Many Full Moon blessings to you all. Our world is shifting rapidly, and we're all awakening, expanding, and collectively moving together into new horizons. Next month will be a whirlwind. Stay connected to your highest visions. This moon marks the completion of a cycle and brings a new cycle, a new epoch, a new order forward. What you hold in your mind, and within your heart are building and gaining form, keep the space clear.
Understand your environment, the waves you bring into space, and how you are being led. Consciously choose what is taken in, and engaged, it is building you and becomes a part of the new creation and self. Dharma has been reforming for the last 8 months and reaches a point of freedom this month. Two days before the Full Moon marks a point of energetic liberation. It liberates the self from previous masks, encasements, and works to open creative, generative forces of nature to birth a new beyond known horizons. This freedom also releases confines to karma. Yes, karmic balance is occurring and feels almost instant, either in understanding or in experience. An important aspect of this karma clearing is due to the reference point, or release of old confines no longer causing a reactive energetic effect within the self. It also shows that dharma ownership requires karmic ownership. Taking responsibility for all thoughts, actions, and all forms of creation within the now awakens a new form of inner power, resilience, and co-creative responsibility.
The wisdom carried forward will show how to be fruitful with efforts. Understand your resources, the cycles of life, and your lifeforce. It will be about serving the collective to know self. Mars rules this month and is rebuilding the ego and inner mind. We have shifted into a new time frame. Fertilization (the seed within you) is occurring carrying the next generation through wisdom and order. Protect the seed, keep movement and execution close to heart- through the guidance of the heart. The masculine and feminine are united, exalted, understanding the co-creative components awakens new faculties.
Contracts are being carried out, service and connection beyond ‘lives’ and for life. Many will begin to receive what you have wished for, or feel more connected to personal vision and directive. Many will come into new unions, roles, and awaken greater faculties. Collectively and individually we unify the self into new heights of self-realization. We are all being asked to receive what they have put into motion and creation.
The next framework for creative desires now moves into earthly form the ordering-divine intelligence. April will be a powerhouse of forward movement and expansion-blooming fruition. Do not hold your vision as something to be attained, or a wish into the future. It lives in the present within the heart, it is important to sense this emergence within. A new life requires lifeforce, the connection between temporal and eternal. Take responsibility for personal being-ness, ownership moves the mind to understand the nature and effects of energy exchange, as well as illuminating through junctures of connection and links.
Understand how the universe draws through you. The fabric of the field, the planets, the forces of energy you command with your ‘being’. Mind the ‘being’. Doing no longer defines this go around. Be the love, emulate it. Freedom of new expression, the vibration of waking up. It’s a milking, drawing through you for all. Fertilizing the fullness of the ideal self from the soul serves beyond the self, it enriches us all. Be true to your potency, your potential, to the gold within your heart.
New revelations, recognition, and integration of the unknown is occurring powerfully. It is a refraction from September of knowing self as unique within the whole. There is a lot of relaying energy, moving forward quickly and building new. See between hinges and joints, the spaces between, the fractures. This reveals what keeps us separate from self, inner knowing, and each other. It will also show the false links, or connections that lack integrity. As within, so without. These links, junctures, or connections will reveal themselves dualistically (what is and was gained, what no longer holds, and what is needed to stabilize). There is a lot of wisdom and magic in these connection points.
Lastly, remember that your very being draws divine intelligence and gifts unto the Earth. Every thought draws from the divine lifestream to be birthed into individual experience and expression. This month connects the mind beyond 'me' and into a greater embodiment of collective power. The ordering of one's world will follow the mental nature. Focus on inner love, contentment. Remain humble. Remember your humanity. Desire and dharma move forward for new life through divine connection and to bring heaven unto earth through the heart of soul.
Asanas to work with this moon:
Seated open twists
Pigeon Pose
Warrior 2
Practice Geenie's Yoga & Astrology program now!
By Geenie (Gemma) Celento
Gemma, distills the ancient science through the stars. A teacher, Vedic astrologer, and Ayurvedic Practitioner Gemma unites Tantra through the wisdom of the skies and the power of plants. Based in Italy, Gemma's work and passion is rooted in guiding others through the sacred sciences to awaken the magic within and around.
Is anybody else ready to lean into the powerful transition of the Equinox? Here at Yogadownload.com, we’re ready for that push of energy from Mother Earth to help us align with nature. Whether you’re celebrating the move into longer nights in Autumn in the Southern hemisphere or eager for the blossoming of Spring in the Northern hemisphere, we are all experiencing the change in the seasons.
When we harness the seasonal shifts to empower our individual intentions and move with nature’s ebbs and flows, we can better implement our true desires. The cycles of the moon, the hours bathed in sunlight, the fluctuations of heat and cold all impact us––we are a part of the natural cycle, not separate. This world influences how we feel on every level––our bodies, our hearts, and our minds.
Here are three ways to amplify the Equinox’s energy:
Use nature to help you manifest your dreams! Carve out some time to take a walking meditation and journal on your reflections of how it feels to tune into the changes and cycles of the seasons. Write down your intentions for either the seeds you’re planting in the Spring or layers you’re shedding in the Fall.
If it’s Spring where you live, take your yoga practice outdoors and savor the warmth of the sun on your skin, the kiss of the breeze through your hair, and the stability of the earth beneath your feet. Absorb the fact that no matter how cold and dark life can become, the cycle of new life arrives each year. Trust that new flowers will blossom again.
If it’s Autumn, it’s time to appreciate the leaves falling and the recognition that we must shed layers to make space for new feelings, thoughts, and experiences in our lives. Dedicate some time to shift your awareness inside and notice what is no longer serving you and let it go. Look to the shorter days and longer nights as a signal that taking the time to rest and restore your energy is vital to bloom again.
A regular yoga practice requires you to be a good gardener––whether it is time to plant seeds or harvest them. Try one of the specially designed classes we’ve curated for you this week. Each one is perfect for when you’re on a journey of transition, on or off your yoga mat.
This week, align yourself with the Equinox and reaffirm your connection to the Earth and to everyone around you.
Jackie Casal Mahrou - Daily Decompression 2: Unwind
Natalie Maisel - Ostara Ritual
Christen Bakken - Rockin' Bhakti- Sacred Transitions
The recipe is from spring 2020 when we had our first lockdown here in Estonia. I remember it very clearly as I was supposed to be in Jamaica and in Miami, but then life happened, the world became a crazy place, and I still haven’t taken this trip. Maybe this year! Fingers crossed.
Anyway, as I had planned a three-week holiday and prepped well with doing all my work for this time beforehand and yoga classes were canceled, I just spent 3 weeks at home cooking, drinking (smoothies mostly, but also cocktails as I was supposed to be on holiday after all), cleaning out all the forgotten corners of my home and binging on I don’t even remember what, but most likely some cooking competition. And here I am almost two years later and I still have not gone on that trip!
I will not even tell you about all the goodness in spinach and this smoothie (it definitely is good for you containing loads of vitamins, folates, and antioxidants), but keeping your nutrition balanced during health trouble definitely helps a faster recovery!
So go, go make this smoothie now and be transported to a holiday!
Oh, one more thing – if you use all the ingredients in their frozen form, then let them thaw slightly before processing unless you have a very powerful blender. I usually use fresh pineapple and frozen banana and spinach, and this works well.
Ingredients:
1 cup of pineapple cubes (fresh or frozen)
½ cup coconut milk
1 banana (fresh or frozen)
3 ½ oz frozen spinach
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and whizz until smooth. Serve immediately adding a few slices of pineapple as a decoration. Feel free to add an umbrella.
