Today I invite you to take a trip to your fridge and clean it out properly. I hate food waste and make a fridge clean-out type of dish at least once a month to use up all the odd ends of produce that are still good, but maybe not for very long. I will go for a vacation soon and this means nobody will eat anything out of my fridge for the next few weeks. So everything that is there needs to be used before I leave!
I do share a recipe of what exactly went into my soup this time, but feel free to customize. In case you have any other veggies waiting to be used up – go for it! Carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini. They all work wonderfully! I usually always use onion in the base of my soups, but this time I did not have any. If you do, throw it in with leeks and celery. Adding the vegetables, always try to figure out which ones take the longest to cook and add them in first. If you have something that you don’t wish to puree, maybe it works as a topping? If you are a meat-eater, just crisp up all the odd ends of your sausages and bacon. If you eat cheese, maybe just sprinkle it on top or melt it in. The options are endless and these types of recipes always work out. And in addition to a good meal, you also get some peace of mind because you avoid food waste. Win-win!
Vegetable Medley Soup
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
½ leek
2 stalks of celery
1 small broccoli
A quarter of small cabbage
3 ½ oz (vegan) cream cheese
The juice from ½ lemon
A handful of green beans
3 ½ oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms
1 spring onion
Salt, pepper, oil
Instructions:
Chop up the leek and celery, and place on the stove on medium heat with a drop of oil and a little salt.
At the same time put on the kettle with the water.
Cut the broccoli to florets (the stem and everything) and make ribbons out of the cabbage.
Pour about 2 cups of water over the leeks and throw in the green beans for 4 minutes. Then fish them out with a slotted spoon and throw in broccoli and cabbage. Put on the lid, and let the veggies cook for about 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
In the meantime, fry the mushrooms in a frying pan in a drop of oil. Season with salt and pepper. I also fried the beans in the same pan to get them a little crispier.
Once the vegetables are tender, add cream cheese and lemon juice, and whizz the soup up to a smooth consistency. If you like your soup more liquid, feel free to add more boiling water. Season with a little extra salt and a ton of pepper.
Top with green beans, fried chanterelles, and spring onion.
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.
Stress in the 21st century is seemingly normal. It can seem present everywhere – demand from work, family challenges, economic concerns, world news, natural disasters, relationship dramas, etc. This can take its toll on our mental health if we allow it.
You might have no control over the outer world, however, you can take positive steps to protect your mental health and prevent the effects of stress.
Understanding Stress
Stress is the pressure that comes from occurrences and experiences of everyday life. Interestingly, humans might benefit from small doses of stress. It helps keep you alert, energized and triggers a positive reaction in all situations to protect yourself. The stress hormone tells you to flee and take cover when there is a shooter on a rampage.
However, our bodies never really evolved to differentiate between life-threatening situations and daily occurrences. As a result, when stress persists in the face of cases that are not life-threatening, the body suffers hugely. Stress, when uncontrolled, makes one prone to various illnesses like stroke, diabetes, insomnia, heart problem, etc. This makes it essential to develop simple and practical tips to manage stress effectively.
Here are some tips, activities, and strategies that can help you manage stress:
Yoga
Yoga is a combination of movement, breath, and mindfulness. All of these work together to relieve stress almost instantly. It stands out as one of the top stress reliving practices that can provide practitioners with instant relief. The long-term stress relief benefits of yoga are real too.
Yoga benefits the body, mind, and soul in various ways. As a beginner, it helps to take introductory yoga classes to gain a solid foundation.
Cardio Exercise
When stress weighs you down, getting your heart rate up and your blood pumping can be an effective therapy. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate exercise. Consider going for a walk, jogging, or cycling down the street to relieve some stress.
Exercise triggers the release of endorphin – the feel-good hormones, according to research. This hormone reduces cortisol and does an excellent job of calming the nerves. You get multiple benefits with exercises like improved blood flow to various body organs, better heart health, and improved sleep.
Get Rid of Things that Stress You Out
While you might not be able to avoid all sources of stress like deadlines from work, it is possible to remove the ones you can control. Doing this can go a long way to bring peace to your life.
Excess exposure to news, for instance, can get you all worked up. Constantly getting notifications of conflict or natural disasters around the world will only end up sapping your peace. The same goes for fighting with people about politics online. Stay away from such and surround yourself with experiences that delight you and fill you with joy instead.
Breathing
Deep breathing taps into the body's ability to relax and calm itself in the face of chaos. This explains why soldiers practice deep breathing amid some of the scariest imaginable situations, to enable them to calm their nerves. The process allows for the brain and vital body organs to get more oxygen which provides relaxation. It tricks the body into believing that everything is normal and there is no immediate source of danger.
In the heat of danger or a stressful situation, the body responds with rapid breathing alongside a rise in blood pressure and heartbeat. However, taking a step back to catch a few deep breaths can relieve stress as it communicates to the brain that all is well. Breathing exercises can provide calmness.
Practice Visualization
The human body is programmed to respond to both actual occurrence and perceived experience in the same way. With this, visualizing a calm place where you feel safe without anything troubling or terrifying can be incredibly helpful.
The idea of going to a beautiful and peaceful place in your imagination is to relax and relieve stress. Guided imagery allows you to take that vacation mentally. It can be as simple as picturing yourself on a sublime beach. Imagine the breeze from the water caressing your skin while you lie with a cup of your favorite drink.
Stress is a common occurrence in our present world. It is a menace that sets the stage for various health issues. This makes it essential to take positive steps to get rid of stress before it ruins your life. The good news is you can inculcate some habits into your lifestyle to beat stress. Many of the points discussed above are user-friendly and cost-effective habits that you can include as part of your lifestyle. Making them a routine can help you take charge of your life to avoid unnecessary drama in your life.
By Tammy Parker
Ready to Relieve Stress? Step onto your yoga mat now and practice for 14 days in a row!
Developing positive habits in your home life can impact your mood and overall well-being. Here are some positive household habits that will help you build a framework for a happier life.
Building and maintaining good habits can provide our lives with a positive framework, but these habits don’t simply happen by chance. It’s pretty easy to fall into bad habits that impede life around the house. A happy routine can support a happy mood, so if we stick to positive routines around our homes, we stand a good chance of keeping negative slumps at bay.
There is psychological evidence behind the power of routine to support contentment and even happiness. Although adventure and spontaneous action can lend spice to our lives and are important, if out of balance, they can make life a bit chaotic or stressful. Many people become bothered and decidedly unhappy when their pleasant routines are disturbed. While we always want to leave some space for change and flexibility, we can certainly protect our positive frame of mind by keeping consistent positive habits.
What Are the Benefits of Creating Habits That Stick?
Creating good habits around the house allows you to reach your goals, even though some habits may seem more mundane than others. For instance, can a cleaning routine really propel your work success? The mere act of disciplining ourselves to complete our routines helps us create a self-culture of positive behaviors. Being productive at home can mirror our workplace productivity. Plus, there’s a decided benefit of having a clean house that’s always company-ready; it can become our retreat, a sanctuary that we can unwind in.
How to Make Good Habits Stick and Bad Habits Vanish
First, it helps to take stock when trying to get into a healthy routine at home. Our healthy routine might involve a nutritious diet, healthy sleep patterns, and routine chores. But, what are the bad habits that threaten our well-being and our healthy habit-forming goals? Carefully assess some of your most frustrating bad habits, the habits you want to change. You might have a bad habit of falling asleep on the couch after work, which prevents you from exercising or eating an early dinner. You might have a habit of allowing the television to distract you from performing the chores outlined in your daily routine.
To make the bad habits disappear, you first have to identify them and commit to change. You have to understand your pitfalls so that you can avoid falling into them. Maybe you love potato chips - one way to counteract this is to avoid the snack aisle at the grocery store and opt for fruit and healthier sections instead. Avoid temptations and replace them with more healthful options. Only when we tackle our bad habits head-on with definitive strategies can we transform them into the positive habits that we know can improve our lives and mood.
The Importance of Routines for Our Happiness and Stability
People spend considerable time at home, and increasing numbers of people are working from their homes too. If you’re working even some of the time from your house or simply want to improve the quality of your life when you are at home, you should strive to create routines that lead to enhanced stability and happiness. Good habits can set a foundation for our lives; they can form the bedrock of each day. Our habits can become the building blocks we use to create the good life we crave.
Here, we’ll provide some tips for developing a healthy routine designed to ensure greater stability around the house. Feel free to adapt this advice as needed. However, take care when creating your routines that each supports the well-being of your mind, body, and even your spirit.
At Home Morning Routine
Establishing a good morning routine is particularly important because it sets the mood for the day. If your mornings are without a routine, building a productive day on a shaky foundation can be challenging. To help you create a positive morning routine, consider the following tips:
Wake Up Early
Even if you relish sleeping in, there are some essential benefits of waking up early that you don’t want to overlook. First, you can get the early-morning brain fog over before you begin work. Brain fog and sleepiness can last anywhere from two to even four hours. Starting work while you’re still sleepy can undermine your productive day. By waking up early, you can ease into your day and set yourself up for more success once you arrive at work.
