your heart rate each time. This can help to reduce blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of metabolic disorders. Short bursts of exercise can also help to boost your concentration, memory and your overall mood.
HIIT workouts are a great way to incorporate short bursts of high-intensity movement that get your heart rate elevated. A study in 2017 showed that many people, while willing and knowing of the many benefits of exercise, don't actually have the time available to workout regularly for longer periods of time. Shorter, high-intensity workouts like HIIT can help to provide the same, or better benefits than longer periods of exercise - it actually can help you to lose more weight than longer periods of less intense exercise.
Going from being inactive to active, or even just moderately active, can reduce your risk of premature death by 72% also. And in addition to physical benefits, you can also improve your mental health.
High intensity means that you should be working out hard enough that you can’t talk or sing while you’re working out - this is called the ‘talk test’. If you’re able to talk and sing, that counts as light exercise. If you can talk, but not sing, that’s moderate exercise, and if you can’t talk or sing along to your music, that’s working out vigorously.
Going to the gym first thing in the morning or after a long day can be hard, and you can be more likely to not push yourself if you’re tired, if you’re low on energy and short on time, you won’t see the benefits of exercise as much. But, most people have a few moments of downtime in our busy days - perfect to fit in a quick workout.
Perhaps you could wake up a little earlier, and use that extra time to fit in a high-intensity workout, just for 10 minutes. Or you could fit a workout in your lunch break, or even during the workday if you work from home and are able to. If you find a few different periods during the day to get active, you’ll be able to meet that 30-minute goal super easily.
Making a plan to help you stay on track can also help you to meet your daily exercise goals easily. Schedule in those 10 minutes of movement 3 times a day, and put it in your calendar or set an alarm to remind you. If you stick to the time, you’ll be more consistent and you’ll see results a lot quicker.
If you’re the sort of person who says they never have time to workout - try exercise snacking today. To help you out, this week our class focus is on shorter, sweeter, and sweaty yoga practices - which you can get done in less than an hour and still see all the benefits of a longer practice.
Quality over quantity wins every time, on the yoga mat and off. We’ve all got busy schedules and some days it can be a challenge to fit in the satisfying yoga practice your body, mind, and heart craves. The great news is that with the proper focus, intensity, and desire you can garner all the benefits of a full-length yoga class in half the time. Squeeze in a twenty-minute practice by setting your alarm earlier or staying up later!
Consistency is the most important component of maintaining a life-long yoga practice. And by consistency, we mean practicing several times a week or daily if your schedule allows. Some days, you may have time for a full-length practice with pranayama and meditation and other days, you’ve only got twenty minutes to spare. As long as you are stepping onto your mat and committing to be fully present in your body and your breath, you’re doing great. If you can up the intensity for the shorter practices, even better.
Why is it so important to commit to a regular practice instead of being a “weekend warrior?” With at least three to four days on the mat, no matter the length of practice, you’ll:
*Build stronger muscles, bones, and joints: Yoga is excellent at developing toned muscles, keeping your bones strong so you can continue all the activities you love for as many years as you want, and enhancing mobility and stability in your knees, hips, shoulders, and other joints.
*Sustain mental focus and concentration for longer periods of time: When you’re absorbed in the present moment on the mat, you don’t have time to stress or worry about anything else. Your mind is free to rid itself of distractions and settle into a calm clarity. A quieter mind also helps you have more quality sleep, which is vital to overall well-being.
*Enhance your mood: A vigorous yoga practice releases endorphins, which gives you a sense of joy and happiness. Yoga’s impact on the hormonal system balances moods and emotions and decreases stress and anxiety. Who doesn’t want to feel happier?
Check out this week's classes, which are short and sweet and designed to benefit you like a full-length practice. Enjoy!