Smoothies are usually not considered indulgent, and neither is spinach. But whizz together this smoothie containing quite a bit of this leafy green, call this a pina colada, and feel like you are on vacation!
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.
Massage with hot stones is an ancient technique that can fill you with the pure energy of nature. The technique of massage with natural stones is based on the natural reaction of the body to cold and heat. However, the stones themselves play an extremely important role in this mystery. Some say stones are some of the oldest inhabitants of our world, absorbing the energy of the cosmos and stars, earth, and water for thousands of years. In the process of stone therapy, minerals transfer the accumulated energy to the human body, healing ailments and soothing the soul.
What kind of stones are used for massage?
Stones of different geographical origins are used, from places ranging from Peru, Argentina, the Indonesian islands, the USA, Italy, and Norway. One of the favorite tools of stone therapy is called jadeite — a cobblestone of rich green color from Japan or China. It rightfully takes the place of an emperor among hot massage stones. Jadeite is attributed to the properties of an amulet and a powerful stabilizer, able to influence the course of energy in the body.
Some points on the body respond to the touch of a hot stone, while others are activated by the action of cold stones. This is the essence of the technique. In thermal massage, basalt is most often used because it equally involves all types of energy. This stone cools down slowly, generously sharing its warmth with the person. Exposure to cold is carried out through pieces of marble.
Masters of massage say that the strength of the impact of each stone is determined not only by its temperature. The weight, the degree of smoothness of the surface, the shape, the charge, and the ability to retain heat have their influences too.
How does stone therapy work?
Masters, who influence the patient's body with stones, always keep in mind the spiritual component of the interaction. Four elements co-exist in each stone: the power of fire and the calmness of the water, the life-giving energy of the earth, and the unstoppable wind. It is believed that on a subtle level, stones absorb negative emotions, tension and neutralize negative, disease-causing energy. And in return, they fill us with the pure energy of nature and can help beat depression. But how does this work in the physical body? After all, we are unable to see the movement of subtle energy.
The work begins with the spine, the ears, the temples, the feet, and the palms of the hands. Literally, in a couple of minutes there is a feeling of pleasant warmth, the skin turns red, the blood vessels expand. The capillary blood and metabolic processes are the first to react. This is followed by a massage with cold stones, which causes vasoconstriction, which stimulates the outflow of lymph, eliminates stagnation in the veins, and normalizes the functions of the vegetative nervous system. Indirectly the endocrine and immune systems respond to the influence, deep mechanisms of energy harmonization are activated, relaxation sets in.
Alternation of cold and heat, competent influence on certain points causes response at the level of lymph flow and capillary blood circulation. Stress, worries, and fears are released on the physical level, giving way to relaxation and peace. The body literally comes alive. Another positive effect of stone therapy is the increase in endorphins. The patient feels a rush of joy and relaxation, and the body triggers self-healing mechanisms.
A stone therapy session usually begins and ends with a hand massage. The gentle, gliding touches first prepare the skin, making it as receptive as possible to the action of the stones. And at the end, the massage enhances relaxation, supports endorphin levels, and soothes. If you're a massage enthusiast, consider treating yourself to a massage with natural stones next time to experience these unique benefits.
By Ellie Yantsen
Want extra relief and nourishment for your back? Enjoy this Yoga for Back Pain program!
The benefits of yoga are becoming more well-known and mainstream. That said, there is still a sizable part of the population who would like to practice yoga, but get stuck on some common excuses of why they can't. Whether they believe these excuses or not, these common myths are busted below and can help motivate you to get onto the yoga mat and experience this practice's immense benefits.
1. I’m too busy for yoga. Classes never fit my schedule.
Yoga is now available to you any time and from anywhere you have an internet connection! Try online yoga classes on YogaDownload from the ease and convenience of your home or hotel room or office. Classes online are also shorter than a lot of classes in studios. Rather than an hour or more for a class, plus the time to commute there, you can put a 20-minute class on, from the comfort of your home. Regardless of your schedule, you can always find a time to practice yoga.
2. Yoga has gotten so expensive. I’m too broke for such luxury.
Many studio owners are recognizing that regular drop-in class prices may not be accessible to folks during these hard economic times. They are responding by offering more affordable classes at certain times of the day.
Furthermore, it is now more affordable and more convenient than ever to practice yoga online! Platforms like YogaDownload give you unlimited access to yoga classes at any time for the price of lunch and half the cost of some studio drop-in classes.
Regardless of the monetary cost, yoga is an investment in yourself and your well-being and worth the money.
3. I’m too inflexible for yoga. I have to get in shape first.
I can’t speak for other yoga teachers, but my classes always emphasize compassion for your body and practicing without judgment or criticism. We start with where ever you are and go from there. All bodies can benefit. Yin yoga is a great place to start a yoga practice, as there’s no emphasis on range of motion – i.e. no perfect pose to work towards. And, if you are still intimidated to hit up a regular class, private yoga sessions to work with you individually can help! YogaDownload also has a 3-week program for inflexible beginners.
By Elise Fabricant
Elise Fabricant is a top teacher on YogaDownload.com. She's also always at your service for one-on-one coaching. If you’re ready to make big changes in all aspects of your life, sign up for a complimentary clarity session with her from her website here.
While we celebrate offering yoga classes that appeal and benefit a wide range of individuals, it’s also important that we provide niche classes that are created for specific populations. Who doesn’t want a yoga class that recognizes we may need something different at times? It’s a great reminder that we aren’t alone in that need, we’re part of a community.
There isn’t an identical path for any of us. We’re all unique. Individually perfect or perfectly imperfect. What really matters is how you feel during and after your yoga practice. Whatever your personal experience, there’s a universal premise that yoga is a process of turning inward. Of getting quiet so you can truly be present. Of finding your brightest inner light or—gasp- even achieving Samadhi or enlightenment.
The yogic path is outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and begins with Yoga Sutra 1:2 Citta Vritti Nirodha––which translates to learning to calm the mind’s fluctuations or learning to direct your attention where you wish it to go. What’s beautiful about yoga is the journey to achieving calmness and clarity doesn’t have to progress in one particular way. There is no perfect pose and no perfect practice. Our needs fluctuate depending on the season or the season of life we’re in. If the end result is that you uncover your best self, you shed the layers weighing you down and shine bright, isn’t that actually the “right” path for you?
This week we’re offering classes that embrace certain populations. Robert Sidoti is back with another offering in his Yoga for Men program––classes that take into account the strength, mobility, and anatomy unique to guys. For our Spanish-speaking yogis, Michelle Smith’s has a new class just for you.
Claire Petretti Marti, a twelve-year cancer survivor, created her Yoga for Cancer Recovery class to help manage physical and emotional side-effects, and rebuild strength and mobility. And for Seniors, Jeanne Dillion’s Gentle Chair Yoga for Neck & Shoulders targets posture and stress relief, all while in a seated position. Check out these and other classes that may be perfect for you this week.
Robert Sidoti - Yoga for Men 4: Becoming a Priority
Claire Petretti Marti - Yoga for Cancer Recovery
Jeanne Dillion - Gentle Chair Yoga for Neck & Shoulders
How would you describe your perfect birthday cake? For me (Jo), carrot cake is the ultimate birthday feast centerpiece. It’s always been my favorite cake since I was a kid. And every year I try to re-create a new favorite version!
My birthday was just last week, so I’ve been daydreaming about a new carrot cake recipe for weeks now. My friend and nanny Kerry is an amazing baker, so I asked her to make my daydream into a reality. I wanted this cake to be a spin on the typical carrot cake flavors while incorporating elements of my favorite grain-free pumpkin rolls with a citrus cream for some extra decadence and an extra veggie punch.
The end result is this super flavorful and delicious Carrot Cake with Citrus Cream!