Meditate
Starting the day with a clean and clear mindset can help us reduce stress and even form an effective barrier against it. You can clear your mind of bad dreams or worries by actively meditating for a few minutes or even longer every day. Some people choose to wake up and sit at the edge of their beds to meditate first thing in the morning. Others choose to set aside time before breakfast to sit on their back porch to watch the birds. After a long day, some prefer to alleviate the day’s stresses with meditation at night. Some people prefer yoga or meditating outdoors in their garden. Taking a moment to clear your mind can help you prepare yourself mentally for the day ahead.
Eat Breakfast
If you’ve slept for eight hours, your body wants to refuel in the morning. It needs to be hydrated and fed. Breakfast is a mealtime that’s fraught with bad habits. Too often, people skip breakfast, forcing their bodies to function for hours before lunchtime. Others may grab a doughnut or something similarly unhealthy, which is not doing their bodies any favors nutritionally speaking either. Set yourself up for breakfast success by purchasing healthy items that don’t require a lot of preparation. Yogurt, fruit, and whole-grain toast are a few items to have on hand so you can eat something healthy each morning.
Exercise
Exercise provides us with an energy boost. Stretching or even taking a walk can help us improve our circulation and ready us for the day. Waking up late and rolling into work still feeling tired and lethargic is no recipe for productivity. Exercise sharpens our minds while supporting physical fitness. Include a walk each morning, even if it’s a short one so that you get your body into gear for the day.
Get Ready for the Day
Even if you work from home, it’s essential to create a routine that gets you ready to be productive. Put on your work clothes. Fill your water bottle with fresh water. Shower, brush your teeth and hair, just as if you were going to commute to a job across the city. These habits may be usual, but they support a positive routine.
Plan Your Day and Begin
When you’re ready to start your main workday, create a plan. Your goals may be small. You may want to start the day by checking emails. Whatever you do, ensure that you portion out your time appropriately to address all the goals outlined in your plan.
At Home Afternoon Routine
If you’re working from home, it’s easy to get off track because no one will notice except for you. However, if you want to maintain your productivity and get your work accomplished without having to cram it all in later, you’ll want to create a positive afternoon routine.
Designate Your Workspace
Having a designated workspace at home will allow you to feel as if you’re going to work after all. Ensure that you have all the tools you need to get your work done and good lighting, a comfortable and supportive chair, and good ventilation.
Healthy Snacks
Keep your healthy diet on track by reaching for healthy snacks during your workday. Fruit, almonds, and water will help you stay energized physically and mentally.
Take Stretch Breaks
Be sure to give your brain and body breaks. Take five-minute breaks to walk the dog, stretch, or even throw a load of laundry in the washer. A short break in the routine helps you reset and gives your mind and body a chance to recharge.
Lunch
Try to avoid taking a working lunch and leave your desk to eat. Too much work can stress your brain. Allow yourself to unwind. Enjoy a healthy lunch in your kitchen or on your patio.
Evening Routine
Your evening routine is important because it allows you to unwind and relax doing things you enjoy. Here are a few ways to fill your night with positive activities.
Nutritious Dinner
Get into the habit of making a nutritious dinner during your workweek. Ensure that you have a balanced meal each night to support your health. As your dinner cooks, use the time to plan the next night’s meal so that you’re always a step ahead.
Journal
Journaling can also help you destress and set new goals like creating plans for the next day or week.
Me Time
It’s essential to fill your “me time” with things you enjoy doing, like mingling with family, watching television, reading, or crafting. No matter how busy you feel, it’s helpful to do what you love to do because it alleviates stress and supports your overall well-being.
Skin Care Routine
Taking care of your skin is part of maintaining your health. Moreover, it can feel great to deep clean and nourish your skin before getting ready for bed.
Relax
Finally, establish a sleep routine. Some people prefer to listen to music before bed. Others like to unwind with some essential oil. Try to avoid using any electronics before bed as they can stimulate the brain, making it hard to fall asleep. Try to avoid drinking water before bed, or you may have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, which can impede a good night’s sleep.
Use these tips to create a consistent daily pattern. If the idea of a rigid routine bothers you, remember that you can always take the weekend off or create a different pattern of behavior for the weekends. After all, you want to make the most of your weekends too! Try these activities for a month and see if you don’t begin to feel better physically and mentally. Remember, you can continuously refine these tips to enhance your personal schedule.
By Lorena Romo: Originally posted on Porch.com
Ready to start implementing some of these healthy habits at home? Sign up for a 14-Day Rise & Shine Morning Yoga Program, now!
Who needs to cultivate a stronger sense of self or perhaps tone down an ego that is slanting more toward arrogance than confidence? Finding the balance between inner strength and insecurity takes effort but is vital to living the life you love. This week, we’ll focus on the Manipura or navel chakra, which yogis identify as the source of our self-confidence, willpower, and inner fire.
Your personality and personal power stem from the “fire in your belly” or “tapas.” At different points in our lives, like starting a new job or ending a personal relationship, our self-confidence may need a boost or a reality check. When the Manipura is in over-drive, it manifests as arrogance or ego. A lack of navel chakra energy can fill us with insecurity and self-doubt. Know that no matter what stage you’re in, focusing on your Manipura chakra can bring you back into balance.
Manipura is defined as the jewel in the city and expounds that the jewel is the ego that is your wealth. The essence of Manipura is the desire to be seen and acknowledged as a unique individual––to be recognized for your true self. When you stimulate your self-confidence, you can shine bright without fear of criticism or judgment. Learning to assert yourself without fear is a true benefit of balancing your solar-plexus energy.
Yoga practices designed to enhance your navel chakra can help you burn through layers of self-doubt and learn to trust your gut instincts. Physical asanas like twists and core-strengthening moves will build your strength from the outside in. Poses emphasizing balancing on one foot or on your hands require focus and engagement of the muscles in your center, which keep your spine healthy. These asanas and pranayama also stimulate our internal organs, which encourages energy to flow freely through our systems.
Transcending the physical, you can change how you feel from the inside out through targeted breath and meditation. Pranayama techniques like Kapalabhati breathing will stimulate your inner fire. Using meditation and mantras like, “I act on my desires and motivations” or “I honor the power within me” will boost your belief in your strength and abilities. Manipura chakra is the location where we can stoke the energy to manifest our desires. It is important to stay in touch with our center and trust our instincts.
This week’s classes are specifically designed to enliven your Manipura chakra, boost your mood, strengthen your core, and leave you feeling shiny and bright.
Pradeep Teotia - Core Flow (Free Class)
Claire Petretti Marti - Nothing But Core: Advanced & Turbo-Charged
Cicily Carter - Manipura Chakra: Core Flow
Valerie D'Ambrosio - Awaken Your 3rd Chakra
When was the last time you thought about your hormones? When it comes to health and well-being, hormones don’t typically take center stage. But hormones play a big role in healthy organ function, metabolism, bone health, and even our sleep (think melatonin).
Jules and I are both in our forties, and we both had babies over 40. So needless to say, hormones have been on our minds. We’re focused on up-leveling our hormone health so we can look forward to maintaining energy and strength as we age.
What do we do to keep our hormone production healthy?
We seek out nutritious foods that will help balance our hormones.
So today, we’re excited to share this delicious hormone-balancing smoothie recipe with you! It’s rich in superfoods and antioxidants our bodies need to regulate our hormones and keep us feeling our best.
If you’ve been around for a while, you probably know that hormone-balancing superfoods are a major part of our health formula. Smoothie recipes like the one below are a great way to get a high concentration of these nutrients without a lot of time and effort.
Here’s the breakdown of our chosen ingredients and their hormone-friendly benefits:
Flaxseeds: a superfood that’s rich in healthy Omega-3 fats and fiber. Healthy fats are crucial to healthy hormone production and may even help reduce hot flashes. A diet high in fiber is important for flushing excess estrogen out of the system.
Ashwagandha: a powerful adaptogen that helps to decrease cortisol levels and lower blood sugar.
Maca: an adaptogen that’s become famous for its hormone-balancing and stress reduction benefits. It’s commonly used to boost libido and fertility.
Hemp seeds: nature’s perfect protein powder! Hemp seeds are rich in healthy fats and they’re one of the few plant-based sources of complete protein.
Organic Acerola Cherry Powder: a great source of vitamin C, which helps increase progesterone levels and eliminate excess hormones from the body. Vitamin C also helps with optimal thyroid function.
Blueberries: a low glycemic fruit and an antioxidant powerhouse! When talking about hormone balance, maintaining healthy blood sugar is important. Eating fruits like berries that are naturally low in sugar and high in nutrients is a great way to get your fruit in without spiking your blood sugar.
Cauliflower: cruciferous veggies like cauliflower contain sulforaphane, which helps reduce excess estrogen. They’re also great blood sugar regulators!
Spinach: leafy greens like spinach are great for balancing blood sugar. They also contain antioxidants that help the liver detox excess hormones.
Lemon: in addition to balancing flavor and bringing brightness to your smoothie, the vitamin C in lemon juice helps your body absorb the iron in spinach (and other leafy greens).
