Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Pop culture continues to enjoy a glossy-eyed love affair with yoga. But many long-time practitioners and professionals are discovering that, somewhere along their journey over the last decade or so, either yoga or they have changed. As once die-hard yogis attempt to discern what, if anything, of their practice has stood up against the test of time, their relationship to yoga needs to be allowed to evolve or they’ll likely feel compelled to part ways.

One of the reasons why the Yoga Sutras are somewhat hard to understand for a first-time reader is because of the presentation and organization of the sutras themselves. Rather than presenting a chronological order of yoga with clear instructions, the very first chapter sets out to explain the unexplainable – the end goal of yoga, or samadhi. In fact, it takes an entire chapter and 51 sutras to really define and deconstruct what yoga is. Keep in mind, asana isn’t mentioned once!

Greatness can be achieved through dedication and daily meditation. Highly successful people are doing it so why won’t you? Each of us has different reasons for meditating. Don’t worry though, as all possible outcomes are always positive. Practicing meditation in the morning might be much more beneficial for you than in any other time of the day.

This salad was inspired by those gorgeous, colorful Bollywood flicks that offer a feast of singing, dancing, and romance. I love Indian food, as it was my first real introduction to all things curry. Only much later did I learn that turmeric, a typical curry spice that gives curries a yellow tint, has tremendous antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties. And to think, I loved it just for its taste! Here, I was hankering for a swirl of flavors with an Indian feel. The chicken makes a great starting point because it’s full of protein and amenable to all sorts of accessorizing. In this case, the apple and raisins play delightfully off the curry spices.

I spent my first two years of yoga avoiding Warrior III. Then, I spent another year avoiding it. Finally, after avoiding it for an additional 15 years, I’ve made it a mainstay of my practice. What can I say? I guess it takes me a while to warm up to things that expose my weaknesses, knock me off balance, and frustrate my ego. I have to admit, I actually like it now.

Harry Potter yoga, goat yoga and now-- aqua yoga? The latest trend in yoga, Aqua Yoga adapts the principles and movements of yoga to a water environment. The water provides buoyancy and will let you concentrate more on strengthening and stretching your body rather than struggling to balance yourself. Practicing yoga in water also relieves joint and bone stress. If you have ever experienced difficulty in holding a yoga pose correctly, you will be surprised by how you can just float into that position under water with grace and ease.

Mindfulness refers to a state of consciousness characterized by acute awareness of the present moment. The state of mindfulness can help individuals become more aware of their emotions, thoughts and health. Mindfulness originated in Buddhist tradition, but the principles of mindfulness and meditation have been incorporated into modern psychiatric treatment since the 1970s. The state of mindfulness is primarily learned through time spent in meditation. By focusing on breathing and posture, individuals can learn the ability to enter a state of calm observation. This process allows them to gain improved awareness of external stimuli, as well deeper insights into their own feelings. Furthermore, research shows that mindful meditation can help heal damage to the brain caused by substance abuse. Learning more about the benefits of mindful meditation therapy is a huge advantage for those considering addiction treatment.

We all get stuck in a rut from time to time—even yoga teachers. In fact, the question that comes up most frequently in the group of teachers that I mentor is, “How do I keep my practice and teaching fresh?” After all, it’s hard to inspire and connect with your students when you’re feeling stale. The first thing to remember is this: All relationships, vocations, and passions go through different phases. If things feel a little lackluster from time to time it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or your relationship to yoga. Try not to go crazy if your practice and teaching feel stagnant. Acknowledge and allow the feelings. And when you feel ready try these simple tips for getting back to what matters most.

A number of long-time yoga teachers are deciding to stop referring to what they teach as yoga. In the past, the term yoga represented a freedom to explore and discover truths outside western cultural norms. Now that yoga has largely become a western cultural norm, fueled by the advertising prowess of a multi-billion dollar industry and challenged by scholars questioning appropriation, public perception has been shaped in ways that have made the word yoga seem limiting. However, the teachers are the only ones who hold the power to define what they do, not scholars or the industry.

When summer rolls around, yoga practice can fall by the wayside — the longer days mean we spend more time outdoors, we travel, those of us who have kids deal with changing schedules. So, to keep you inspired, Jason and I are doing a six-episode summer podcast series!

You might be thinking, you already go to the gym, so why should you include yoga into your exercise routine, isn’t that just for relaxing? Although it is a fantastic way of finding some headspace and letting go of any stress in your body, yoga can dramatically improve your gym workouts. The perfect partner to any type of exercise, whether it’s cardio or weight training, it can boost your performance in the gym and enhance your overall fitness. The word itself actually means ‘union’, so think of yoga as the perfect union between health and fitness.

Students who love Ustrasana praise the pose for the way it opens the shoulders, chest and upper-back. And, they’re right. Ustrasana is hard to beat when it comes to extending the thoracic spine. Students who loathe Ustrasana invariably complain about discomfort in the neck and lower back. They’re also right. It can be tough to do Ustrasana without creating excessive compression in your lower back and neck.