And now for the highlights: this Carrot Cake is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, low-sugar, coconut-free, AND soy-free — making this an extra easy cake to share. Plus, if you want to make it vegan, you can simply swap the honey for maple syrup. It’s super easy to adapt!
What makes this cake really special is the addition of canned pumpkin in the cake which keeps it extra moist and prevents it from drying out. The added Citrus Cream frosting perfectly brightens the earthiness of the pumpkin and gets its rich creaminess from organic palm shortening.
The clementine juice in the frosting also enhances the sweetness of this cake without having to add lots of sugar. This way we could reduce the added sweeteners to a little bit of honey mixed with a few tablespoons of monkfruit, which combine perfectly with the raisins in the batter for balanced but minimal sweetness.
If you love carrot cake, you have to give this version a try. It’s sure to be a hit wherever you serve it — even my kiddos love it!
With love and cake crumb kisses,
Jo & Jules
Carrot Cake with Citrus Cream Frosting
For the Cake:
1 15oz can pumpkin purée 3 tbsp lakanto 1 tbsp honey 2 tbsp palm shortening, melted 1 cup Himalayan buckwheat flour 1 cup cashew flour 2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cloves ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1½ cup shredded carrots (about 2-3 medium carrots) ½ cup raisins ⅓ cup walnuts, roughly chopped 1 15oz can of chickpea liquid (aquafaba) whipped
For the Citrus Cream:
2 cups palm shortening 2 cups clementine segments Zest of one lemon 3 tbsp lakanto 1 tbsp honey ½ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350ºF and line two 9” cake pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, lakanto, honey, and palm shortening. Mix in the flours, spices, baking powder, and baking soda. Add in shredded carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
In a separate bowl, whip the aquafaba until it has stiff peaks and fold it into the cake batter in three parts. Divide the cake batter into the two pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
To make the Citrus Cream Frosting, combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Once the cake has cooled, frost it and refrigerate until serving.
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.
Lots of guys drive or sit at desks with their wallet or cell phone in their back pocket, but they can’t figure out why they moan and groan in pain when they stand up to leave the car or chair.
Here’s the physics: One butt cheek sitting higher than the other can trigger chronic pain in your back, hips, and shoulders, and set off foot cramps.
Here’s the physiology: Eventually, you may compress the sciatic nerve (it runs from each side of the spine down through the back of each thigh to the foot) and cause searing leg pain and numbness called sciatica. You also can aggravate the piriformis muscle (it’s near your glutes), which can irritate the nerve and trigger lower back and sciatic pain.
Here’s the fix: Get that wallet or cell phone out of your back pocket! Slide them into your front pockets or get a “man-purse.” Also, do stretches to restore alignment and relax tense gluteal and lower back muscles. Pilates and Hatha Yoga or Yin Yoga will help to counteract the years of sitting lopsided.
Get their wallets out of their back pockets for a month and see what happens in their bodies. Women, you’re challenge is to cease and desist with the high heels for a month. One lucky challenger will be chosen at random to win a free massage!
Practice this free yoga class with Elise!
Morning Yoga Quickie 2 with Elise
What is Yin Yoga?
In the simplest terms, Yin Yoga is a yoga style that holds passive yoga postures for a longer duration of time. These poses are usually held for a duration of between three to ten minutes.
The concept of holding passive poses for a longer period of time is taken from the practice of Hatha Yoga, where poses are usually held for up to ten minutes. Ten minutes can be a long time, as Hatha Yoga was originally practiced by monks as an austere practice - but when Hatha Yoga was introduced to common people it was modified to be between one to three minutes, to make it more accessible.
What makes Yin Yoga different is that only the passive poses are used. Muscle use is kept to a minimum, with muscles only gently encouraged to hold the posture without extra effort. As poses are held for a longer duration, props such as cushions and bolsters are encouraged. The poses are taken from Hatha Yoga but are given new names to differentiate between the two.
The History of Yin Yoga
Yin Yoga is a fairly new style of yoga, and it started in the late 1980s. While attending a Taoist Yoga class taught by martial arts champion Paulie Zink, Paul Grilley practiced holding the Taoist Yoga poses for long periods of time, from five to ten minutes. However, after practicing for months, Paul didn’t see much improvement in his flexibility. So, he stopped attending classes and continued to practice and teach dynamic poses from Vinyasa Yoga.
While he taught some passive stretching classes to his students and saw huge results. The quicker improvement in his students' range of motion led him to focus on these movements, and he started to call his classes Yin Yang Yoga, due to his interest in Buddhism. Even in Hatha Yoga, poses are held for up to three minutes - not as long as in Yin Yoga.
When poses are held for a longer period of time, the yin tissues are stretched. These are the deeper tissues such as the tendons, ligaments, and other connective body tissues. These tissues are less vascular, which means they are less supplied with blood, and also less elastic. This means they need more time to stretch, but stretching them increases overall flexibility, circulation, and range of motion.
Differences between Yin and other types of Yoga
More dynamic styles such as Vinyasa Yoga and Hatha Yoga, the movement makes your muscles do a lot of the work and stretch. Muscles are our Yang tissues, and they are quick to warm up and stretch, but also quick to cool down and rebound. So, when you only practice dynamic practices, you can gain muscle strength but not a wider range of motion. To have a healthy range of motion around our joints, we need to stretch the deep connective tissue and the joints.
Breathing is also an important part of yoga. The way breathing is regulated affects how the muscles and mind respond to a particular pose. In Yin Yoga, there is more of an emphasis on relaxed belly breathing. The focus is on long slow and deep breaths which are vital for letting the body relax and be in a pose for longer.
Benefits of Yin Yoga
The benefits of Yin Yoga are multiple, especially on the yin tissues. The Fascia tissue is stretched and stimulated by the long holds in the body. Stretching the fascia allows for an increased flow of nutrients, improving the overall functioning of the body.
The ligaments also benefit from Yin Yoga. The ligaments connect bones to bones, and they are stiff and strong and protect our joints from going out of place. Yin Yoga can gently stretch our ligaments and maintain the range of motion in our joints - keeping our body young.
Our tendons are the connective tissue that connects muscle to the bone. WIth dynamic exercise, the tendons can become short and decrease the range of motion. Yin poses can lengthen the tendons gently and retain the range of motion.
Yin yoga also helps to put gentle pressure on the joints, which revitalizes the joints and renews the fluids. This can help to increase the lifespan of the joints.
There are also a lot of mental benefits to Yin Yoga. Yin Yoga can help to release stress which is stored in our deeper tissues. Stretching these muscles in Yin yoga releases tension and stress, and you might feel an emotional response.
Yin Yoga can also help emotional balance. Yin Yoga stimulates our endocrine glands by pressuring them in longer held poses. The effect is an improved hormonal balance which also results in more balanced emotions. Sitting still in longer poses can also help to bring more mental clarity and focus.
If you are interested in starting Yin Yoga, why not try our 3 part series: Yin Yoga 101. This is a great way to introduce yourself to the practice and learn the basics while giving yourself a chance to reap the benefits.
Why we need Yin yoga now. We are all living at a pitch point in history and these last few years have been challenging on every level––individually and collectively. From living through a pandemic to times of war and strife, how can we find a balance inside and out? While yoga can’t solve all these major issues, it can help us create more space in our reaction time to find reserves of inner strength to handle the external events we cannot control.
Yoga’s many benefits, from increasing physical strength and flexibility to quieting the mind and balancing the emotions, come with consistent practice. Many forms of yoga, from the more active Yang practices like Ashtanga and Vinyasa to more passive styles like Yin and Gentle Hatha nourish us. But sometimes, when the world has so much active Yang energy, a more pacifying Yin practice helps us slow down and soothe our nervous systems.