Not only will this smoothie help you keep your hormones in check — it’ll fight brain fog and make you feel energized, clear-headed, and calm.
Give it a try and let us know how you feel! Do you have any go-to hormone-balancing recipes? Share them with us in the comments!
To happy healthy hormones,
Jo & Jules
Hormone Balancing Smoothie
2 cups macadamia nut milk (or any other plant-based milk) 2 handfuls of spinach 1 cup cauliflower (raw or lightly steamed) 1 cup blueberries 1 lemon, peeled 2 TB. Conscious Cleanse Chocolate Hemp Protein Powder 2 TB. flax seeds 1 tsp. maca ½ tsp. ashwagandha root powder 1 tsp. organic acerola cherry powder 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
In a high-speed blender, combine all ingredients. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Optional: Garnish your finished smoothie with some fresh mint.
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.
Our world can be so full of rushing bustle and high energy that it leaves many of us perpetually exhausted and suffering from many fatigue-related issues in our home and work lives. When we lack adequate sleep, we suffer from more than a case of Monday yawns.
Sleeplessness and chronic fatigue contribute to a variety of problems. Extended sleep deprivation can lead to even more severe mental and physical health concerns. Burning the candle at both ends isn’t a pleasant or safe way to move through life.
Yoga is proven to reduce your body’s production of the stress hormone, Cortisol. It also helps you relax into your body and release much of the tension you carry through your day. Stretching your muscles and certain styles of yoga before bed can help your body sleep more soundly and reduce insomnia.
Another benefit that many people overlook is that better sleep helps you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Yoga helps with both sleep quality and keeping your body in motion to promote your physical health.
Poses to Try: When you’re preparing for bed, avoid yoga poses that will increase your heart rate, like standard backbends and other energizing poses. Hot Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga are also not ideal for rest. You can do backbends so long as they’re adjusted for restoration and relaxation.
Child’s Pose
This pose will help stretch and open the shoulders and chest, lengthen the spine, bring focus to your breathing, stretch the buttocks and sides of the torso and extend the psoas muscles.
For Child’s Pose, start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Press your hands into the mat, and move your hips back toward your feet. Your knees and big toes should be touching in this pose, though there are variations that are wide-legged.
Cat-Cow Pose
This combination of poses lengthens your spine and gently stretches the muscles in your neck. This pose also opens the chest and brings more evident attention to your breathing patterns.
For Cat-Cow, start on your hands and knees, with your hands shoulder-width apart. On your inhale, drop your tailbone, sink your stomach, and raise your heart into Cow. Hold your breath for a moment before exhaling into Cat. For Cat, you’ll maintain your hand and knee position. Pull your tailbone in and your stomach to your spine. Arch your back, and pull your head into position to look at your legs. Repeat these two positions while focusing on your breathing.
Seated Spinal Twist
One of the most frequent contributors to sleeplessness is back pain. This pose will help lengthen, strengthen, and stretch the spine and reduce back pain. This pose also encourages healthy breathing habits and reduces sciatica-related pain in the hips.
For Seated Spinal Twist, sit back on your buttocks with your hips on the ground and your knees bent. There are a few variations on this pose to accommodate different physical body needs. This is a pose that you’ll want to focus on lengthening your spine for best results.
Standing Forward Bend
As we move through our day, a lot of tightness can build up in the calves, hamstrings, and glutes. The Standing Forward Bend is an excellent pose for releasing the tension and letting gravity gently stretch these muscles before bed. If this pose seems complicated due to a lack of flexibility, you can make alterations to achieve the same outcomes with better comfort and stability.
For Standing Forward Bend, engage your core muscles, slowly lower yourself down, reaching for your toes. Without locking your knees, reach as far to the floor as you’re able and exhale. When you’re ready to stand back up, roll up slowly, keeping your core engaged.
Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra isn't a yoga pose, but a guided meditation style of yoga that teaches your body to sink into rest and calm your mind in preparation for sleep. This type of yoga encourages a deep state of relaxation and is recommended as part of your nightly bedtime routine. A typical Yoga Nidra series can take as little as 10 minutes and can go for much longer if preferred.
Your yoga practice may be the game-changer you’ve been looking for to reset your sleep habits and renew your bedtime routine. However, yoga can only go so far in promoting healthy sleep. It’s essential to make sure your bedroom is restful and soothing.
Maintain your room at a comfortable temperature, and maintain air movement with a fan. Before bed, during your nighttime routine, dim your lights and reduce excess noise. You may need to hang curtains over windows or textile decorations on walls to dampen outside noises.
By Jennifer Chonillo
For more information about how to get the best sleep of your life, check out more infographics like the one below from SleePare Miami’s blog.
Practice the Yoga for Better Sleep Program and the 1-Week Yoga Nidra Program for to help you sleep soundly!
Yoga is an extremely popular practice around the globe, and that’s because it was made to be accessible to everyone, to heal, strengthen, calm and empower whoever wants to try it, regardless of age, gender, race, size, shape, background and fitness level!
Everyone should try yoga at least once in their life, and here are just a few reasons why this practice is for everyone.
Stress Relief
Yoga relieves stress for everyone from any walk of life. Yoga helps to bring attention to our breath, which is the quickest and easiest way to change our mindsets and emotional states. Deeper, fuller breaths help to relax our parasympathetic nervous systems, which in turn helps to alleviate anxiety and tension. Whoever you are, once you try connecting and controlling your breath through yoga, you will notice your stress levels reducing. The mind-body practice of yoga allows for meditation and relaxation and gaining some knowledge of how your mind works is a great long-term stress management technique.
It Strengthens the Body
You might think that yoga is an easy sport, but it actually is hard on the body, after one session you will realize how hard you actually work and how tough you need to be. Yoga uses our own body to support different postures and helps to develop strength by using the core to support and engage the muscles to keep you in the pose. Easy pose usually focuses on a specific group of muscles, and even simple poses can help tone muscle groups all over the body.
It Increases Flexibility
Yoga is great for limbering us up and helping us tap into our flexibility - and anyone can do it! When you start a yoga practice, it’s about stretching and pushing yourself and your limitations. When you start to combine movement and breath, you will find that you can go deeper and deeper into each posture, and you open up more every day. It can take some time, but you’ll see the progress every time you practice. When you let go of tension and lengthen out your body, you’ll feel the amazing benefits.
Yoga Helps You Connect with Yourself
Yoga is a time to connect and tune into your voice. As it’s a non-competitive practice, it encourages you to listen to your mind and your body. And when you get to know yourself on the mat, it will help you be more authentic in the real world. Connecting with your inner voice is very important for your mental health, when you’re able to connect to your inner voice, you can understand your feelings and become more aware of your thoughts, and help process them.
Yoga Can Be Practiced Anywhere
All you need to practice yoga is your body - even mats are optional if you’re happy using the floor. You don’t need any fancy kit of equipment, and you can do it anywhere you are in the world, even if you only have a few minutes. Bringing a mat, if you need to, is easy to carry around and isn’t too cumbersome. You can also use alternatives for props with whatever you have around the house.
Yoga is Adaptable
No yoga practice is ever the same, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all practice. It’s easy to adapt yoga to your body, and although there is a basic outcome and alignment needed for each posture, most of the practice comes from listening to your own body and moving from within.
Yoga is Fun
Yoga lets you channel your inner child, and you get to move your body in all sorts of different ways. It’s one of the only sports when you can let yourself completely be free. There is also a common saying, which is ‘yoga is a practice, not a performance’, which also means that when you are practicing yoga there is no competition also - making it a more fun practice.
Yoga is Low Impact
Yoga is a low-impact exercise that can help to lubricate the joints and massage your muscles. You can practice yoga for the rest of your life, and use it to help you stay young and agile - both physically and mentally. The slow and careful movements improve strength, flexibility, and balance, and it’s ideal if you have injuries. This also means it's great for active recovery. With the focus on breathing and bringing in good energy, it will also help you to rest and let out your negative thoughts and emotions, preparing you for the days ahead.
It’s Empowering
Yoga can help to boost your confidence by letting you rely on yourself, and help you discover the power of your breath, body, and potential - making you feel stronger and confident. Yoga can also help you to tune into and trust your instincts, leading from your heart and your gut. Learning to listen to your inner voice helps you trust in yourself, filling you with power and kindness.
It’s easy to find a class to fit your needs. There are a lot of yoga styles such as Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Power, Bikram, Iyengar, and Yin - to name just a few! It’s easy to find a style and type of yoga that works for you.
This week's classes are for everyone and more specific demographics. There are yoga classes for men, some for those who are aging, one from Dana's Body Positivity yoga program, and one for new moms. These classes are a reminder that while yoga is for everyone, it can be adapted to suit each person's unique needs and body.
By Amy Cavill
“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” - Bhagavad Gita
Every single one of us is unique. No identical fingerprints exist. Nobody can feel your feelings, think your thoughts, or experience the physical sensations you have. This week we are celebrating the differences between us––while keeping in mind what connects us––with yoga practices designed specifically for certain populations.