These days there are so many articles and courses and books out there trying to teach us how to be happy, how to love ourselves, and what we have to do in order to feel free and successful. And don’t get me wrong, I love this- I love the way we as a collective are beginning to focus on self-growth, self-knowledge, and self-love. What I don’t love though, is that there is often a step that is missing from these books and articles and courses. A step that is absolutely crucial to take on the path of self-love and learning to love ALL parts of you.

There's many people who used to keep diaries and journals when they were teenagers. It was a way of expressing your anxiety and issues with the world at large. Why, then, do most of them drop the habit when they grow up?

These chickpea burgers are similar to a Middle Eastern falafel. This isn’t like the Americanized version of falafel that resembles carnival food deep-fried in some unhealthy oil. That’s a culinary crime, because falafel done right is so delicious and nutritious. It’s all in the blend. Here the secret ingredient is basmati rice, which holds the chickpea mixture together and creates a complete protein. I love the mini-burger concept; the whole wheat bun is like putting falafel in a top hat and tails, perfect for folks who like the taste of beans when they’re broken down and combined with heady herbs and spices. Gently pan-seared or baked, these burgers are bountiful bites of health.

Did you know that the right body posture can make you look taller, slimmer, and more confident? Thanks to our hectic schedules, our mind and body are always tired. Most of us slouch over our desks, straining our backs in the process. The constant stress and pressure make it really hard for you to maintain a good posture. When your body is in the ideal position, everything else is comfortable. However, accommodating time for a workout or exercise is stressful when your timetable is blocked by work. What if I told you that without wasting much of your day, you could do a few yoga asanas that can make a difference? Read on to know more.

The novelty of yoga has been worn down to almost nothing by a multi-billion dollar industry that cares little for its tenets, like the crumbling shreds of a shoddily made pvc mat from China. But from out of the ashes of craven images and advertising schemes, a new discipline is emerging.

High Intensity Interval Training—often just called HIIT for short—is working its way into fitness enthusiast’s workout schedules everywhere, and not without good reason. In fact, Dr. Axe shares many different benefits of HIIT in addition to better physical fitness, a couple of which include its anti-aging effects and support of healthier levels of hormones like ghrelin (which affects your eating patterns) and leptin (the hormone responsible for making you feel full).

As humans, we blame ourselves for various perceived shortcomings in life. But some of us really get stuck there. We blame ourselves for not being more disciplined or not being able to do it all. We blame ourselves for not being there for a loved one. There’s an easy tool I use to practice forgiveness, but I’d like to first speak about what happens when we blame ourselves.

It is common for people to go through dry spells or feel burnt out. We all have, at one point of another, felt uninspired, overworked, wanted to check out and just plain exhausted from the humdrum of life and the prevailing idea of not ‘being enough’. We don’t always have time to go to cook healthy meals, go to yoga classes, stick to our budget or just do things ‘right’. One might wonder what it would be like to have more hours in a given day to do the things we want to do to live a more fulfilling and happy life. Yet if your evenings and weekends are spent in the same couch potato or indulgent fashion, it may be time for you to check in and recognise this as a sign that you’ve been making excuses for yourself.

Mental health is a serious subject to take into consideration, particularly as there are so many conditions associated with changes in this area. When speaking about this subject, no one takes into consideration potential lifestyle changes, which could greatly improve one’s mental health. To come to your rescue, we have gathered no less than seven lifestyle changes, destined to boost your mental health and improve your overall quality of life. Keep in mind that these changes can help you deal with conditions such as depression, anxiety or even bipolar disorders. Take action today and be healthy not only tomorrow but for the rest of your life.

Whether you’re in hyper-drive, ticking your way through the holiday to-do list or you’re feeling too depleted to get off the couch and do yoga, the sequence here is invaluable to have in your back pocket during the winter months. It’s not a high-intensity practice – it’s a healing, nurturing, immune boosting yoga practice. The poses encourage relaxation, reduce stress, and facilitate circulation throughout your whole body. These are the three most effective things that yoga asana can do to help support your immune system.

Transformation is often touted in the yoga world as an aim for which we practice. In fact, the phrase “transformation starts here” is written on the door of one of the yoga studios where I teach. But what does that word really mean? What does the process of transformation look like? How do you teach it or guide that experience for someone else?

As a yoga teacher, there may come times where you would use Sanskrit terms during class, whether you like it or not. This is because it is often the case where most Sanskrit words don’t have an English equivalent that fully explains the meaning of the terms.

Have you ever signed up for something with 100% knowing that it was the best choice you ever made? Don’t you wish you could have that kind of clarity all the time? This is one example of how raising your vibration will serve you. Your choices and the energy behind them creates our energy structure and our vibration-and when all is aligned you have the clarity that makes your choices feel divinely inspired.