If you’re new to Yin Yoga, this week we’re sharing a three-class introduction with Yin Yoga expert teacher Caitlin Rose Kinney. The classes are appropriate for all levels of experience. Yin consists of three tattvas or principles:
Find your edge in the posture.
Settle into a sense of stillness.
Hold the posture for an extended time, usually one to five minutes.
Yin yoga’s emphasis on only doing a few postures and holding for a longer time targets the ligaments, tendons, and fascia, as well as the internal organs like the kidneys and adrenal glands. Instead of working on the muscular level, this practice goes deeper for powerful relaxation and calming of the nervous system. Most postures are seated or lying down and can get intense!
Extended holds require you to focus on your breath and quieting your internal chatter. Because of the emphasis on hip openers, profound emotional releases often occur during class. Taking the time to get silent is a form of self-care and we all need that now more than ever. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, one of the main goals in Yin is to access a sense of surrender in each pose. If we individually grow more peaceful, our collective energy can impact the world.
Harness the stable quiet energy cultivated in Yin practice. These classes will balance out the active Yang energy that fills most of our days. You’re in incredible hands with this introductory program. Enjoy!
If you are a spice lover like myself, I am pretty sure this recipe will stay with you forever. This chili oil goes with everything. I enjoy it with my dumplings and noodles, drizzle it on scrambled eggs and use it on avocado toast. I use it to top my ramen soups and rice bowls. I sometimes even drizzle it on vanilla ice cream! You probably get the point, you can add this to anything!
Two good things about this condiment – first, making it is extremely simple. Yes, you will be handling hot oil, so I would not trust a kid alone with this recipe, but the process is very straightforward. Second, it keeps for more or less forever. Well, that is the theory because in my case the batch is finished within a few months. Actually, there is a third thing, and the chili oil makes a wonderful gift to give your heat-loving friend.
So, if you are ready to change your life forever give this recipe a go!
Chili Oil: You can add to anything!
Cooking time: minutes
2 anise stars
1 small stick of cinnamon
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
2 ½ cups rapeseed oil
2 cups chili flakes
½ tsp salt
Instruction:
Place everything besides the chili and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat and let the oil infuse for around 30 minutes.
At the same time, place the chili flakes and salt into a BIG heatproof bowl. Big, as you do not want the hot oil splashing over!
Once the oil has been infused, pour it through a sieve over the chili flakes and mix.
Jar/bottle up and keep at room temperature up to a few months.
People are endlessly seeking happiness and motivation in their lives, trying all sorts of tricks to achieve them. While there’s no single secret to happiness and motivation, there are some academic insights you can implement into your own life to bring about a greater abundance of the two.
This article dives into the concepts of hedonia, eudaimonia, engagement, and their impacts on your happiness and motivation. Psychological and social research has led to the development of these concepts that have their roots in ancient philosophy but still bear fruit in the present day.
The Meaning of Hedonia
To understand the relationship between hedonia, eudaimonia, and engagement, you must first understand them individually.
The word “hedonia” comes from the Greek work “hedone” which translates to “pleasure.”
You may recognize the sound of the word from “hedonism” which is more commonly used nowadays. Hedonism may have negative connotations depending on where you come from, as religious organizations and certain philosophers have criticized it harshly.
It was viewed as a purely selfish form of physical indulgence with strong ties to morally deviant behavior. This, however, is an extreme view that does not apply to hedonia.
Hedonia, as modern psychologists understand it, is an umbrella term for a state of pleasure, comfort, or enjoyment. A state in which you are free of distress. Hedonic pursuits, therefore, are activities or indulgences that bring you closer to this state of being.
You can likely think of something you do in life simply for the enjoyment of it. This could be doing yoga, eating your favorite food, spending time with friends or loved ones, drinking a cup of coffee, or walking in nature. Anything you do to destress and enjoy yourself is potentially considered hedonia.
Understanding Eudaimonia
Hedonia and eudaimonia are similar in that they both have positive outcomes. However, in contrast to hedonia, eudaimonia relates to long-term achievement rather than short-term pleasure.
The ancient philosopher Aristotle first conceptualized eudaimonia, a word that literally translates to “happiness.” In his terms, it relates to activities that help bring about self-actualization, living true to your nature, and fulfilling your passions in life.
To look deeper into the meaning of the word, you can dissect it. “Eu” translates to “good” while “daimon” translates to “spirit.”
Thus, eudaimonia refers not simply to pleasure, but to fulfillment, enlightenment, living according to your perceived purpose and passion. It’s a complex concept to pin down with words, but that doesn’t stop contemporary philosophers and psychologists from trying.
In simple terms, you may think of eudaimonia as something that provides lasting and meaningful happiness as opposed to short-term, fleeting joy. There is often work required to achieve eudaimonia. For example, your daily yoga practice. While you may enjoy your yoga, it requires commitment and effort. The benefits of yoga are strength, vitality, and peace, which last a lifetime if you maintain your practice.
Another example is education. It requires work and effort, but through the pursuit of knowledge, you become more fulfilled and capable in life.
Eudaimonia often requires discipline while hedonia is much easier to sink into. Sometimes you don’t even have to think about it.
The Engagement Element
Engagement may be thought of as the level of attention you put into anything you do. The theory is that the more you engage with or attend to any activity, the more you get out of it. Signing up to do something is easy. It can be a split-second decision. But being present with the activity every time you do it is engagement.
To use yoga as an example again, you may come to your mat in the morning feeling grumpy and distracted. You have a thousand things on your mind, and you resent the 30 minutes you’re taking out of your day to focus on hip openers or sun salutations.
You may feel tempted to breeze through your poses without paying attention to the instructor, doing the bare minimum to look like you’re participating. It’s unlikely that you will reap much benefit from your practice in this state of mind and body.
If you’re committed to engagement, you may take a few deep breaths, put yourself in your heart space, and practice your poses with as much dedication and mindfulness as you can. This may not completely alleviate your stress, but your mind and body will benefit far more from choosing to be engaged.
Similarly, a student who does the bare minimum in class and in their assignments will be lucky to pass and will struggle professionally more than the student who shows up on time and works hard every day, regardless of their feelings.
An Energetic Intersection
Psychologists believe that a careful balance between hedonia, eudaimonia, and engagement is the closest thing we have to an instruction manual for happiness and motivation.
Eudaimonia spurs you to do things like study, exercise, meditate, eat well, help the needy, and advance your career. These things are great for the human spirit, but they are also taxing. They require tremendous amounts of commitment and discipline to maintain, which in turn causes us to become stressed.
Hedonia comprises all the big and little indulgences we allow ourselves to provide a counterweight to all the strain we take in pursuit of larger goals. Eating that chocolate, spending a night out with friends, going on holiday, taking that afternoon nap, these are all things that when practiced in moderation provide us with joy and comfort that alleviates stress.
Engagement overlaps with both of these concepts. Whether you’re working hard to achieve a personal or fitness goal or simply taking some time to enjoy the little things, you should allow yourself to be present and engage fully. If your mind is in a thousand different places, you will not reap the full benefits of hedonia or eudaimonia.
With that in mind, strive to be present while doing yoga, but also strive to be present while having fun with your friends. Both are necessary for us to stay happy and motivated, and both will bring you closer to your truest expression of self.
By Sophia Bennet
Want more motivation at work? Do the yoga breaks at your desk program for increased focus and productivity!
Posture is something that most people can stand to improve a little. Our heads, necks, backs, and shoulders get put under pressure every day, and it’s easy to not realize how tight they can become. The easiest way to improve posture and ease tension in the upper body is to make little changes throughout your day, and not even all of them need to be done at once. Here are a few things that could be damaging your posture and upper body, and a few ways to combat it.