No one size fits all yoga practice exists. The considerable benefits of yoga for the physical, mental, and emotional bodies are available to everyone regardless of age, current health, and energy levels. We all progress through different seasons of our lives and our needs and desires change. Your yoga practice at age 21 is and should be different than your experience when you are 71. We are constantly evolving and so should our yoga practice.
Of course, you could take a variety of different classes and modify or amplify the sections which don’t work for your body or resonate with your inner self. Sometimes, you simply want a class that feels like the teacher created it just for you.
Perhaps you’re a new mother and need to ease back into your regular practice and accommodate the changes in your body and emotions. Yoga for New Moms with Casey Feicht is the perfect class to help you transition back onto the mat. Or, as a guy, you want to check out Robert Sidoti’s Broga program, and receive a specialized program just for you. Two vastly different focuses but both classes offer all the benefits of flexibility, strength, balance, and peace of mind we all receive from yoga.
Dana Smith’s Open Your Heart from her Body Positivity program helps you focus on finding your inner joy, regardless of your external physical abilities. And if you’re not a teenager anymore, your yoga practice needs to evolve with each decade. Desiree Rumbaugh and Michelle Marchildon’s Find Strength Through Your Feet emphasizes staying strong from the ground up. These classes are a reminder that while yoga is for everyone, it can be adapted to suit each person's unique needs and bodies.
No matter who you are, there is a yoga practice that will be perfect for you. Enjoy!
Robert Sidoti - Yoga for Men 1: Begin
Desiree Rumbaugh & Michelle Marchildon: Find Strength Through Your Feet
Dana Smith - Open Your Heart
Casey Feicht - Yoga for New Moms
Today I am sharing a different idea for you to try out on your next pizza evening. My aunt has a wonderful summerhouse and a few years back we built a wood pizza oven there that takes several hours to heat up and bakes the most amazing pizzas in very high heat. So every time I visit, there is pizza. A lot of it!
This time I made a nice sourdough base, but I am not sharing the dough recipe with you as it takes around a week to make (assuming that you don’t already have a sourdough starter living in your fridge). Obviously, you also don’t need to spend an entire weekend building an oven. Your regular pizza base recipe and the regular oven will be totally okay to use.
As always, we had a ton of veggies, different cheeses, and other toppings to play around with so everyone can make their own pizza exactly how they like it.
This one was actually created by my sister, so I can not take the credit here, but since it was magical, I will share this with you here. It is a very regular Margherita topping as we all know and love it, but after the oven, it will get extra love by a smooth avocado cream and toasted pine nuts. Yum.
The exact quantities here depend on the type of your avocados and sour cream and how juicy your limes are, but start with 1 tablespoon of sour cream per 1 ripe avocado, add the juice from ½ lime and keep adding ingredients until you are happy with the taste. Spoon the cream on top of the pizza and add some toasted pine nuts.
Avocado Cream Pizza Topping
Tomato sauce
Mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves
Avocado, lime, salt, sour cream, and pine nuts mixed into a smooth cream
Directions: Put on top of homemade or store-bought pizza and enjoy!
This August full moon is full of power and will bring forward a resurgence of lifeforce. It is 'Go Time" my loves, and in the beginning of this month the transition into these new energies and directives could have felt like pressure or uncertainty. Everyone collectively felt and received an intuitive push from the soul to step into the new self that has been unfolding this entire year.
Here we are. The rise of the sun. The theme for this full moon is positive masculine outward forces that will bring new energies into self-expression, new goals, and dharma. A key aspect of self-expression is possession. The movement forward asks for ownership of who you are becoming. Own and take possession of your greatness and rise into it. It is a shift of consciousness.
The energy is working and transforming the earth element. We have water, air, and earth working to transform into a new being. This point is when the evolutionary outgoing path meets the involuntary ingoing path. The evolution of the self meets the inner self for an outward expression. The material becomes more stable and muddles less. Maya (illusion) is overcome through owning self, the gift of Leo is the separation from Anima Mundi-universal soul.
The individual self is strengthened, dharma has greater footing, clarity, and the rise of the soul-sun moves forward with vigor, courage, and brighter horizons. These energies are working to manifest on the outer plane. There has been so much energy earlier this year, developing the levels of consciousness, and awakening dharma. Here it is new energy moving to develop dharma and gifts outward. These energies have also developed the individuated self (unique soul self). This lunation is masculine dominant energy within feminine creative power. This level of shakti moves the soul self to create within new realms. For many of you, this will affirm new aspects of self.
Many of you will have desires, and dreams reach new forms of manifested reality. It is a fortunate lunation, marked by supporting planetary placements. Jupiter will play a key role in uplifting the Sun and Mars, while the moon will work with illuminating what lies behind Maya (illusion). This revealing is unifying of the self within dharma. Do not fight the flow, surrender into it. Allow the self to be carried away and allow the illumination to purify the dross.
There is a unique energy of spiritualization that is transforming the interrelationship of self and others. This will work through material life, it will work through all facets of relationship. Some may feel tempted to resort to past placation or pleasure-seeking. Follow the heart of creation, nourish what is arising, this can be done by ownership of all aspects of self. Make love to your ‘lesser nature’, woo the traits that aren’t as pretty.
Again ownership of self will raise one into new heights. Move beyond what you perceive and how you are perceived. Silence and devotion to this new you is required. That means applying directive to the positive force of masculine energy into outward action. This can be in any area of your life, but your commitment to stabilizing these new creative forces and the energy that is moving is important. The individuated self will seek new heights.
To work these energies in asana, open chair twist will work with the elements and with the actions of the planets during this full moon.
To book a personal chart reading click here. Cosmic Resources and deeper esoteric practices can be found on my website.
Geenie, also known as Gemma, is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, astrologer, and student of the Sri Vidya Tantric lineage. 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. Her website is here.
Practice the Yoga & Astrology series with Geenie now!
Iyengar Yoga is a style of yoga that was developed and named after someone called B.K.S Iyengar, in the 1960s. This style of yoga is very meticulous and places importance on precision and alignment. Iyengar yoga is about breath control and posture and is great to build strength and flexibility, as well as teaching the correct alignment of the body.
B.K.S Iyengar was born in 1918 in Bellur, India. He studied and practiced yoga for over 85 years. He studied under T. Krishnamacharya - who is often referred to as ‘The Father of Modern Yoga’. He brought his style of yoga to the west in the 1970’s and wrote his book: Light on Yoga, which has been a source for yoga students all over the world. B.K.S Iyengar taught for over 75 years in the 5 continents, bringing yoga to many people around the world. He even invented a lot of the yoga props we still use today and helped explore how yoga can treat medical conditions.
Iyengar yoga is different, and it’s accessible to anyone. It is the most widely practiced yoga style in the world. Iyengar yoga focuses on postural alignment, and it is good to treat postural problems. It requires a high level of concentration to achieve the precise details of each pose. The emphasis is on quality of movement rather than quantity and encourages safety throughout the practice. It might seem a bit slower, but you’ll soon realize how hard you have to work.
Iyengar practice utilizes props - such as blocks, blankets, straps, chairs, and bolsters. This is to help each student to find the proper alignment in each pose. Props are useful as they help students to hold poses in the proper alignment even when it’s the first time they’ve tried it, or if they are stiffer or injured. Props should always be available in an Iyengar yoga practice, but they’re not always necessary. They should be used to simplify the poses and to make each pose accessible to everyone. Make sure you take advice from your instructor if you’ve never used props before, or you’re not sure if you need them or not.
In an Iyengar yoga class, the technique in which the postures are taught is the exact same worldwide. Each teacher will choose a series of poses for each class for different reasons, but each pose will be exactly the same worldwide. That means you will not feel out of place whatever Iyengar class you attend.
Beginner classes tend to focus on standing postures, to help you learn and understand the fundamentals of how to align your body correctly. Standing poses form the foundation of the practice, before moving onto more advanced postures. However, standing poses need to be practiced and studied regularly - even if you’re a master at the practice.
Teachers who teach Iyengar yoga must undergo lots of training to ensure they give out the right instructions needed on alignment and postures. A fully qualified Iyengar teacher will hold a current Iyengar Yoga Certification Mark.
You can expect a class to include lots of information on technique and sequencing, progressing safely through the postures.
The benefits of Iyengar yoga include physical benefits, such as increased flexibility. You don’t need to be super flexible to try it, and increased flexibility may be a great side effect. It is a slow and gentle practice that allows you to hold poses for one minute, and using props to help hold poses can increase your flexibility.
Another benefit is toned muscles, as the physical demand of holding the poses will build up strength in your muscles as well as stretching them. Iyengar engages your whole body, allowing you to build strength in all the muscles, including connective tissue that you might not usually work out. This results in a full body toning experience, and allows you to be aware of how your muscles work deep in your body.
Iyengar yoga can also be used as a type of pain relief, to help relieve back and neck pain. This is because it focuses on alignment, to combat slouching, hunching, and muscle weakness. Iyengar can also help to stretch the muscles in your back and relieve any tension that might be causing pain in these areas. Additionally, this focus on proper alignment can help to strengthen the muscles of your body that are responsible for posture, like your legs, back, and core. With these adjustments to improve your posture, you will also find that smaller muscles become stronger and you find yourself standing taller, and you’ll have more energy, less pain, and feel more confident.