Mark Morford - Deep 30 Volume. I
Pradeep Teotia - Short, Sweet, & Sweaty Power Flow
Kyle Weiger - Arm Balancing Workshop 5: Forearm Stand
Keith Allen - 20-Minute Yoga Fix
I just got back from a holiday in Jamaica (a fabulous place, definitely go!), and brought a few ripe mangoes with me. So today's breakfast was again my buckwheat muesli, served with fresh ripe mango, Greek yogurt, and some pomegranate seeds. So, so good!
Muesli is usually made with oats, but my favorite version does not contain any oats. And buckwheat, at least in Estonia, where I live, is usually considered a savory food. But still, this mildly sweet and crunchy raw buckwheat muesli has been a favorite of mine for a long time now. I got the idea many years ago in India where I did my yoga teacher training and they served similar muesli with loads of fruits. It was delicious, so I felt the need to recreate the recipe and have been baking a tray every few months ever since. Sometimes I substitute the nuts and seeds, sometimes I don’t use raisins but dried apricot instead. It is a good recipe to use up all the odd ends of nuts and seeds that you have laying around in the bottom of your cupboard somewhere (we all have these, right?).
Raw Buckwheat Muesli Bowl
Cooking time: 45 minutes (+ soaking time)
Makes: 15-20 breakfasts
1 cup raw buckwheat ½ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds ½ cup sesame seeds ½ cup nuts of your choice (I like pecans and cashews) ½ cups raisins 2 tbsp coconut oil 4 tbsp agave syrup A sprinkle of salt
To serve, any fruits or berries are nice. I love it with fresh watermelon and strawberries.
Greek yogurt is nice for creaminess or coconut milk to keep it completely vegan.
1. Place the buckwheat, nuts, and seeds in cold water and soak them in the fridge overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 300 and rinse and dry the buckwheat mixture as well as possible.
3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and lay in a thin layer on a baking tray.
4. Bake for about 40-45 minutes mixing a few times.
5. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
6. Serve with fruits, berries yogurt, or anything else you fancy.
Home workouts of all kinds grew in popularity during the pandemic and continue to be a great alternative to going to a gym or yoga class at a studio. While not everyone has the resources to build a home gym, yoga is a highly accessible form of exercise that anyone can implement — no matter your age, gender, or body type. In fact, doing yoga at home can be just as effective as going to a studio for your practice and in some ways even better than going to a public class!
Here are five reasons why yoga is ideal perfect at home and some tips to help you reap these benefits as you practice at home.
Practice with little to no financial investment
One of the biggest barriers to regular yoga classes at a studio is often the cost. Gyms typically require monthly payments on top of annual fees and sign-up costs. Fitness studios frequently charge per class. Buying traditional workout equipment for your home can cost hundreds, which can make it unattainable, even if it saves you in the long run. However, when you choose yoga as an at-home workout, all you really need is a yoga mat to get started with your exercise routine.
You don’t have to figure out your yoga routine alone either. To get the most out of your yoga practice, you can sign up for Yoga Download’s free online yoga classes and free live streams. It’s a simple, effective way to get professional help without recruiting a costly personal trainer or personally researching pose after pose.
You can be active with minimal space
When you purchase weights, treadmills, and other traditional workout equipment, you’ll end up wasting a lot of space just to do one type of exercise. Yoga, on the other hand, can offer the benefits of both aerobic and anaerobic all on one mat.
While some yogis prefer to create a dedicated yoga space, complete with props like candles or altars that get you in the mindfulness mood, it’s not 100% necessary. You can do yoga right in your living room, in your backyard, or wherever you have space.
If you live in a small studio or apartment and are still struggling to find room to safely practice yoga, consider decluttering your space to ensure you can exercise at home. For example, you can get furniture with built-in storage to maximize your space. Decluttering can also help you stay focused and present during your yoga routine.
Offsets the negative effects of remote work and working from home
As more and more people take on remote careers, finding at-home workouts that can easily be done during short breaks is becoming increasingly important. With yoga, you can make the most of your 15- to 30-minute breaks and return to your tasks feeling more energetic and refreshed. The transition from your desk to your yoga mat can be incredibly simple, too.
