During these cold, wintery months, it can be hard to get excited to eat a cold salad. That’s where this recipe comes in!
Developed with award-winning chef Gabe Kennedy, our Warm Shiitake and Pine Nut Salad is the cure for your winter blues. This salad is the perfect cold-weather salad – it’s warming, delicious, and hearty enough to keep you feeling fuller longer.
The nutritional stars of this recipe are the shiitake mushrooms – these unassuming fungi are packed with superfood properties. They’re high in B vitamins and contain all 8 essential amino acids. They also help support immune function, can aid in weight loss, and contain phytonutrients that support cardiovascular health.
The other stars of this salad are the amazing flavors! The balsamic vinegar provides a lovely sweetness, the pine nuts add the perfect amount of crunch, and the arugula adds a sour tanginess – all combining to create a flavor profile that is earthy, grounding, and comforting.
We hope you enjoy this delicious warm winter salad! It’s hearty and filling enough to be enjoyed as is, but can be paired with grilled chicken breast, salmon, quinoa, or wild rice as desired.
Do you have a favorite dish you’d like us to feature a clean recipe for? Let us know in the comments below!
With love,
Warm Shiitake and Pine Nut Salad
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
6 large handfuls arugula 2 cup Shiitake mushrooms, sliced 2 TB olive oil 1 shallot, minced ½ red onion, minced ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 1 TB honey Juice of ½ lemon ¼ cup pine nuts 2 TB fresh chives
Instructions: In a sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 TB olive oil, and once hot add the mushrooms. Let sit for 90 seconds and then remove from the pan.
In the same pan add shallot and red onion and sweat for a minute. Next add the balsamic vinegar and honey, and reduce until it’s a light glaze. Add the mushrooms, pine nuts and remaining 1 TB olive oil back to the pan, season with salt, pepper, lemon and chives. Lightly toss the mushrooms with arugula and taste. The arugula should wilt slightly from the heat of the mushrooms.
If you liked this recipe and would like to learn more about the Conscious Cleanse, we invite you to join our online community! As a welcome-gift, we’ll send you our Taste of the Conscious Cleanse Free eCookbook, a collection of more of our favorite recipes!
We also share new recipes, free live calls with us, and more healthy lifestyle tips, plus let you know when our next group cleanse is coming. Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here.
Jo Schaalman and Jules Peláez are co-authors of the book 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. 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.
We’re just wrapping up another Group Cleanse and as we transition into our 80:20 eating, we know we’re not the only ones looking forward to reintroducing a warming caffeinated beverage into our morning routines.
Our morning cup of coffee is one of the hardest things for many of us to give up during the 14-day cleanse, so we wanted to create a healthy take on this beloved energizing drink.
We’ve come up with the perfect way to up-level your morning cup of joe – Adaptogenic Coffee Creamer!
This creamer is packed with superfood properties and adds the perfect amount of creamy goodness to your favorite coffee.
The real star of this recipe is Lion’s Mane – an adaptogenic mushroom that can help support memory and brain function, helps mental sharpness and clarity, and according to some studies, it might help prevent dementia or alzheimers.
MCT oil provides extra energy and helps stabilize blood sugar. MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, which are dietary fats that are more easily absorbed and your body is able to turn into caloric energy right away. Adding cinnamon adds sweetness and helps support healthy blood sugar levels. Note: if you haven’t had MCT oil before, make sure you start out with the lower suggested amount. If you notice any digestional issues, consider decreasing the amount of MCT oil you’re using.
This creamer really does do it all!
Blend with or pour into your favorite clean coffee (look for organic, shade-grown, single bean coffee blends – we like Kicking Horse Coffee) and you’ve got a deliciously creamy adaptogenic latte!
Not a coffee fan? This creamer is also super tasty with matcha, chai, or black tea.
Adaptogenic Coffee Creamer
Yield: 4-5 servings
2-3 TB. MCT oil ½ cup pecans (soaked in water for at least 4 hrs) 1 ¼ cup filtered water 1 ½ tsp. Ceylon cinnamon 4 tsp. Lion’s Mane powder 1-3 drops liquid Stevia (optional)
Instructions:
In a high-speed blender, combine MCT oil, pecans, water, cinnamon, lion’s mane, and stevia (if using). Blend until smooth.
To make adaptogenic coffee: Add ¼ cup creamer to 12-16 oz. of your favorite coffee, brewed hot or cold. Blend coffee and creamer in a high-speed blender until combined. Store unused creamer in an air-tight jar in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Want some yoga to go with your morning? Try the 2-Week Morning Yoga Program to make yoga and this delicious superfood coffee creamer, part of your morning routine!
Often times we hear the saying, “what goes up, must come down.” As someone who’s had their fair share of traumas, this phrase has been real throughout my healing journey. I call it, doom and gloom energy.
It is a fear around things being good, and then not enjoying them when they are good, because you’re too busy waiting for what is going to go wrong and screw it all up!