Practicing Iyengar yoga can also help to protect from disease. Disease happens when the normal processes of the body don’t happen exactly the way they should. Iyengar helps to improve the functioning of your body, from circulatory and nervous systems, to lymph systems and digestion. When your body is working properly, your organs are nourished and can eliminate toxins, decreasing the risk of disease.
Finally, Iyengar yoga can help to improve your breathing. While you hold your asana and focus on your alignment, you also move your focus to the breath. The more you practice Iyengar and practice breathing, the less you end up holding your breath unconsciously in your day-to-day life. This encourages a constant flow of oxygen to the brain.
“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” -B.K.S. Iyengar
Are you ready to immerse yourself and learn all about Iyengar yoga from expert teacher Dana Hanizeski? We are delighted to share this new 7 class program which will leave you feeling energized, calm, and knowledgeable.
Before we dive into a deeper description of Iyengar yoga, here’s a little history about the man who created this unique style. B.K.S. Iyengar was one of T. Krishnamacharya, the Father of Modern yoga’s, most famous students in Mysore, India. Other prominent Krishnamacharya disciples include Pattabhi Jois and Indra Devi. Iyengar is one of the teachers who introduced his style of yoga and interpretation of the Eight-Limbed Yoga Path to the Western world.
Iyengar penned the famous book, Light on Yoga, and other well-known texts studied and revered to this day. His books Light on Pranayama and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali delve deeper into his shared wisdom. In his teachings, Iyengar states that yoga is a classical Indian science dealing with the search for the soul. The word “yoga” signifies both the way to discovery of the soul and union with it.
In addition to his significant contributions to yoga philosophy, Iyengar developed his style of yoga that arose from personal necessity. He suffered from poor health throughout his childhood and could not perform the vigorous Ashtanga routines created by Krishnamacharya. Often described by his students as the “Lion”, Iyengar was fierce, disciplined, and stubborn. He overcame his personal health issues by experimenting with blocks, straps, and other props to achieve proper alignment in each pose.
Iyengar yoga is a slower, more deliberate style of yoga with long holds emphasizing proper alignment from the feet to the crown. Iyengar believed that extended time in each pose provided major benefits physically and mentally. The addition of props allowed anyone who wants to practice the opportunity to do so with proper support. This style of yoga encompasses a therapeutic aspect excellent for students seeking to recover from injury or simply become stronger.
Whether you are a beginning yogi or an advanced practitioner, you’ll enjoy this well-rounded Iyengar yoga program!
Sometimes the only thing you need is a cake. Feels familiar? So let me introduce you to a chocolate and beetroot cake. No need to be afraid – we do use a lot of beets in this recipe, but you can’t taste it in the result. Also, if you are afraid of too many beets, then just skip the beetroot powder in the frosting (yes, there also is a frosting!) and substitute this with pink pitaya powder or just fresh berries or skip it altogether. The main purpose of the powder here is to color the “cheesecake” frosting into a nice pink-purple color anyway, so if you are happy with white, just go for it.
The cake itself is quite moist and decadent anyway and a few of my friends have mentioned that this is the best vegan cake they have ever had. To make it even more luscious, I added a whipped tofu frosting for extra moisture. And of course, I needed to go the extra mile and also candied some beetroot ribbons. For this, I first created a sugar syrup – 1 cup of water and ½ cups of regular sugar. Bring to boil, add beetroot ribbons (or just very thinly cut beetroot slices), and simmer them for 30 minutes until they turn slightly translucent). Then drain them and leave them to cool. I also cooked the rest of the syrup down to beetroot caramel, but I am honestly not sure yet, where or how I will use this.
So you can go a little crazy with this cake. Go all in and do all the elements for an extra fancy cake. Or keep it simple and only do one element. It is delicious either way!
Vegan Beet-Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Cooking time: 1 hour
For the cake base:
14 oz grams boiled beets
3 ½ oz dark chocolate
2 tbsp flaxseed flour + 4 tbsp water mixed
2 oz coconut oil
½ cup cashew milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
9 oz all-purpose flour
2 oz cocoa powder
5 oz coconut sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Extra coconut oil and cocoa to cover the cake pan
For the frosting:
12 oz silken tofu
1 tbsp coconut oil
3.5 oz oat-based whipping cream
1 tsp agave syrup (or sugar)
1 tbsp beetroot powder
Place the parchment in the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan, cover the bottom and the sides with a thin layer of coconut oil and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Keep the prepared pan in the fridge until you prepare the batter.
Preheat the oven to 360F.
Melt the chocolate and leave it to cool slightly.
Blitz the beetroot to a smooth puree and mix in the melted chocolate, flax and water mix, coconut oil, cashew milk, and vanilla extract.
In another bowl sieve and mix all the dry ingredients.
Gently mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients only until incorporated and do not overmix.
Pour the batter into a pan and bake for 40 minutes.
Blitz the tofu until smooth. Stick blender works wonderfully here or use a regular blender.
Mix in the coconut oil, agave syrup, beetroot powder, and vanilla extract.
Separately, whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold it in.
To assemble, let the cake base cool completely, then cover with the frosting (or if you feel extra fancy, you can cut the base into two and create a layer cake – there is enough frosting for two layers!) and decorate with candied beetroot, edible flowers or raspberries.
Enjoy this FREE 25-Minute yoga class from home, before your delicious mushrooms!
25-Minute Full Body Yoga with Keith Allen
The second limb of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga system are the Niyamas, which are five internal practices. These practices extend the ethical codes of conduct provided in his first limb, the Yamas and look more within. The practice of Niyama helps us maintain a positive environment in which to grow, and gives us the self-discipline and inner-strength necessary to progress along the path of yoga.
Similar to the Yamas, the five Niyamas, while ancient in their origins, are very applicable to everyday modern life. These concepts can help you self-reflect and live a more peaceful life.
Saucha. Purification: The first principle of Patanjali’s five Niyamas is Saucha. It is often translated to “cleanliness” and relates to good hygiene and self-care. It also goes much deeper than that. It is the idea that your environment impacts your state of mind. For example, if you walk into a messy room, you are more likely to feel scattered and anxious internally, versus how you feel when you walk into a clean and orderly room. The same goes for your body. If you feel well-groomed and clean, you’re more likely to feel better and even clearer in your mind.
There are a number of yogic cleansing techniques that create cleanliness internally. Things like a neti pot, nauli (abdominal massage), and bhasti (colon cleansing), are examples of techniques that support Saucha and a clearer mind and body. Treating your body like a temple, with care is part of yoga.
Santosha. Contentment: In simplest terms, Santosha teaches us to be grateful for what we have and not waste energy craving for things that we do not have. Advertising wants us to think that true happiness can come through the accumulation of objects, but yoga teaches us that happiness that comes from materialism is only temporary.
Practicing Santosha frees us from perpetually wanting more and feeling dissatisfied with what we have. Right here, right now, you have the ability to appreciate everything you have. Contentment is a powerful perspective and one that can allow us to feel joy for all of life’s blessings. Unnecessary suffering comes from always wanting things to be different.
Tapas. Asceticism: Tapas is the yogic concept of self-discipline and willpower. Tapas can be seen as doing something you might not feel like, that will have a positive effect on your life.
Tapas is related to our inner fire and our passion, purpose, and willpower. Tapas is trusting yourself to do the things you say you are going to do and following through with things you’ve committed to. Tapas gives us more control over our unconscious impulses and poor habits. It can build the willpower and personal strength to become more dedicated to our practice of yoga and other good habits.
Svadhyaya. Self-Study: Svadhyaya is the practice of being able to look at yourself, your patterns, behaviors, flaws, strengths, and self-growth. It’s simply being able to contemplate and reflect upon life’s lessons, as well as your own behavior.
Life is an ever-changing journey, and we change throughout life as people. That is why Svadhyaya is not a one-time thing, but an ongoing practice. Do you consider conflicts with others from perspectives other than your own? Are you willing to realize and admit when you’ve made mistakes and choose to grow from them? It’s harder to grow when we’re not able, to be honest with ourselves and take a good look in the mirror once in a while. Yoga and meditation are practices of looking within. There is an opportunity to practice Svadhyaya every single time you step onto your yoga mat.
Ishvara Pranidhana. Devotion: This is the dedication and devotion of the fruits of one’s practice to a higher power. This Niyama fuses two common aspects of yoga within it: the devotion to something greater than just yourself and the selfless action of karma yoga. Patanjali tells us that to reach the goal of yoga we must dissolve our egocentric nature and let go of our constant identification with ourselves.
Ishvara Pranidhana is not religious, but about dedicating the benefits of your yoga practice, to the benefit of all. It has ripple effects that go far beyond just you. Through this simple act of dedication, we become reminded of our connection to an energy that connects us all, and our practice becomes sacred and filled with grace and love.
By Keith Allen
Sometimes when you are seeking more clarity, the best move you can make is to hit the pause button and slow down. This week’s classes help you do that with a mix of Hatha and Iyengar practices designed to help you reach a deeper level in your mind, body, and spirit. Sequences vary in each class, with poses held for several breaths instead of flowing breath to movement. Quieter styles of yoga give you the opportunity to savor the feelings that arise in each asana (pose).