Slouching on your commute
We all know that slouching can be an easy habit to fall into, and it can be debilitating to your posture. While we can all slouch throughout the day, we are probably more aware of it when sitting at home, or even more so at work when we have to sit up and look at a screen for most of the day. But many of us can slouch on our commute, perhaps when tired after a long day of looking down on our phones while on the train. This can actually make neck and back problems worse. Studies have shown that vibrations caused by trains and cars can actually make you slouch more, by relaxing and sedating your muscles. Try to make an effort to sit up straight on your journey.
Talking on the phone
We’ve all needed to go hands-free while we’re on the phone, to jot something down or tackle an issue. But did you know that cradling your phone between your shoulder and your ear will affect your neck muscles and ruin good posture, even if you do it for just a few minutes every day. Try using headphones or a speaker to ensure you don’t damage your posture while on a call.
Take breaks and stretch
Whether you work on your feet or work on a desk job, spending eight hours of your day either sitting on a desk or strenuous activity can hinder your posture. When possible, try to take a few minutes every day to walk around, stretch and give your muscles a break during the day.
Don’t carry everything on one shoulder
It’s another habit to carry your bags on the same shoulder, day after day. But carrying on this habit can cause upper back pain, headaches, and sciatica, especially if you carry heavy bags. These issues can all hurt your posture and cause you to lean to one side due to weight. Try switching it up every time to combat this.
Wearing high heels
High heels are still very popular, and while a lot of people love them, it’s not the best shoe for your posture and your body. High heels can start to affect the way you stand, and eventually the way you walk because they cause your spine to start to sway unnaturally. If you do have to wear heels, try to stretch your calves as often as you can.
Bending forward with your back
If it’s lifting things that are heavy, or even doing something simple like picking something up or leaning forward, bending forward with your back can lead to serious issues with your upper back and posture. Try bending forwards at your hips, instead of bending with your stomach, and you will see a massive difference in your posture.
Don’t cross your legs
Even when you’re sitting down, the way that you position yourself and your legs when sitting matters. While it might seem second nature to cross your legs when you sit, you should actually avoid it. When you put one knee over the other, you lift your pelvis and this can actually cause a sore lower back and add to bad posture.
Sleeping on your stomach
While it might be comfy, sleeping on your stomach can put stress on your spine, and can make your posture worse. This is because when you sleep on your stomach, your spine can’t be in a neutral position, because all of your weight is at your center. Try sleeping on your back, or your side.
Now you know some of the things that can be making your posture worse, here are some ways to combat bad posture.
Wall slide
If you’ve been sitting in one place for too long, a wall slide is a good way to reset your body and your posture and remind yourself what a good posture feels like. It can also help to relieve tightness in your neck and shoulders. To do it, stand with your back and head pressed against the wall, with your feet a foot or two away. Try not to arch your back, and bend your knees slightly. Raise your arms, and this is the starting point. Now, slide your arms down towards your shoulders, keeping your back and head against the wall. Hold here for a moment, and then lift your arms back up to the starting point.
Child's Pose
Child’s pose is an easy pose that can help to stretch your spine and ease tension in your back. Start on all fours, then sink your hips back towards your feet - walking your hands out in front at the same time. Place your forehead on the floor, and relax and breathe deeply.
Shoulder blade squeeze
This exercise will help to improve your posture by stabilizing the shoulders and upper back muscles. Stand tall with your arms at your side, and pull your shoulders back and downward, as if you’re trying to get your shoulder blades to touch. Pull until you feel a slight stretch in your muscles.
By Amy Cavill
Stop what you’re doing for a moment and check-in to see how you’re feeling. Turn your head from side to side, perform a few shoulder rolls, and reach your arms overhead. Are you carrying tension in your neck or are your shoulders rounded forward? Mental and emotional stress often manifests as poor posture which impacts not just your muscles, tendons, and bones but also your subtle body. Read on to discover how yoga for your upper body can help.
This week, join us and dedicate some time to developing and maintaining a healthy spine with classes designed specifically to prevent and alleviate back pain. Yoga’s three-pronged approach will help you discover whether the tightness and discomfort are coming primarily from your spinal disc issues, strained muscles or connective tissue, or your texting or driving habits. The great news is that regardless of the cause, yoga can soothe what ails you.
This week’s classes offer relief if you’re currently suffering neck and back pain while strengthening and stretching the muscles supporting your spine to prevent future issues. You’ll learn techniques to maintain a stable yet mobile spine and release patterns that could be causing injury. From gentle backbends to core strengthening moves and focused shoulder-opening postures, these targeted practices provide powerful benefits. When you open your shoulders and chest, you’re creating more space for your heart to stay emotionally balanced.
By softening the areas where you carry tension, you relax the muscles, which creates a corresponding emotional release. The upper body houses the higher chakras, from the crown of the head, Sahasrara Chakra, down the spine to the third-eye or Ajna Chakra, the throat chakra or Visshuda, and the Anahata or heart Chakra. These energy centers represent our connection to the Divine, our intuition, our center for authentic communication, to our seat of love and compassion, respectively. A yoga practice emphasizing creating freedom in your neck, shoulders, and back will positively impact your subtle body and mental health.
Check out this week’s varied classes and improve your posture, open your heart, and clear your mind. Reverse the damage from hunching over your computer, sitting too long, and holding anxiety in your neck, shoulders, and back. Here’s to feeling light and balanced!
Claire Petretti Marti - Yoga for Healthy Backs: Spinal Tune-Up
Shoulder Mobility with Kylie Larson
Desiree Rumbaugh - Strengthen, Protect, & Heal the Upper Body
Patrick Montgomery - Neck Nirvana
What could be better than chocolate? Chocolate and berries! Desserts that combine berries with chocolate feel like the gold standard.
These Raspberry Cheesecake Bites tick all the boxes. Raspberries give just the right amount of acidity and sweetness to the silky cashew-based filling. The luxurious texture and brightness of the tangy berries make this filling completely drool-worthy. And to top it all off, they have rich chocolate crusts that you’ll be tempted to eat all on their own.
We’ve added maca to this recipe for some added adaptogen-powdered oomph to your celebrations. Maca helps boost libido and fertility, improves energy, and may also relieve some of the symptoms of menopause.
The best part? These cheesecake bites can be whipped up in no time at all. There aren’t any complicated steps in this one — just some straightforward blending and freezing. For such an easy process, the payoff is huge. These bites look enticing and taste irresistible.
Plus this is a naturally sweetened recipe, so you won’t get the crash and irritability of your typical sugar-laden treats. These bites are a nourishing alternative that gives you all the flavor without the side effects. They’re also completely plant-based and gluten-free, which makes them extra easy to share.
With chocolate raspberry kisses,
Jo and Jules
Raspberry Cheesecake Bites
Yield: 4 Cheesecakes
For the crust:
¼ cup dates ¼ cup raw pecans 2 tsp cacao powder
For the filling:
½ cup cashews, soaked at least one hour Juice of ½ a lemon 2 tbsp palm shortening ¼ cup oat milk 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla 2 tsp maca powder 1 pint raspberries 2 tbsp maple syrup
Directions:
For the crust, start by blending dates in a food processor or blender for about one minute or until they turn into a paste. Take the dates out and pulse the pecans until the texture resembles flour. Add the dates back in along with the cacao powder and blend until combined. Line 4 slots in a muffin tin with paper liners and fill each with a generously rounded tablespoon of the pecan/date mixture. Press down with a spoon or fingers, and freeze while making the filling.
For the filling, place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides of the blender. Pour filling on top of the crust in the molds and let freeze at least one hour.
