Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Hey Guys, So I have seen so many of my friends over the years trying to get healthy, detoxify and lose weight…which is cool. But then they tell me what they’re eating and I freak out!

I am a vinyasa flow girl through and through. I believe that spending time studying alignment is vital to a lifelong yoga practice — whether in the form of Iyengar classes/workshops or with a flow teacher like Jason who occasionally slows things down. When you learn to understand and tune into the details of alignment you not only stave off potential injuries, you truly learn the skill of connecting your body and mind.

Am I full of it? I love Sun Salutations. I love doing them exactly the same way every day. I don’t need to be creative with them. But why is this? When asked about keeping up a yoga practice, I often say “consistency is what really matters. don’t worry about duration or intensity, just do something every day.” When asked about sequencing one’s practice for home or a classroom environment, I’ll defend the power of simple movements repeated several times with breath taught over many classes over complicated choreography that’s shifting and changing from one moment to the next and never repeated again from one class to another. If asked why, I’ll say “repetition of simple movements with breath is what will help the nervous system and mind relax, too much new and complicated will just stimulate and potentially lead to new stress.” I say these things, know them intuitively to be true, but beyond tradition (yoga sutras definitely emphasize repetition and consistency, and the movements of sun salutes are very much present in Eastern prayer tradition) really haven’t had much to back it up. But I think I’m beginning to get a clearer picture.

Do you have emotional vampires in your life? Do you have friends or family that suck your life energy and leave you feeling depleted, depressed, irritable and antsy?

When circumstances, ruled by forces beyond the will of one individual, overshadow our personal experience of life, unconscious resentment and fear run deep. The coercive fuel of capitalism has conditioned and resigned us to manipulation that both obfuscates truth and reveals the inhumanity of entrenched power. Despite hopelessness, perhaps a kernel of our sacrificed fortitude and imagination can be redeemed.

Hanumanasana feels different each time I do it. There are days when I can get my pelvis to the floor with my hips square. But these days I focus more on getting the benefits of the pose instead of going all the way into the pose.

Recently I was listening to an NPR piece on boutique fitness when I was struck, though not surprised, by a comment from a Shape‘s fitness editor, Jaclyn Emerick.

Nothing makes me crazier than hearing people tell me I’m naturally flexible. Because I’m not. In 1999, when I started practicing yoga. I couldn’t touch my toes. I couldn’t do a wheel or stand on my head. I wore braces on my legs as an infant and toddler because my legs and hips were twisted. I had failed all four years of high school gym. I never played a sport, and I never worked out.

Looking for a way to kick up the flavor in your water everyday? I suggest adding citrus essential oils to your glass every morning! While everyone’s taste buds are different, I love adding a drop each of the different citrus essential oils – lemon, wild orange, grapefruit or lime. Fill up a glass (or water bottle) with water and ice and load in those oils! I highly recommend starting with one or two of the citrus oils, then start mixing and matching until you find the mix that’s perfect for you!

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.” ~ Bertrand Russell

In the last 24 hours, I’ve had two different clients come to me with searing stories of self-sabotage. One of the women in my Prevention Magazine Yoga Weightloss test group posted that after 5 straight weeks of disciplined eating and exercising, right as we’re nearing the final round, she slipped back into old habits with a “reward” cookie or “cheat meal” here and there. “Why is my mind all of a sudden allowing this?” she asked.

I started thinking about this theme and remembered a quote from the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali Swami Satchidananda: You have all these things to equip yourself to serve others. You must have a bed to rest in to feel refreshed in the morning, to go out to serve others. You must eat to have enough energy to serve others. So you do everything with the idea that you are preparing yourself to serve others. So, even your Yogic meditation becomes a selfless action. That is what is meant by “Even with God do not have attachment”. This non-attachment alone is enough to change your entire life into a joyful one.

It’s that time of year again! Another season, another equinox. Another opportunity to reflect, set intentions, and commit to right action.

If you learned about yoga only from Instagram, you might be seduced into thinking its about flashy handstand gymnastics in bikinis or super sexy yoga gear.

I thought I was getting okay at being uncomfortable. The universe decided otherwise. As I sit here writing this post, listening to the music of the chimes produced by a gentle breeze, serenaded by chirping birds and the rustle of squirrels playing in the bamboo, I look upon the back of my house.

Last month, the Yoga Alliance announced a new policy regarding “yoga therapy terminology” that creates a significant new precedent. A lack of any public debate and transparency in the process has made it difficult to discern why exactly this was needed and what purpose it serves. Perhaps this explains why there has been almost no response from yoga teachers thus far. Or, more likely, people are just too turned off by the politics involved to care.

As a yoga therapist, one of the most common questions that people ask me is how to get great, strong abs. Even some of the elite, world-class athletes that I have trained have asked me how to get especially the lower abs strong and toned.

I love teaching beginners. Here are seven easy tips to help you survive your first yoga classes.

People often ask me which yoga mat is the best, and while I can answer that question with absolute certainty for me, I think you have to consider all the variables.

This delicious recipe combines Jason’s love for chocolate with everyone’s love for the peanut butter cups of our youth. Instead of peanut butter, they’re made with almond butter. Instead of sugar, they’re sweetened with agave. Boom! You’ve got a recipe makeover you never knew you needed, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Living with anxiety on a daily basis can be very difficult. If you’re suffering from anxiety after experiencing a traumatic event or you’ve lived with it your entire life, finding the best ways to cope or relieve anxiety isn’t always easy.

In the past 2 months I have: Taught 63 yoga classes Taught 31 private yoga sessions Led 6 workshops Traveled to Ohio 3 times, twice unexpectedly and at the last minute Spent 35+ hours learning in yoga training Attended a funeral of a family member Decided to give away our puppy Learned that the foundation of our house needs to be replaced…now Learned that the people who renovated our house quite possibly took down a load-bearing wall, leading to the imminent collapse of our kitchen ceiling Cried Laughed Gave myself secret pep rallies in my mind to show up when I didn’t want to or felt like I couldn’t Surrendered to the universe Reminded myself I am human Practiced yoga Slept Meditated Indulged in a Nora Roberts book, a guilty pleasure Enjoyed Ben & Jerry’s ice cream because I needed to soothe my soul (see Amanda, we’re not so different) And much more If you’re tired just from reading all that, you’ll understand that I’m tired too.

I love love... I mean I really love LOVE! I’ve been accused of overusing the word in some of my circles. Regardless of that, I continue to use it because it rolls off my tongue and feels good when I say it.

WHY THIS SEQUENCE WORKS Nothing beats a good side-bending practice. And, truthfully, the recipe for the classic posture Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana is simple: the practice needs to focus on stretching the hamstrings, adductors, and the sides of the torso (which are largely comprised of the lats, obliques, and the quadratus lumborum). The sequence above sticks to these three basic focal points. Let’s break it down a little further:

It’s a heavy subject and one most Americans don’t feel comfortable contemplating. And yet, it’s the only ultimate truth in the world. And one we have very little control over. So it’s funny that we spend most of our lives trying to control everything around us. For peace. For happiness. For health. These are the reasons we often cite for why we do what we do. Why we believe what we believe.