Hatha yoga is the umbrella under which all physical styles of yoga reside. A Hatha Yoga class combines asanas and pranayama, usually at a slower pace than some other practices like Ashtanga and Vinyasa. Hatha classes are known to be more mellow but don’t assume that makes them easier. Sometimes holding fewer poses for a longer time is more challenging than flowing through a faster-paced Vinyasa class. These more gentle classes are also excellent if you’re nursing injuries or experiencing physical limitations but don’t want to miss your yoga.
Iyengar Yoga, created by Yoga luminary, B.K.S. Iyengar, helps you slow down so you can develop a deeper sense of awareness of physical sensations and tune into your thoughts. The author of Light on Yoga, Iyengar was a physically frail child and believed yoga was for everybody regardless of physical or mental challenges. Iyengar highlights integrating props like blocks and straps into a slower alignment-based practice. This style emphasizes fewer poses, each held for a significant time, which helps you settle into stillness.
Sometimes stepping back and focusing on alignment can help you make sure you’re receiving all the benefits from each pose. When we flow quickly, sometimes we sacrifice form for speed. A periodic reminder of what each asana actually feels like in your body helps you stay strong and supple and avoid injury. So this week, slow down with us and savor the experience.
Dana Hanizeski - Deep Release for the Back
Keith Allen - 45-Minute Heart & Hips Hatha
Desiree Rumbaugh - Strengthen, Protect, & Heal The Hips
Patrick Montgomery - Focus on Form - Twists & Arm Balances
This is the easiest recipe ever and I usually don’t even bother writing down recipes this simple, but this drink has been on my menu almost every day this summer, so I figured it makes sense to jot this one down.
In Estonia, where I live, we usually have a few weeks of real summer if we are lucky. Estonian summer means something around 70°F for days and 50-60°F during nights, so rather chilly. But this year has surprised us with a real heatwave and we have had the temperatures around and even over 80°F for almost 6 weeks already. This also means that the temperature inside my apartment is constantly around 80°F and this is not so nice anymore... At one point I seriously considered just sleeping in a hammock on my terrace where there is at least a little wind. But generally, I am rather happy with the hot weather.
Hot weather means hot weather food or rather hot weather drinks like smoothies, iced tea, iced coffee, ice cream, and everything else that comes cooled.
This one here is one of my favorites from this summer. I would call it a slushie, but a healthy and a really delicious one. I can’t explain it scientifically, but I feel that watermelon quenches thirst better compared to regular water (which I, of course, also drink in excessive amounts), and since my own little balcony garden has given me a lot of strawberries over the summer it just makes sense to combine them.
One thing to note here is that I highly recommend using frozen strawberries. In case you have fresh strawberries at hand another option is to freeze up cubed watermelon. Just make sure that one of the ingredients is frozen as you don’t want to end up with a juice, but a niche thick slushie consistency.
Watermelon-Strawberry Slushie
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
7 oz diced watermelon
7 oz frozen strawberries
Add both ingredients to the blender and blitz until smooth. Drink immediately.
The first of Patanjali’s eight-fold path of yoga are the Yamas. They are moral, ethical and societal guidelines. These guidelines are all expressed in the positive and can be interpreted as descriptions of how a yogi behaves and relates to their world. The Yamas are applicable to modern life, and a good guidance system on how to lead an honest, ethical, and conscious life.
Patanjali teaches that Yamas are meant to be practiced in our actions, thoughts, and words. The Yamas are applicable to everyone regardless of socioeconomic class, gender, or ethnicity. The Yamas are something that can make life more peaceful for people who observe them. It’s possible that observing the Yamas will lead to a life of less conflict, deceit, and even stress.
Here is a brief overview of each Yama, to reflect on how these Yamas show up in your life and how you can live them more.
Ahimsa. Non-Harming: Ahimsa is a practice of non-violence towards others or yourself, physically, mentally, or emotionally. It is about carrying an energy of peace and compassion instead of one of harm.
While not inflicting physical violence seems straightforward and clear, Ahimsa is more subtle than it seems. Aside from not harming others physically, your words and even your thoughts matter. Do you talk negatively about others behind their backs, or hurl personal insults to their face? These are examples of harm, and not in alignment with Ahimsa. Treating others with respect, and never intending to do harm is in the spirit of Ahimsa.
Ahimsa is also meant to be applied in your relationship with yourself. Do you harm yourself with self-destructive habits or relentless self-criticism? The opposite of that, and the practice of Ahimsa, is to take loving care of yourself and treat yourself with compassion and care, even though you are not perfect (no one is).
On your yoga mat, the practice of Ahimsa can also be applied. Your yoga practice is meant to be a healing and beneficial practice. Listen to your body and make sure you’re not pushing yourself too much and overdoing it, or self-critical of your practice while you’re on your mat.
Satya. Truthfulness: Satya is about speaking, acting, and thinking with integrity. In simplest terms, Satya is about being honest. Satya is also about being honest with yourself and expressing unsaid truths that need to be expressed.
When someone speaks from a place of integrity and honesty, it feels different than when someone isn’t being honest. An honest person’s words land differently and with more impact. Life is simpler if one is not concealing the truth or running from lies.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, he says that the words of those firmly established in the practice of Satya become so powerful that everything they say comes true.
Asteya. Non-Stealing: Asteya teaches us to not take anything that has not been clearly given to us. Taking what is not yours and stealing comes from a place of lack.
While non-stealing is at the core of Asteya, it goes deeper. Things you may not think of, like perpetually being late, are examples of stealing the time of other people. It’s also about not taking things that have not been clearly given. For example, do you ever assume that it’s okay for you to take something, without it explicitly being given to you?
Brahmacharya. Self-Restraint: Brahmacharya is about having self-control over our impulses of excess. When practiced, this can lead to an increase in vitality and energy. It takes courage and will to break some of our addictive tendencies, but each time we overcome these impulses we can become stronger, healthier, and wiser. Yoga teaches us to maintain balance and avoid extremes and that practicing Brahmacharya can help create moderation in all of our activities.
Brahmacharya is related to sexual energy but it does not necessarily mean celibacy. It is about preserving and using our sexual energy with purpose, instead of wasting it and letting it control us. It is some of the most powerful and vital energy we have, and we can utilize it in our pursuits and practice.
Aparigraha. Non-greed: Aparigraha is about non-attachment. This is not a vow to live in poverty, but more of an invitation to be satisfied with what you have and avoid excess and perpetual dissatisfaction. There is abundance in the spirit of aparigraha. A person with a lot of money who steals from others and is constantly worried about not having enough is not really rich in the truest sense of the word.
Yoga teaches us that our greatest satisfaction comes from within. In many modern societies, there is tremendous emphasis on acquiring more and more excess materialism. While having nice things and living comfortably is wonderful, Aparigraha is about not becoming greedy.
On the yoga mat, this non-attachment shows up in how we treat the practice. If you’re striving to be better to the person next to you on the mat, you’ve likely lost sight of why you love yoga and came to practice in the first place. It’s about going inwards and connecting deeply to yourself.
Around the world, COVID-19 restrictions are lifting in various stages, and in some places, they're getting tighter again as the pandemic continues.
In some parts of the world, people are coming out of lockdown and recent months have been a time of being allowed to see family again, to go out for dinner, and even festivals and nightclubs. This can be quite overwhelming after months of restrictions in place. While you might be excited for some sense of normalcy, feeling uncertain and anxious is a normal reaction to the world changing once again.
In other places, the pandemic is getting more serious again, perhaps after months of things seeming like they were getting better. This can be extremely confusing and stress-inducing.
To help transition from lockdown to opening up, we’ve put together some tips on how to deal with pandemic anxiety.
People will respond differently to the current situation where they live depending on differences in being introverted or extroverted, our view of risk, our own health needs and those of our friends and family, and also how the pandemic has affected us personally. Moving from worrying about these factors to another set of rules (or no rules!) can feel strange and cause anxiety and worry.
For some, after spending so much time being stuck inside, we can get used to our own company, or socializing online, and the thought of in-person interactions can feel daunting. Even those who love socializing can feel anxious.
How to deal with pandemic anxiety?
If you’re feeling pretty anxious about things - first of all, acknowledge that this is completely normal. We have been living with a threat for over a year now, and our bodies can react to threats by going into flight or fight mode - literally triggering anxious thoughts and feelings. Lockdown might have been a reset period for some people, but also for others it was a time of intense stress - and people have been living with those feelings of stress for a very long time, which can lead to chronic stress, and issues like sleep deprivation, memory issues, and irritability. However, there are ways to combat this.
Soothing Techniques
There are soothing techniques that you can use to remind your body that you are physically safe. Simple breathing exercises and pranayama practices, like focusing on a long inhalation through your nose, and a long exhalation through your mouth, can take your body out of flight or fight mode. You can also ground yourself by naming one thing you see, one thing you smell, one thing you feel, one thing you hear to help present yourself. These techniques can help to notice your individual stress triggers.