Yoga can also help you mitigate the health risks that come with remote work. Sitting at a desk for long periods can cause hip misalignment, poor circulation, tension headaches, and more. When you implement the right poses, you can get stretching and moving instead of staying still, all while stepping away from the blue light of your computer screen.
Personalize your practice to suit your needs
Yoga truly is a type of exercise that’s made for everyone. No matter your fitness goals or your experience level, you can find a category of yoga that works for you — and there are a lot of options to choose from.
For example, if you want to build muscles through your at-home workout, you can take up power yoga, which is an incredibly effective bodyweight exercise. Plus, since power yoga routines are highly customizable, you can focus on enhancing your muscle tone in specific areas or do full-body workouts.
Alternatively, if you want an exercise that encourages movement and mindfulness, you can practice hatha yoga, which emphasizes breathing and is much more slow-paced. Hatha yoga can also help you challenge your flexibility from any starting point. You can get started even if you’re a total beginner at fitness.
You can get your family involved
Exercises like lifting aren’t family-friendly activities, and most home workout equipment is designed for people to exercise solo. However, yoga allows you to involve your spouse, kids, and anyone else in your household. It’s a fun way to bond and practice teamwork with your family.
With your family, you can practice assisted poses that require everyone’s participation. Consider doing the twin tree pose with your partner and take on more advanced positions — like the double plank, which involves one person balancing on top of the other — as you succeed. You can also play virtual yoga classes on your living room TV and invite your household to join in.
There’s no reason you can’t involve your pets either. “Doga” is a growing trend that involves lifting small dogs or stretching alongside your pet in an effort to bond with them during your exercise routine. Have fun and see where at-home yoga (or doga) takes you!
By Katie Brenneman
Practice yoga at home online, no matter how busy you are!
“If you want to change you have to be willing to be uncomfortable.”
Are you ready to push through your personal boundaries and use your yoga practice to expand and evolve physically, emotionally, and mentally? On the yoga mat and off, we tend to slip into comfortable patterns. Consistency is something to strive for, but it can be a slippery slope and if we aren’t paying attention we can end up in a rut. Here’s how yoga can help you continue to evolve:
Yoga for Physical Growth: On the most obvious level, a well-rounded yoga practice will help you develop stronger muscles, a more supple spine, and improve joint mobility. Yoga improves your posture so you’re literally standing taller. If you’re always doing the same yoga class or same series of asanas, you may not be continuing to progress. This week, step out of your customary routine and try something new and see how that impacts you physically––you might be surprised!
Yoga for Emotional Evolution: We store emotions, especially past trauma and stress, in our bodies. When we practice yoga and meditation, these feelings rise to the surface and sometimes surprise us when we burst into tears or have flashbacks to emotions we may have buried in “the vault.” We’ve all had difficult times we tuck away and promise we’ll deal with later, but never do. Those emotions remain stored in our tissues unless we work to release them.
If you’ve spent five minutes per hip in Sleeping Swan (Half-pigeon) during a Yin class, you’re probably nodding your head right now. After a while, if you’re merely repeating the same practices, you may no longer be accessing those deeper emotions and continuing to evolve. Try one of this week’s new classes, one that is out of your comfort zone, and see if it reignites your emotional growth.
Yoga for Mental Expansion: According to the Yoga Sutras, yoga is a path toward developing a higher level of consciousness by creating a calm, clear mind. This yogic journey isn’t an easy one and it takes willpower and discipline to learn to filter out distractions and focus on what truly matters to us. What the expansion looks like is up to you but it’s important to get uncomfortable––meditate for longer, try a sound healing or chanting mantras, work on asanas that scare you (safely, of course). In other words, do something that you think you can’t do––you may surprise yourself and boost your confidence when you do.