Cook raspberries with maple syrup in a saucepan until they break down and become a purée. You can strain out the seeds at this point if you prefer a purée without them. Let cool for at least two hours in the refrigerator. After topping the crust with the cheesecake mixture, add one teaspoon of raspberry and stir lightly with a toothpick before freezing for at least one hour.
Allow the cheesecakes to come to room temp for about 10 minutes before enjoying!
Every family of yoga poses has its own unique energetic benefits. While the musculoskeletal benefits of postures are more obvious, benefits like open hamstrings, strengthening the core, or opening the shoulders, the energetic and emotional benefits are more subtle but important and valuable in their own way.
For example, backbends, are uplifting and energizing and a perfect remedy for sluggish depressed energy. Inversions are excellent not only for the lymphatic and circulatory systems but also for changing perspective and getting a new angle on looking at things. Twists not only are physically detoxing but are also a catalyst to help you let things go and shed things holding you back.
Forward folds are unique in their own special way. They give you the ability to go inwards and physically and emotionally. Physically, they are fantastic for relieving back pain as they open the entire backside of your body (legs and back).
Energetically and emotionally, forward folds, are soothing and calming, even if it doesn't feel like it while you're in the posture. They are an excellent family of postures for combatting anxiety and soothing your nervous system. If you feel a lot of scattered and overwhelming fast energy, practice any of these forward folds, for several breaths, to give yourself a moment to calm and ground.
Here are 7 simple Forward Folds to help you experience the calming benefits of these asanas.
Wide-Legged Forward Fold: Prasarita Padottanasana
Wide-Legged Forward Fold is a powerful stretch and strengthening posture for the entirety of both legs. This versatile pose that requires engagement through the feet and legs, is a partial inversion, opens the hips, and lengthens the spine.
Standing Forward Fold: Uttanasana
Standing Forward Bend is a calming posture that will stretch your calves, hamstrings, and back muscles while rejuvenating your mind and body.
Seated Forward Fold: Paschimotanasana
Paschimotanasana is a grounding forward fold, that stimulates your root chakra, calms your nervous system, and stretches the entire spine and back of the legs.
Janu Sirsasana: Head to Knee Forward Fold
Head to knee pose is a powerful stretch for your hamstrings. It also opens your hips, gluteus muscles, and back of your neck.
Child's Pose: Balasana
This is a partial forward fold, but still has many of the calming benefits. Child's pose is a restful posture that will allow you to catch your breath, open your hips, lengthen your spine, and feel grounded.
Downward Facing Dog: Adho Mukha Svanasana
This is another partial forward fold and partial inversion. Downward Facing Dog is a common therapeutic yoga posture that elongates spinal muscles and rejuvenates your entire body.
Standing Split: Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana
Standing Splits challenges you to find a balance of strength, flexibility, and grace while opening your hamstrings, quads, and back.
Pyramid Pose: Parsvottanasana
Pyramid pose is a challenging and deep forward bend. Your legs not only stretch but also strengthen in this posture. It's important to continue to lengthen your spine while holding this posture.
Ready to relieve anxiety through yoga? This Yoga for Anxiety Relief program will have you feeling calmer and more centered.
This Full Moon moves us into the culmination of healing, and self restoration. This self-awakening began in the Fall, and worked the subject and object of the individuated self within our inner constructs. It worked to prepare for new endeavors and the embodiment of self through an expanded view of the external. How you hold yourself and the external has been challenged. These challenges opened the consciousness into new possibilities.
This Full Moon not only brings a full circle to self-awareness but also reflects and ends a cycle from 2018 (pre-pandemic). Look back and acknowledge how far you've come, how vast and expansive your journey has been. The mind and sense of self have crossed new horizons of understanding, consciousness, and self-awakening. Our external world has been stirred, the concept of self within time has shifted dramatically. This lunation is special in the waters that are rejuvenating are equally birthing the beginning of new self-awareness. It will hold us in space. Some of you may have experienced rapid shifts in your lives, the foundations, or what we call the four corners (career & legacy, health, relationship, self). These 'Tower Moments' mark quick shifts in direction and though some may have felt the ground or structures crumble on a very personal level. Know that these energies are for you to command, and if anything has affirmed that your foundation lies within the power of you, and your foundation is you. These awakenings support 'illogical' realities, unrealistic expectations, and reassert the foundation of the self resides within the self.
It's not easy, to be pressurized. However, know that building castles in the sky is the new reality. The gift of this Full Moon will bring to light what lies deep within, how intuition has and will continue to be a potent force in direction and self-realization. Time will feel non-linear, things will continue to shift quickly, or feel like it's not moving at all. Rest assured that what remains behind you are the ashes that nourish a grander reality than logic can fathom. These energies are creating the place in between. It is melding the two opposites and allows one to bring together an amalgamation of what once was, and what is emerging. In relationships and life, this is being reflected into a new evolution of relationships, views, and of course of one's abilities.
The middle road is coming forward and how everything is coming together through the self and mind are very unique. This is a point in which individuation has a healthy relationship with unification. Pay attention to symbols and signs, much is being reflected from the depths of the psyche and will work to strengthen the coming together. This helps in rising in individuality with a greater understanding and connection to unity.
An important aspect of this Full Moon is its ripening of virtues. There is a balance within values, truth, commitment, and fortitude. Again, the foundations of well-being will begin to birth how we connect our higher selves, the core values of humanity through the individuated self. How we create a new world, will rely heavily on how we come together. There is an exposing of duality. This exposure works to find the unifying essence. It will work how we individuate within unification.
Geenie, also known as Gemma, is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, astrologer and student of the Sri Vidya Tantric lineage. Her website is here. Her classes on YogaDownload are often inspired by astrology and aimed to guide each student to unfold a deeper connection from within. Her diverse knowledge and continued studies in the spiritual sciences can be felt in her class offerings. With humble devotion Gemma weaves the wisdom of yogic practices into accessible and impactful mat experiences.
You can book a Cosmobiology Consultation- Ayurveda with Astrology reading or other offerings of hers, here! Practice Geenie's Yoga & Astrology program now!
“The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness.” -Sakyong Mipham
Yoga is the perfect synergy between asana (posture), pranayama (breathwork), and meditation. When you develop a consistent yoga practice, you create a strong body and a centered calm mind. One effective approach to stepping into your personal power is to emphasize building physical strength through your yoga practice. These classes will help you strengthen bones and joints, increase endurance and stamina, and boost your mood with endorphins.
When you focus on building physical strength, you’re not just becoming more muscularly toned, you’re ensuring the health of your spine, your cardiovascular and nervous systems, and more. We’ve only got this one body and yoga asana is an excellent way to maintain fitness for your entire life. Like Joseph Pilates’ said, “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” Think of your yoga practice as a vehicle to allow you to stay active and vibrant as long as possible.
Yoga asana originated to allow the yogi to be able to sit still and meditate for long periods of time. If you aren’t strong or flexible enough to sit comfortably, you’ll be challenged to quiet your mind and find Santosha (contentment). When you focus on challenging your body’s limits, you tap into your inner resolve and filter out distractions, which reduces stress and encourages more balanced emotions. You simply can’t separate the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga. Even if all you care about is mastering Mayurasana (Peacock) or Sirsasana (Headstand), you will still find more clarity, calm, and joy within yourself.
Whether you’re accustomed to emphasizing the physical, mental, or spiritual aspects in your own practice, all approaches lead to the same place––learning to live in the present moment. In this space, we can release self-doubt and unleash our inner warrior, becoming the most powerful version of ourselves. Whether you’re accustomed to a slow-paced Iyengar class a fast Power Yoga flow, or a quieter practice like Yin or Restorative, you’re building strength, balance, flexibility, and equanimity.