Be Kind to Yourself
Giving yourself a break and being kind to yourself can make a huge difference too. Practicing self-compassion as the world changes around us can help to transition, and remind ourselves that our feelings are completely natural. It can be tempting to beat ourselves up for our feelings and push ourselves to power through, but it's super helpful to accept our feelings and not judge ourselves for them. Give yourself time and space for your feelings, and be present with how you're feeling.
Focus On Things You Can Control
Feeling like we’re not in control has been a feeling many of us have struggled with over the course of the pandemic, and it’s totally normal. There’s a lot in the unknown that we just can’t control, from new variants to the risk of another lockdown. It can be hard to stay calm when you worry about things like this. Not having control can be anxiety-inducing, and we can try and combat this by trying to control things we can’t. It helps to focus on things that you can control, from small things and big things, and also thinking about how we can control our anxiety levels by being kind to ourselves.
Reframing
When we feel anxious it can be easy to get into unhelpful thought patterns, where we start to imagine catastrophic situations or try to predict the future. If you catch yourself doing this about our changing landscape, it can be useful to try and reframe your thoughts, and try and look at things in a more positive way. Remind yourself that it’s normal to feel anxious and that it’s okay to move at your own pace when going back to ‘normal life.
Monitor News Consumption
Watching, reading, and listening to the news is a great way to stay on top of how the world is changing, but too much news consumption can actually make you feel worse. A lot of news stories are based on rumors and speculation and can make you feel more anxious. Try to find a trusted source that you can rely on regularly, and set a time limit for how much you watch, read or listen to it.
Keep Boundaries You’re Comfortable With
Everyone responds to the end of lockdown in different ways, and it will probably affect you. People close to you may be feeling different, maybe more excited than anxious, and they might invite you over or to do things you may not be comfortable with. It’s important to be honest, and set boundaries that you feel comfortable with. Try not to put the needs of others above your own, and practice setting boundaries as we move forward.
Stick to a Routine
Looking after yourself is so important when you’re feeling anxious. Focus on the basics and maintain a routine that fills your day with sleep, healthy food, and exercise, as well as talking to loved ones. Your routine doesn’t need to change too much even though the world might be.
Accept What Has Happened
Even when this is over one day, it may be unrealistic to jump straight back into their lives as if this hasn’t happened. Taking time to process and accept what has happened is important to move forward. Ask yourself questions like "What have I found hard?” and "What have I learned about myself", and take stock of where you are in your life right now.
Wherever you are in the world, the landscape of your life has probably changed drastically over the pandemic. Try not to let your anxious feelings overwhelm you and enjoy your life as much as you can, despite the ongoing unusual circumstances we're still living in.
Practice the 7-Day Yoga for Anxiety Relief Immersion to help you relax!
Are you ready to go deeper into your yoga practice?
This week the focus is on Pranayama, which is a vital component of a complete yoga practice. We’ve got new short classes dedicated to different techniques which will impact your state of mind and your body––fast! Pranayama is the practice of extending and regulating your prana or life force. The way we breathe changes the way we feel.
Yoga luminary T.K.V. Desikachar stated: “In order to influence our prana, we must be able to influence the mind. Our actions often disturb the mind, causing prana to exude the body. Through daily pranayama practice, we reverse this process, as a change in the breathing pattern influences the mind.”
Pranayama techniques are specific breathing practices to enable this process. Asana or the physical postures are used as a practical tool to purify the physical body. Pranayama is a more nuanced tool used to reveal and refine the details of energetic patterns. Pranayama is subtle but extremely profound and also prepares you for meditation.
If you love Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga, you’re familiar with Ujjayi Pranayama or “Victorious Breath.” Using this pattern of breathing through the nose with a slight constriction in the back of your throat helps you maintain awareness of the breath flowing with steadiness, ease, and balance. You literally get into the flow of breath to movement, quieting your mind and calming your nerves.
Other Pranayama techniques can help amp up your energy, soothe your parasympathetic nervous system, quiet your mind, and soften your emotions.
The breath enhances the mind-body connection. Breath links the physical body to the mind and links the mind to the life force or Prana. Power exists in the knowledge you can impact your well-being simply by dedicating your time to your breath cycles.
According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a seminal text on yoga, “when the breath wanders the mind is unsteady. But, when the breath is calmed, the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.”
If you're newer to pranayama practices, all these classes are accessible and beneficial. If you’re already an experienced practitioner, enjoy the review and perhaps discover different perspectives. Breathe deep!
Pradeep Teotia - Pranayama: Kapalabhati
Claire Petretti Marti - Pranayama: Vishama Vritti
Maria Garre - Pranayama to Ground & Calm the Mind
We’ve officially entered the dog days of summer in Colorado, which according to Wikipedia is an expression that “refers to the hot, sultry days of summer especially in the Northern Hemisphere.”
Today we’ve got the antidote to the dog days of summer – Chocolate Ice Cream!
Check out the decadent summery sweet treat recipe below featuring frozen bananas and raw cacao. This ice cream is 100% vegan and dairy-free, making it truly 100% guilt free! And it’s so rich and chocolatey that you’ll never miss the real thing.
Guilt-free ice cream? Sign us up!
That’s how we roll in the 80:20! For more great recipes, habits, tips, and inspiration for how to continue living vibrantly long after the cleanse ends, be sure to check out our Conscious Cleanse On Demand which includes our 80:20 Plan here.
Are you ready to give this vegan ice cream a whirl? Go freeze your ripe bananas (be sure to peel them first!), then let us know after you’ve tried this marvelous treat.
With chocolate ice cream love, Jo & Jules
Vegan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Yield: 6 servings
1 ripe avocado 4 ripe bananas, peeled, chopped into pieces, frozen ¼ cup cacao powder Pinch sea salt 1 tsp. maple syrup 3 TB. cacao nibs
In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade or high-speed blender, place avocado and frozen banana pieces and blend until no lumps remain. This could take a while and the mixture might need some help by scraping down the sides. If the mixture is too thick let it sit for a few minutes to soften. This helps to get it moving in the food processor. Scrape down this sides and add the cacao, sea salt, and maple syrup. Process until smooth and combined thoroughly. Scrape the mixture into a freezer-safe bowl and stir in the cacao nibs. Serve immediately or cover and freeze until serving. If serving from the freezer let it sit for a moment or two to soften a bit.
Yes, yogis can be susceptible to materialism too! I subscribe to numerous yoga mailing lists and it’s nice to have at least one email every day that I know will engage and excite me in a way that all that lovely spam just can’t seem to do.
Lately, though, I’ve started to realize a trend about my beloved yoga newsletters and publications: I’m enticed to buy a product every time I open an email. Maybe I’m especially susceptible to marketing ploys, as, after all, I’ll freely admit how much I love to shop. I realize this isn’t exactly a yogic quality and I have a long way to go to really be able to observe Santosha (the yoga Niyama of contentment), but at least I can recognize it.
The yoga community doesn't always feel like it's doing the same. Yoga is not just about what brand of clothes you wear, what summer yoga festivals you attended, or what brand of new mat you have. However, every yoga magazine I read now contains information about new clothing, mats, or other things that will enhance my practice? Sure, these publications need advertisers, but when I open up a magazine and see a spread of What to Wear as if I were flipping through Vogue, I have to admit, I’m sometimes a little put off.
I imagine that there are many people who will disagree with my assessment of this as there are great and new innovative yoga products that are exciting to learn about and try. I’m also not saying that practitioners are shallow or driven by our consumer culture and I’m certainly not suggesting that all yogis come to class to show off their great new gear. I am, however, suggesting that consumer culture might be driving our yoga community more than we realize. I’m not condemning people who enjoy buying new yoga gear – I do it myself. I worry however, about how many yogis get caught up in the consumerism of yoga products.
Many come to yoga to clear our minds and find something deeper, more meaningful, than fancy yoga pants or ultra-plush yoga mats. When I read yoga literature, I expect to learn about how to go deeper in my practice – perhaps through different breathing techniques, maybe with meditation tips, possibly because of strategies to get the most out of an asana more than feeling like I’m opening up a catalogue. I have found myself distracted from good stories because I’m enamored with the newest mat comparison chart or floor-gripping gloves.
Yes, corporations have realized they can capitalize on yoga to make a buck and it's understandable that as yoga's popularity and benefits grow, so do the need for more yoga gear. Would it make me a better yogi to keep my mouth shut and learn to block it out? It’s kind of difficult when I walk into the studio and see large red sale banners pointing down to $25 headbands or $80 yoga pants though!
By Khaleelah Jones
Yoga can be a magnet for you to attract the things you dream of. Unfortunately, it is not a fairy dust you can sprinkle on your mat. The shifts do not come overnight. And, you cannot simply mutter a Sanskrit mantra for your hopes to manifest. It is a journey of work, of love, and of intense self-reflection. It takes tapas - the yogic ethical concept of discipline and austerity. For many people, yoga is nothing more than a fancy workout, or maybe a few calm moments of de-stressing or elaborate stretching. However, yoga is much more. It is a science, a wellness system, a lifestyle, a philosophy, and more than anything a path to clarity and joy. The beauty of yoga is that is flexible to your life and needs. There is an infinite number of ways to practice as there is to interpret the meaning of the word. The word yoga is derived from a word meaning to yoke or to unite. One encompassing way to conceptualize this is to think of uniting the self with all - to connect with the source of all possibilities. The true magic of yoga can happen with the sincere realization of the concept "Namaste" - the light in me recognizes and honors the light within you."