Change doesn’t have to be dramatic to be impactful. Small tweaks can have as much influence as intense moves in creating a shift in your body, heart, and mind. This week’s classes are designed to give you an avenue into something new and exciting. Check them out!
Ben Davis - Fitness 'n' Yoga: Evolving Flow
Dana Smith - Shifting Paradigms
Truth to be told - this is not an authentic Spanish paella but as I saw somebody cooking paella in a movie, I felt I needed to give it a go myself and sooner rather than later, so there was no time for shopping and I needed it right this moment! I somehow always manage to have at least 3 different types of rice, so this was covered. I used risotto rice as this seemed the closest to Spanish rice, but feel free to use Spanish rice as this is used in the original. I also happened to have a classic risotto spice saffron available (even two jars, both unopened) and some frozen seafood too, so an hour after I was done with the movie I, already had a plate full of this delicious treat in front of me. And delicious it is!
Classically paella is cooked on a paella pan, which I didn’t have, so I just used a normal frying pan, so no need to panic if you don’t have the right pan – if you don’t plan on becoming a professional paella chef, the normal pan will do just fine.
One thing to remember when cooking paella – after adding the broth to the pan, try not to mix this at all. This is a huge challenge for me as I am very used to cooking risotto where mixing is everything. And another thing – the pan only needs to be covered at the very end to steam the seafood through. For the rest of the cooking time, the pan is uncovered. With the pan uncovered and not mixing the paella, you will get a nice crispy bottom layer of rice called soccarat, which is just amazing.
Also, many people also like to add chorizo or chicken to the paella, rabbit is also a classical ingredient, but just seafood is delicious in my opinion. Peas and beans would be a good option too, making this a 100% plant-based dish. So you do what you like, just make sure to use good rice, loads of onions, tomatoes and peppers, paprika powder, and saffron, and the rest is up to you!
Simple Seafood Paella
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2-3
1. If using frozen seafood, take them out of the fridge to let them thaw slowly if possible. If you are rushed, place the seafood in cold water to speed up the process.
2. Place the saffron threads in a small cup with a couple of tablespoons of warm water to infuse.
3. Chop the onion, capsicum, tomatoes, and celery, place them in the frying pan with the oil, and a sprinkle of salt, and let them sweat for around 10 minutes until they are soft.
4. Add in the rice, spices, and broth, give it a quick stir, and taste. Add salt or more spices now, if you feel like it.
5. Leave the pan uncovered to simmer for 15-16 minutes. By this time, almost all the broth should be absorbed. Have a quick taste to make sure that the rice is almost tender.
6. Without disturbing the rice too much (you do not want to touch the bottom) snuggle the seafood pieces on top of the rice, then cover with a lid and leave to cook in medium-high heat for 5 more minutes.
7. Serve with lemon wedges and parsley.
Dirga pranayama is a technique that increases focus and calms your mind. It's simple to do, and even those without any prior yoga experience can enjoy this rejuvenating practice. Here is how to do a three-part breath and the benefits of this practice. Even a few minutes can make a difference in your day.
How to do Dirga pranayama:
Take the first third of your inhalation into your lower lungs and upper belly, and pause briefly. Then breathe the second third of your inhale into your middle lungs and back, and pause again briefly. Then breathe the final part of your inhale, into the upper portion of your lungs and collarbones, and pause again.
On the exhale, release gradually from the upper lungs, middle lungs, and lower lungs.
Repeat this simple pattern again for several rounds for up to five minutes.
Benefits of Dirga pranayama:
Helps overall respiratory health.
Calms down the body and mind.
Improves concentration and focus.
Bolsters the lungs and serves as a foundation for many other pranayama practices.
The practice of Dirga pranayama is helpful for better skin and hair quality and also beneficial for better sleep.
Helps reduce hypertension and high blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.
Enhances detoxification of the body.
Helps balance hormone health.
Improves the energy levels in the body.
Improves digestion.
Take many pranayama classes online here!