Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” - Nelson Mandela Being graceful and strong when life is flowing along smoothly is one thing. Maintaining that grace during difficult times is a different proposition. We’ve learned this lesson on a global scale over the last eighteen months. Our lives are different, and we’ve all had to tap into our inner strength and resiliency, often to levels we’ve never imagined accessing. Life is a rollercoaster and how well you navigate the twists, drops, and 360-degree loops is an indicator of your resilience. Yoga can help you empower yourself and tap into your inner resiliency and strength in such a way you can continue moving forward in your life despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Learning to bend before you break is vital.

The chillier it gets the more soups and stews find a way to my table. And why wouldn’t they if they are so easy to make and delicious each time! I must admit that even though this type of food is very easy to prepare in bulk, I usually still only cook for one lunch or dinner. But this does not mean that you should cook for each separate meal. Feel free to double or triple the recipe and eat it several days in a row or even freeze it for future quick dinners. I completely understand that cooking is not something that everybody loves to do and if you are one of those people just prep ahead. It is 100 times better to have a few homemade healthy meals waiting for you in the fridge or freezer, than quickly ordering something random from the local fast food joint. Not that there would be anything wrong with enjoying a burger now and then. Oh, and I kept the soup 100% plant-based and did not even add any vegan creams because the potatoes and beans are creamy in nature. But if you like things extra creamy go ahead and add cream cheese or sour cream of your choice right before blending.

This week we are thrilled to celebrate the 15th year of YogaDownload! This site and community would not be continuing to grow if it wasn't for all of you showing up regularly on your mats from across the globe for the past 15 years! Thank for you logging in to take care of yourselves, while also supporting this global community and resource for online yoga.

Who wants to celebrate our birthday with us? We here at YogaDownload are celebrating 15 years of sharing yoga online! Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning, when the classes were audio or you practiced your first class this morning, we are thrilled you are here. Without you wonderful subscribers from around the globe, we couldn’t have expanded from audio classes, to streaming videos, to programs ranging from meditation to power yoga, to offering one of a kind yoga retreats around the world.

Here in Estonia, the season is slowly changing to autumn and this means loads of produce from vine ripe tomatoes to mushrooms in the forests. And of course, loads of apples. Apples are the superstar here in this breakfast bowl. I never peel apples if I know where they are from – most of the nutrients are directly under the skin and I don’t see any reason to waste them. The other very nutritious part of the apple is its seeds, so I often eat those too. To use in recipes, I still prefer to remove the cores for smoother results.

Arthritis sucks. It is the most common ailment in the USA. But just like any ailment, there are ways to ease the symptoms by eating foods that reduce inflammation. Here is a list of seven that just might help: 1. Green tea. Contains a natural antioxidant which may prevent cartilage from breaking down. 2. Foods with Omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oils. flaxseeds, walnuts and other good fats may help build strength and reduce fatigue.

“By drawing our sense of perception inward, we are able to experience the control, silence, and quietness of the mind.” B.K.S. Iyengar Hey, anybody out there need to relax? If you’re waving your hand wildly, join us this week for some yoga sequences that soothe your nervous system, reduce anxiety, and lengthen the entire posterior side of your body. Forward folds are introspective postures that will help you quiet your mind’s chatter and relax. During a well-rounded yoga practice, you move your body throughout a range of positions including forward folds, back bends, spinal rotation, and lateral movement. By choosing to emphasize forward bends in a practice, you’ll primarily cool your system down, inside and out. A few key pointers will make sure you maximize the benefits of this family of asanas and avoid injury to your lower back and hamstrings.

October is here! The weather is finally starting to turn a little cooler and we can feel the beginnings of the comfy fall vibes. We’re looking forward to hot drinks, warm blankets, jackets, scarves, and chilly walks among the fallen leaves. And we’re also looking forward to all of the baking that comes with the fall and winter seasons. We can probably all agree that almost nothing goes better with cozy sweater weather than a warm baked good.

Working out every day to get toned can be hard, and not everyone's first priority in life. However, doing yoga can be a great, low-impact way to tone your body and look fitter. And there are a few ways that you can complement your yoga practice to help you get toned up. Mixing it up Most fitness trainers agree that you should add variety to your workout routine. Doing the same things day after day won’t help you to get toned any quicker. Listen to what your body needs and mix up yoga and stretching with more intense workouts and lifting to create a good balance between your workout. This will help you develop a more well-rounded fitness base, and prevent injuries from overuse, as well as keeping things fun and less boring!

“A healthy body is a platform for flourishing a healthy mind.” -Pawan Mishra We only get one body in this lifetime, and we have a responsibility to take care of it to the best of our ability. Some days, yoga is spiritually focused, taking steps on the path to enlightenment through meditation and mantra. Some days yoga satisfies the need to work through complicated emotions or break some unhealthy thought patterns. And some days, yoga can be purely focused on getting strong, lean, and powerful.