When this is realized, there is a great surrender - defenses drop - prejudices fall. All things become you, and you become all things. Of course, this too is no sudden switch but is learned slowly over time - the concept, like yoga, is endless and ever-deepening.
In the beginning, yoga with all the Sanskrit words and postures alluded me. The intricate curves of the ancient writing looked more elusive than Korean. Sitting upright in a cross-legged position was physical torture, and holding tree pose for more than five seconds seemed an impossible feat. Still, there was still a deep resonance within me. As I continued to practice and study yoga, I sensed a truth that is now growing and intertwining with everything in my life on and off the mat.
Similar to things you may have read in books like The Secret or in articles about the law of attraction, once you begin this path of yoga –or your own effort to seek wellness and clarity- things in life effortlessly fall into place. There is work and, of course, some difficulties as you are faced with the task of clearing out the muck. Once the path clears, it is still your choice to follow it, to listen, and to take the openings or not. If you do choose to step forward it is rewarding. Here are some instances of the way yoga has brought opportunities into my life. Just a month before graduating from yoga teacher training, a job fell into my lap. A fellow yoga school graduate sent out an email asking for people to take over her classes. Responding to the late, I figured it was a long shot, but, I got the job, and beyond that, it came with a teaching mentor and the opportunity to lead a teens’ class. Both perks were things I had been silently dreaming of.
Beyond the yoga front - other jobs have seemingly fallen into my lap. I wanted a way out of my dead-end job so that I could nanny and teach yoga. Out of the blue, the sister of a family I had babysat for once a year before, called me and asked me to take care of her daughter a couple of times a week. I found out that she had been training to teach Bikram yoga before becoming pregnant. Our friendship grew and we continue to find similarities in each other. I love the little girl, and it turned into a wonderful job. Through her, I have been put in touch with four other families that I now work with. The families I work for on a regular basis all needed me on opposing days that work together in perfect synchronicity.
Here, a deeper meaning of the word yoga comes to fruition. Everything becomes untangled and one can see how each strand connects seamlessly. It doesn’t matter if you understand the words and concepts of yoga consciously or can perfectly do a headstand or can practice patience in every situation – this is a journey, and what matters only is that you begin.
By Chelsea Cunningham
Kindness is the reason! A universal thread in all yoga practices is learning to embody loving kindness. How you treat yourself has an effect on you and how you treat others has an effect on you. When you are kind, your behavior impacts others around you in a positive manner and helps them feel more content.
Learning to be compassionate and kind regardless of circumstances is one of the key principles of the eight-limbed yoga path, as expressed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Ahimsa, the first of five Yamas contained in the first limb of yoga is at its root is all about kindness.
Ahimsa translates to the absence of, or the freedom from violence, killing, judging, or harming. Ahimsa is avoiding all forms of violence to yourself or to others. It is less about physical violence and more about thoughts and feelings.
When you are critical, when you are judgmental, when you are cruel to yourself or to others, you are killing off life force. When your judgment impairs another’s hopes and dreams, you are harming them as concretely as if you had physically struck them. This type of behavior arises from fear, weakness, or ignorance. Doing the internal work to focus on love and step away from fear is vital to embodying kindness. When you practice yoga with the intention to manifest compassion, love, understanding, and patience, you are practicing ahimsa. You are non-harming.
The Yoga Sutras offer more wisdom in the form of the “Four Infinite Thoughts” in Sutras 1:32-33a. In essence, this guidance offers the belief that there are four locks in our own minds and in the character of other people: happy, unhappy, virtuous and non-virtuous. Patanjali advised: “Befriend the happy; have compassion for the unhappy; delight in the virtuous; be indifferent toward the non-virtuous.”
In his commentary on Patanjali’s Sutras, Swami Satchidananda called these principles the four keys to contentment: “These four keys should always be with you in your pocket. If you use the right key with the right person you will retain your peace. Nothing in the world can upset you then.”
Basically, this wisdom suggests we be kind and friendly to everyone, regardless of how they treat you. By choosing to be compassionate toward everyone, you elevate yourself out of acting in a harmful manner toward yourself and others.
Kindness is true strength. This week we bring you classes to help you embody kindness.
Kristen Boyle - Kindness is Strength: Deep Hip Flow
Jeanie Manchester - Bhuvaneshwari Flow: Earth & Sky
Dana Damara - Hearts Wide Open
Labor Day weekend is not too far away in the United States and it’s known to be the last big hurrah of the summer. With that in mind, we wanted to make certain that we “cooked” up the very best recipes for your barbecue weekend. Ditch the pies, cookies, and other sugary treats and opt for this Farm Fresh Raw Peach Tart, which is truly a slice of heaven.
The key to this recipe is the ripe succulent peaches that are overflowing at the supermarket and local farmstands. I sourced the peaches for this recipe from Ela Family Farms in Hotchkiss, Colorado, and boy can you tell that these peaches didn’t travel very far!
Whether buying peaches from your farmer or grocery store, the key is knowing which ones to choose. A quick tip for picking peaches is to use your schnoz. Yes, your sniffer! A peach is ripe and ready to be eaten when you can smell it’s sweet ripe fragrance.
We hope you enjoy this decadent guilt-free treat. Please share this recipe with your family and friends and spread the love.
Leave a comment below and tell us how you’ve indulged in your love of peaches this summer.
To a long and blissful summer weekend,
Jo
Farm Fresh Peach Tart
1 1/2 cup raisins 1 1/2 cup dates 1 1/2 cup raw pecans 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 -1 tsp cinnamon 2-3 fresh organic peaches 1 fresh organic nectarine Juice of 1/2 lemon 1-2 peaches, sliced
Directions:
In a food processor fitted with an S blade, combine raisins, dates, raw pecans, sea salt and cinnamon until smooth. Press mixture evenly into a tart dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the crust is hard. Meanwhile, in a high-speed blender, combine peaches, nectarines and lemon juice. Pour into chilled crust. Top with sliced peaches. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!
For the Audio Reading & Full Moon Resources
This Full Moon marks the fulfillment, and nurturance of the ‘I AM’ through a new conscious evolution. At this pinnacle point, we have reached a monumental aspect within the collective consciousness. The Full Moon lights up in Abhijit a ‘lost’ nakshatra (lunar mansion) which marks the return to higher consciousness. The theme of this lunation will shower down nurturing cosmic prana and work to expand the sense of being into greater conscious ownership of one's divine plan.
Saturn and Jupiter continue to play a prominent role through this Full Moon. They are working to reshape self-aware consciousness through subject and object. The subject/object shift is how one sees self within reality. It is duality into creation. The mental shifts have reached a level in which the individual mind is more settled, more reassured, more aware of boundaries, and even aware of dislikes. This is a part of redirection. The energies are strengthening one’s own inner guru. These forces will work to expand the mind so one can take on who they are becoming. This ownership and consciousness shift will unite ‘I AM’ into a new state of understanding and embodiment. It will work to shift the restraints one believes is possible.
There will be a natural inclination to move towards divine plan and impulses will shift ownership of dharma into day-to-day actions. This shift will move one through interest and new motivations and inspirations will arise. Limitations and any boundary testing that has led into this Full Moon is an integral part of the unfolding. These energies are reaffirming one’s value system and will work to strengthen inner confidence.
Deeper cosmic energies are relaying Moksha-liberation. This is liberation from the mundane aspects that may have hindered the ‘I AM’ consciousness from taking fuller form within everyday life. The liberation is another level of spiritual manifestation within material through the individuated consciousness. There is a transformation of the ‘I’ self, a retraction of selfishness, in which one can see more unity consciousness. It is a pivotal shift towards Aquarian consciousness.
Here lie the energies for dharma and purpose to emerge within greater space throughout the 4 levels of the mind. Like Aquarian consciousness one must see themselves as limitless, not bound by restrictions, it will work to expand the sense of self in achieving and striving for dharma. Don’t worry these energies are also working to downpour cosmic prana. You will be thoroughly supported energetically, and spiritually. Your cup will flow over, allow the residue of the old to wash away. Many of you may feel energetic shifts within the body, either in your rhythms and/or emotionally.
This position works to bloom the latent potentials within the self that have been stirring over these last few lunations. It will give new energies to nurture abilities and awareness arising from within. Expect more confidence, but outward action isn’t there yet. When the Sun moves into Leo, (not just Leo season) the outward energies will be more of an emanation. It will emanate from the new way of seeing and being. Another important aspect of this Full Moon is its energy of preservation. There will be a preservation of what works, preservation of the self so stability is worked from within. This will allow one to carry their inner wisdom forward in the here and now. The Full Moon asks that you own yourself and the divine plan within the present.
Be well my loves,
Geenie (Gemma) Celento