Join us this week for some fun classes that will not only challenge you physically but will empower you to be your strongest self––outside and in.
Jeanie Manchester - Arm Balancing: The King and the Sage
Desiree Rumbaugh - Yoga for Lower Body Strength
Not sure that today’s creation should be called a recipe because it literally is frying up a bunch of brussels sprouts, seasoning them with salt and lemon, and serving with sunflower seeds and cheese. But sometimes the easiest things are the best things in life, right!
By the way, did you know that some people might have a true reason behind not liking brussels sprouts – some people have a heightened perception of the bitter taste and brussels have bitter notes and this is why they are not fans of these healthy nuggets.
I probably don’t have this heightened sensitivity as I really love brussel sprouts. But not every kind – just boiled to a mush I will not touch them, but toasty and fried up like in this recipe – I don’t even need anything else to go with them as a main, just hand me a big bowl of these and I am happy!
That said – they do make a nice side dish to whatever protein you prefer!
Healthy Brussel Sprouts
Cooking time: 15 minutes
2 cups of Brussels sprouts, halved
1 tbsp cooking oil
The juice of 1 small lemon
Salt, to taste
1 tbs toasted sunflower seeds
30 g parmesan cheese
Heat the oil on a pan and throw your Brussels in. Use moderate to high heat and try to place the little cabbages cut side down at first to max the crispiness factor. Cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes, then season with salt and lemon juice, toss them around and fry 5-10 more minutes until nice soft, but not mushy.
Serve hot sprinkled with toasted sunflower seeds and shaved/grated parmesan cheese.
Stories pass wisdom. Many religions base longevity and education on storytelling, as storytelling explains the unexplainable.
We all have our own stories about our own journeys, and they are ongoing in nature. No finite end or distinctive start. Life goes on and so the story within us deepens, is added to, and takes twists and turns. The style changes as romance, humor, and thrill are added or removed.
What is your story? What is the story of your friends, lover, family, and peers?
Everything makes up your story. At the time it may not feel like a highlight or something even worth mentioning, but know that everything shapes us. It lays foundations into the way you will act and respond to future events.
It’s the layers of repetition and renewal that color our story. Understanding results in a greater awareness that we have and we realize that it all dances and interweaves with seemingly unrelated happenings.
Stories we tell are life lessons for others. Listeners pick up, often unknowingly, on ways to cope, thrive or react. Unedited, unrepeatable recollections of life told in person, capture more than a thoroughly edited written version.
Our story is the way we saw it, felt it, lived it. It may and likely will be different from the version someone else recalls, but all are true for the individual. It’s an experiential and emotional account not a videotape of fact.
The way we each react and respond to the same circumstance is as unique as our fingerprints and therefore the way we retell the situation will be just as individual. The way we hear another’s retelling of the story will be different from how others hear it. The message or lesson of the story that we identify with may be different from what another picks up as being important.
The common threads link the unique views and a fresh view expands the appreciation for another. Tales hold so much healing for the one telling it as well as for those that listen. We process as we speak, we shift from a place of denial or fear to a place of trusting someone enough to share. We often recount other people’s stories, retelling them in the way we heard them, continuing the cycle of healing for us and new listeners.
Do you know your story? Have you taken the time to ponder it? Did you live it with enough connection that you noticed it? Or have you rushed so quickly to find out how it all ends that you missed how it all happened?
Slow down, recognize that your story is an ever-evolving account that can be added to every single moment you are blessed with. Yours is influenced by that of those you are surrounded by. Individual stories become encyclopedias of your community or clan.
You can read the same story multiple times and each read, take different insights and learning. Your story is the same, a reflection of your state and longing at the time you read it.
Life is a process, a mystery. There is no certainty other than death. Live with adventure and explore the unknown. Color your pages. Re-read your story and if you're unhappy with the chapter you are on, don't be afraid to rewrite it.
By Amy Booth
Amy is a yoga and pilates teacher and personal trainer in Brisbane, Australia, where she runs a cute riverside studio and a personal training business. In addition each year she runs yoga and hiking retreats.
To find out more: Website: www.ambertreeyoga.com.au Instagram: @ambertreeyogaandretreats Facebook: Amber Tree Yoga and Retreats
Start loving your body now, with Body Positive Yoga!
The chakras are energy centers in your body. There are seven in total and each one holds different energetic qualities relating to the unique physical, emotional, and spiritual components of your being. They also reveal the interconnectedness of your body and mind. The goal is for each of these centers to be in a state of balance, so one to live in an optimal balance in various areas of life.
The three lower chakras are more primal and the three upper chakras are more spiritual. They meet in the middle, in the heart chakra, Anahata, which encompasses a balance of these qualities.
Your heart chakra is also the place of love and connection. It is associated with the element of air. Physically, it is connected to your lungs, heart, chest, and upper back region.
If out of balance here physically, one may experience heart problems, trouble breathing, or poor posture in the upper body. Emotionally, there could be a guard up to letting love in, or a lack of discernment.
A happy heart chakra is seen as a healthy respiratory system, a healthy heart, and a proud posture. Emotionally it leads to healthy and meaningful relationships.
Yoga can help open each of your chakras! Different poses that stimulate different chaka centers, help find balance in these energy centers..
Here are 5 postures that open the Anahata chakra. Hold each of these for several breaths, and focus your attention on the center of your chest, the area of Anahata chakra, while performing each posture.
Bow (Dhanurasana)
Bow pose is a complex backbend posture that works against gravity and is powerful in strengthening the muscles of the back. Bow requires a powerful and equal kick of the legs and lift of the heart for an invigorating and even backbend and shoulder opening.
Sphinx (Salamba Bhujangasana)
Sphinx pose is a beginner-friendly and powerful heart-opener and backbend. This simple, yet powerful posture, can help heal lower back pain, open the shoulders and neck, and improve the area around the lungs and boost respiratory health.
Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
Upward Facing Dog is a strengthening backbend that is commonly part of the Sun Salutations sequence.
Wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
Wheel Pose is a deep backbend and shoulder opening pose. This uplifting pose stretches the entire front side of the body and connects all of the chakras.
Dancer's (Natarajasana)
Dancers Pose is a glorious heart-opening posture that challenges your balance while lengthening your chest and spinal muscles.
Camel (Ustrasana)
Camel is a deep heart-opening posture that strengthens your back while freeing your neck, chest, lungs, abdominals, and thighs.
What’s your morning ritual? Do you hit the Snooze button repeatedly and burrow under the covers or do you have a mindful routine that sets the tone for the rest of your day? How you begin your day influences the rest of your waking hours and your sleep too. Adding yoga to your morning routine will set you up for a great day.
Here’s how unrolling your yoga mat at the start of your day can shift your perspective and improve your life.
1. Boost Your Metabolism and Immunity:
We’re two years into a global pandemic and it’s more important than ever to do all we can to boost our internal systems, especially our immune systems. Yoga is fabulous because it stimulates circulation, improves digestion and elimination, and impacts the lymphatic system, which is what removes harmful toxins from our bodies. Yoga asanas like forward folds and twists compress and stimulate our internal organs, which stokes Agni or digestive fire. Seventy percent of our immune system resides in our gut so, a regular morning yoga practice contributes to starting your day off as powerful as possible.
2. Prioritize Self-Care to Stay Strong:
Some people are great at making sure they refill their personal well on a regular basis, but for the rest of us, it’s easy to be swept up in the events of the day and neglect our own well-being. Consider practicing yoga first thing in the morning as a way to ensure that you’re nourishing your body, mind, and soul. Yoga soothes our nervous system which results in deeper sleep and more alert waking hours. When we feel strong and balanced, we are able to show up for others in our lives and be fully present.