It’s officially Fall in Colorado, and we’re already feeling the pumpkin madness. Enter the Pumpkin Spice Green Smoothie! Below is a savory-sweet and spicy green smoothie that we’ve been enjoying as an afternoon snack. Think nostalgic and warming healthy snack for you and your kiddos. You could even give it to your kiddos as a nutrient boost pre-trick-or-treating next month! We love the transition into Fall, but we recognize that it’s the season that we’re faced with tough decisions. The temptations start to roll in with the cooler weather and long list of holidays. So what do we do when faced with sugary treats?

Holding on to negative emotions like pain, stress, and anxiety sometimes can’t fix anything. Remembering the past and bad things over and over can’t change what has happened, and wishing things were different can’t make it so. Most of the time, especially when it comes to past events, the best thing to do is to accept what you’re holding on to and let go. If you hold onto the past, you are hindering yourself from growth and creating a stronger sense of self, based on who you want to be. Painful emotions can be strangely comfortable if you are used to holding onto them and letting go of pain and negative emotions can be hard and uncomfortable. However, there are some things you can do to help yourself let go and move forward. Accept other people for who they are

One of the most profound gifts we received from our consistent yoga practice is a shift in perspective. We learn to experience life in the present moment without clinging to the past or the need to attach ourselves to an outcome. Attachment and aversion are two sides of the same coin and vital yogic principles that can teach us to release what is no longer serving us in order to be our best selves. Our bodies are storehouses for life experiences––the good, the bad, and the ugly. We often shape our inner narrative and make choices for our future based upon our emotional wounds. Sometimes it is more comfortable to hold onto the painful stories, like a tough childhood, a horrific break-up, getting fired from your dream job, or losing a friend. The same concept applies with our triumphs and joys. We hold a lifetime within our tissues and sometimes, these things become what in the Yoga Sutras Patanjali called Kleshas or the fundamental obstacles to yoga and Samadhi.

Here is a hot recipe for you. And if I say hot, I mean really hot. But then again you can regulate it down a notch if you don’t like heat. I love heat and here is my recipe for homemade hot sauce I prepare every time I happen to have too many chilies. Chilies are powerful antioxidants and I personally feel they just make me happy! I did not give you a type of chilies OR the type of vinegar I use in the recipe, because this formula of a recipe really works with all different kinds of chilies and different kinds of vinegar in my experience. If you are not a lover of extreme heat, opt for milder chilies like long red ones or green jalapenos maybe. If you like heat, make sure you throw something spicier in too, or make the whole sauce out of scotch bonnets or bird's eye chilies. Habaneros have an awesome fruity taste and also quite a bit of heat. So, it is up to you and your taste buds.

A high heel shoe puts your foot in a plantarflexed (foot pointed downward) position, placing an increased amount of pressure on your forefoot. This causes you to adjust the rest of your body to maintain your balance. The lower part of your body leans forward and to compensate for that, the upper part of your body must lean back to keep you balanced. This is not your body’s normal standing position. The normal s-curve shape of the back acts as a shock absorber, reducing reduce stress on the vertebrae. Wearing high heels causes lumbar (low-back) spine flattening and a posterior (backward) displacement of the head and thoracic (mid-back) spine.

According to eastern health sciences going back decades, every living being is alive and functions because of the life force (or pranic) energy that is circulating throughout their bodies - through channels known as Nadi channels. Nadi channels follow the same path around the body as our sympathetic nervous systems. There are so many energy channels that are flowing around our body, connecting every part of our bodies to each other.

If you’ve been practicing yoga for any length of time, you’re aware the practice works in ways that aren’t linear, aren’t clear-cut, and aren’t often explainable. Even though yoga is a science and a philosophical system, its benefits go much deeper than what can be seen by the naked eye. Yoga impacts us on the level of our subtle body, which expands beyond Western understanding of anatomy and physiology. Each of us is made up of three bodies: the gross or physical body/ Stula Sharira, the subtle body/ Sukshma Sharira, and the causal body/Karana Sharira. The physical body consists of what we can touch and see: our muscles and skeleton. It forms the Annamaya Kosha, the coarsest of the five sheaths. It is vital to craft a yoga practice which benefits our entire system.

Chickpeas are one of my favorite ingredients. They are extremely versatile, they work well in curries, vegetable patties, salads, and even in desserts. To be honest, sometimes I eat them straight out of a jar. Not often, but it does happen in some busy times when I don’t even have time to shop for fresh produce. Fortunately, I am quite good with time management and these times do not happen often. Besides – I don’t think that 10 minutes to prep a full meal is that much and this is about how long this simple recipe takes. If you are good with knives you most likely only need 5 minutes to make the salad. But even the most inexperienced cooks should be ready with the salad in 10 minutes. The secret to this recipe lays in the sauce. The combination of tahini, lemon, and yogurt is irresistible with just about anything and I often use it as a dip for fresh cucumber.

The graceful gifts of yoga include the attainment of higher consciousness, health, abundance, love, and harmony. Yoga naturally yields all attributes of yogam - which means in Tamil- good luck. Yoga, in the Western sense, spearheads this awakening, even if it is considered a simple exercise for health benefits and fashion, instead of a spiritual discipline; the taste of a drop of honey will eventually lead to the honey pot of higher consciousness. The body is an effective tool to lead the mind towards the inner core of realization. By yoga, we refer to various styles of “Hatha” yoga as practiced in the West – the sequences of physical postures and the inner journey created through this practice. If you're newer to yoga, we recommend utilizing simple practices like traditional Sun Salutation sequences to experience the teachings below. Ideally, the Sun Salutation by itself is sufficient to attain core consciousness, which is the objective of our yogic practice.

Every person needs to rest. Even the computer, at which you many eight hours or more per day, periodically needs to be recharged. It is important and valuable to know which are the best ways for you to switch gears switch between work mode to and rest and leisure. With many working from home, the lines between work and home life are blurring. Smartphones that allow us to be in touch 24 hours a day and constantly trying to notify us can make it more challenging to switch out of work mode and into leisure mode. Do you still remember those distant days when the work was not urgent? While work can seem urgent and like the top priority, it's important to remember that friends, family, children, hobbies and your life is urgent and important too.

The challenge begins on October 4th! The seasons are shifting, and it is the perfect time to align with nature and release whatever is weighing us down. If you’re feeling stagnant or heavy in your mind, heart, or body, we’re here with a 3-week plan to make it easy to hit the reset button. As a global community, we’ll practice a variety of yoga classes designed to detoxify and destress. In the Heart of Yoga, T.K.S. Desikachar wrote that one of yoga’s primary functions is to help burn off the “rubbish” or toxins that can build up in our systems. Whether that means learning to shed a series of repetitive negative thoughts, recover from heartbreak, or lose a few unwanted pounds, the practice of yoga provides a framework for us to release extra baggage and shine our inner light. Sometimes life simply bogs us down and a periodic challenge or program can help set us back on track.

Berries are loaded with phytonutrients that prevent cell damage that comes with aging. Studies show that people who eat 2 cups of berries a week experience less mental decline compared to those who don’t. Berries are also known to enhance your immune system and limit your chances of developing Parkinson’s. For those who are looking to lose weight, try to consume 2-4 cups of berries a week. The cayenne and turmeric also help increase fat metabolism which is necessary for weight loss. This healthy smoothie is the perfect replacement for a mid-morning snack; it tastes delicious and will keep you full during the day. Get yourself into the habit of making a healthy smoothie every morning. They are quick and simple to prepare. If you don’t have them in the morning, try having them sometime during the day with a side of something light like a salad or sandwich.

Depression is not easy to live with, but there are things you can do in order to feel better about yourself. Depression makes it hard to do what you need to do to start feeling better, though. It can drain your energy, drive, and hope. Overcoming depression is not quick or easy, but it is possible. Don't listen to sad music: Listening to sad music won't help you fight depression. A lot of people are drawn to sad music when they're depressed because it validates their thoughts. This can be good for a short time but can keep you in a depressed state if overdone. Ditch the sad music and you'll find yourself feeling better.

Diabetes is one of the most common health disorders among people irrespective of age, gender, and ethnicity. Also, it is increasing exponentially over time and has been a never-ending challenge for medical experts throughout the world. In medical terms, diabetes mellitus is a type of metabolic disorder. It involves an increase in sugar or glucose levels in the blood due to insufficient secretion or failed usage of insulin in the pancreas. While there are many factors that cause diabetes, your improper diet and a sedentary lifestyle can make it a chronic condition. If left untreated, diabetes can become a serious threat to life as it results in the damage of vital organs of the body such as the heart, pancreas, kidneys, nervous system, blood vessels, etc. Also in many cases of alopecia areata, there is a definitive connection between diabetes and hair loss.

This week is all about reminding yourself that true wellness begins with a stable foundation. Establishing alignment from the ground up is key to being stable and powerful––inside and out. Whether both feet are planted on the earth or you’re balancing on one leg, you are building strength and fortifying your mental and physical awareness. Yoga classes focused on standing asanas help you embody a sense of profound connection with yourself and the world around you. Physically, standing poses cultivate proper posture, including aligning your bones and joints from the feet to the crown of your head. Standing asanas from the simple Tadasana or Mountain Pose to the more complex Virabhadrasana or Warrior poses and to Vrksasana or Tree pose, develop both muscular and bone strength. Whenever you’re practicing standing yoga poses, you’re also working your joints through their full range of motion, enhancing mobility and flexibility. Standing poses assist in building core awareness and power, which are required to maintain excellent posture and prepare the body for deeper poses.