3. Manifest Positive Intentions:
We’ve said countless times: we don’t have control over external events, but we can learn to control our reaction to how our days unfold. If we begin the day with a sense of gratitude and a positive mindset, we are better equipped to handle the latest news or master the latest challenge that comes our way. Mindful movement, breathing, and intention-setting enable us to be less reactive and more proactive. Happiness is a choice and who doesn’t want to make the most out of each day?
So, this week, join us first thing in the morning and see how you feel! If you’re not usually a morning person, these four classes by some of YogaDownload’s top instructors may convert you!
Pradeep Teotia - Morning Vinyasa Flow
Elise Fabricant - Morning Quickie 3
Kylie Larson - Morning Movement
Shy Sayar - Morning Yoga in Bed
To this day, one of my favorite treats is my mom’s homemade chocolate peanut clusters. They’re made with all the ole fashion “good” (read bad!) stuff including sugar, dairy, and preservatives. They’re seriously addictive and cause me to break out in a sweat (that’s my response to sugar)! If you don’t know how to identify your response to sugar, be sure to check out our Sugar Sensitivity Quiz here.
While I’m not shy about fully indulging my own personal 20% when mom busts out the peanut clusters at holiday festivities, I thought it would be fun to make a Conscious Cleanse-worthy chocolate cluster that would not only make mom proud but one that would also keep my body healthy at the same time.
Enter Superfood Cashew Clusters!
These raw homemade chocolates are chock full of antioxidants and superfoods, making them equally worthy as a dessert or an in-between-cleanse snack!
Our superfood line-up in this recipe includes raw cacao (of course!), maca, goji berries, and cashews, giving these clusters superstar status in my humble opinion.
Packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, this is one 80:20 treat that will make you think you’re “cheating.” In reality, there are much better ways to indulge your 20% (Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies, anyone?!) but if you’re like me and you want to “indulge” 100% guilt-free, these Superfood Cashew Clusters are for you!
If you’re looking for more decadent 80:20 dessert recipes be sure to check them out here.
In the meantime, if you’re newly post-cleanse or just have a hankering for some chocolate, be sure to give these raw Superfood Cashew Clusters a try.
Do you have a favorite sweet treat that you want us to make over? Leave me a comment below.
With clusters of love,
Jules
Superfood Cashew Clusters
Yield: About 20 clusters
⅓ cup coconut butter 3 TB. coconut oil ½ cup raw cacao powder ¼ cup maple syrup 1 tsp. maca powder 1 cup raw cashews ½ cup goji berries Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a double boiler, heat one to two inches of water in bottom pot on medium-high heat until steaming. Place coconut butter and coconut oil in the top half of double boiler. Use a rubber spatula to stir the coconut butter and oil until completely melted and smooth, about 5-6 minutes.
Turn heat to low and whisk in cacao, maple syrup and maca. Next add in the cashews, goji berries and generous pinch of sea salt. Combine well with rubber spatula until cashews are completely coated in chocolate. Remove from heat.
Use a tablespoon to measure out heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto lined baking sheet, leaving space in between each of them to spread out.
Transfer the sheet of clusters to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
When you're coming up against an obstacle, meditation can help you overcome anything. When you visualize yourself conquering a difficult task or hardship, you're able to access breakthroughs in your mind and in your life.
This meditation offering for today is one of harnessing your inner warrior. We all have deeply-rooted courage and perseverance in us. It may not feel like it at this moment; if you are currently battling a personal storm. But, this meditation on confidence will offer up an opening for you to eventually recognize your warrior within. The mantra offered in this meditation is one to provide comfort, clarity, and confidence. These elements aid us in the journey of believing in our own self-worth and revealing hidden confidence that may be shadowed by trauma or distraction. This is not an easy road to travel. Some days will feel better than others.
To recognize your inner warrior you must travel inward and this mantra meditation will be your guide. Wherever you may be on your journey right now, each day offers us the opportunity to begin. We can truly start whenever we want. The universe is always waiting to welcome us and to walk alongside us.
If you need to tap into more confidence or connect with your inner warrior, this simple meditation can help you, in just a few minutes.
Find a quiet place to meditate. You can light a candle in front of you too (optional). Use a meditation cushion or bolster and come into your posture for your practice. Softly close the eyes or have a soft gaze off the bridge of the nose.
First, notice your natural breath. Where does it reside today? Is it shallow and high in the throat? Or are you breathing deep and into the belly?
Begin to envision a lit candle radiating in the forefront of your mind. Everything else surrounding the candle is dark. The only light is the flickering fire from the candle.
Slowly deepen your breaths. Breathe deeply and slowly into the belly. Inhale through the nostrils. Exhale through the mouth. Repeat 4 times. Keep the candlelight in your mind’s eye. With the eyes closed, and the candle in your mind, we will begin the mantra.
This candle here represents power. The inner power that lives in you. A power to persevere in the darkness.
Repeat this mantra silently to yourself 5-10 times: “My inner power overcomes any darkness. I am strong and unbreakable."
Feel the emotion of you as a powerful being, as you repeat this mantra. If it feels good, you can continue to repeat this mantra for longer.
When you are finished and going through the rest of your day, come back to this mantra as many times as you need to, and in moments of weakness. You are strong and resilient.
By Christine Bowden
Christine Bowden is a Colorado-based Clinical Herbalist, meditation and yoga practitioner, and writer. Her mission is to serve her audience and community of eco-conscious and health-focused young adults, and military personnel find yoga and alternative medicine resources that provide them the support they need to empower their health wellness.
In the year of Snowmageddon––at least in Northern America––there’s no excuse not to head outside and play in the snow! Whether you’re a diehard skier or boarder or you’re a novice ready to conquer the bunny slope, you can elevate your snow sports experience with yoga. And if the closest you’ll get to snow is watching the Winter Olympics, you can still benefit from these classes!
Winter sports require a strong core, powerful legs, exquisite balance, and focused attention. Enter our Winter Sports Yoga Package, with 7 classes created specifically for pre and post yoga to help you maximize your time on the mountain. Skiing and snowboarding both require a lot of muscular work, and your hips and legs can grow tight and sore after several runs down the slopes. Yoga counteracts all that effort and has a cross-training effect to enable you to recover faster and prevent injury.
Yoga will help strengthen your core, which consists of not just your abdominals but also your back and glutes. A strong center is essential for maintaining your balance, controlling your movement, and protecting your spine. Powerful quads and hamstrings are essential for long days on the slopes. If your muscles tire out too soon, you may be prone to fall or strain your knees and hips. Asanas like Utkatasana (Chair Pose), Virabhadrasana I and II (Warrior I and II), and Vrksasana (Tree Pose) strengthen your lower body and improve your focus and balance.
In addition to helping you gain strength, yoga will stretch out the muscles you use during your winter sports. Your hips and legs are constantly working when you ski or board and over the course of the day, they grow tight. It’s important to keep your hips, hamstrings, quads, and inner thighs supple and flexible to prevent injury. Moving your spine through all the planes of motion, including laterally and rotationally is vital to feeling great before, during, and after you are on the mountain.
Another way yoga gives you an edge is by honing your concentration and focus. Pranayama work is key to staying calm when you’ve accidentally ended up on a Double Black Diamond run when you meant to stay on the blue runs or some out-of-control novice comes tumbling into you when you were minding your own business. Mastering your breath helps you stay energized in higher altitudes, which in turn maximizes the amount of time you can play!
Even if you’re only watching the downhill sports on television, you can benefit from these classes! Who doesn’t want to feel stronger, more flexible, balanced and calm?