As I have explored this and still explore this within myself and clients, I have come to realize that yes, Newton was on to something when he said "what goes up, must come down", but no, what goes up doesn’t always need to come down with a crash landing. Transitions from one chapter or experience to the next, can be relatively smoothe and peaceful.
Rather than a Newtonian approach, what if we looked at this concept in terms of airplanes. Airplanes go up and down, and most often this is done gracefully. Maybe there is a little turbulence or landings that can have you white knuckle your arm rest, but overall flying is usually a safe and efficient means of transportation from the ground, to the sky, and then back to the ground.
Do airplanes crash? Sure, they occasionally blow up and things go wrong with engines. Planes also need small repairs or to thaw out, which can cause delays before take off. These can be pretty synonymous with our own lives.
Yes things can, and sometimes do, go wrong, but overall things tend to be consistent, or no worse than a delay and reroute.
Every time we start something new, and enter into a new phase in our journey, we take off. The fear we experience mid air tends to be the worst part. What if I crash down?
However, what if you get bumped into first class and lose sight of the landing because you’re too busy enjoying all the amenities the flight has to offer instead?
By Angela Droughton
Angela Droughton is a Spiritual Counselor and Mindfulness Educator.
Practice this Free Meditation class to cultivate more ease right now!
Meditation: Release Reactivity with Geenie Celento
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life.”
- John Lennon
Each and every one of us has the capacity for true joy and happiness, despite prevailing circumstances surrounding us. We each deserve happiness! Sometimes, when life events challenge us, we can become weighed down with worry and anxiety and dis-ease. If you’re too focused on the past, which cannot be altered, you can sink into depression. If you’re too focused on the future, you can become anxious.
Learning to ground yourself in the present moment is key to happiness.
Of course, living in the present moment doesn’t mean you’re oblivious to the journey that brought you here or prevent you from planning for and anticipating the future. But learning to fully embody every moment as you experience it is where joy occurs. Yoga helps us focus on the present through attention to breath and focus on mindful movement. Physical, emotional, and mental stress manifest in the body and weigh down your mood and ability to experience happiness.
One of the many ways yoga creates the potential for happiness is focusing on Pranayama or mindful breathing. Learning to breathe deeply can regulate blood pressure, decrease stress hormones, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system or your relaxation response. Paying attention to your breathing helps quiet the monkey mind––you know, those repetitive thoughts circling your brain. Anxiety subsides and mood elevates simply by controlling your breathing.
When you add the physical yoga postures to your mindful breath, you begin releasing the feelings trapped in your tissues. Simply moving your body in different ways creates change from the outside in. Emotional stress tends to sit in the hips, so hip openers not only make you feel less stiff, but can also help release unprocessed emotions. Opening your heart and shoulders relieves mental anxiety and encourages stress to fade away in addition to creating better posture and a healthier spine.
This week's classes all share one focus: creating more joy inside and out.
So, roll out your mat and release what’s weighing you down. You’ll feel happier while you’re practicing and that feeling will stay with you off the mat. What are you waiting for?
1. Erin Wimert - The Art of Allowing
2. Christen Bakken - The Conditions for Joy
3. Jackie Casal Mahrou - Happiness Flow
4. Maria Garre - Beat the Winter Blues Namaskara
Fear of failure vs. fear of success. In writing it looks clear, sure plenty of people understandably have a fear of failure, but looks ridiculous why anyone would have fear of success.
And yet it is common. I for one can put both hands up to say success terrifies me way more than failure. In fact, I sit quite easily with failure. Perhaps it’s because my self doubt convinced me a long time again that I would fail, so then if and when it happens I am prepared and I can say “I knew this would happen!”
The saying whether you “believe you can or you can’t, you are absolutely right” rings true.
Success by comparison confronts feelings of worth. “Do you deserve this?’ For many, answering yes to that is a challenge.
Of course the answer is a definite yes. If you are a good person, you put in the hard work and commitment, then you most definitely do deserve all the fruits of your labour. If talent plus effort equals success, then maths says it’s time for you to enjoy the celebrations.
Matters of the vulnerable heart relating to worth and acceptance though are not as black and white or factual as mathematics.
Maybe we were told as a child we were not good enough, often in a completing unrelated and unimportant matter. Perhaps, we have tried numerous times at similar endeavors only to meet multiple failures. It could be that we have taken something on that statistics say our chances of success are slight. Regardless of the cause, known or unknown, being human can go hand in hand with doubting yourself.
I am no zoologist, but I am pretty sure other animals don't have “you can’t do this” playing through their head on repeat as they hunt prey. Based on survival of the fitness, I believe a predator goes in with confidence and conviction or else they place themselves in grave danger. A stalking lion, taking two steps forward and one doubtful step back in approach, gives it’s victim time to see and hear it coming. It also allows time to laugh comically at the feline cha cha and then either escape or counter attack.
By Amy Booth
Amy is a yoga and pilates teacher and personal trainer in Brisbane, Australia, where she runs a cute riverside studio and a personal training business. In addition each year she runs yoga and hiking retreats.
To find out more: Website: www.ambertreeyoga.com.au Instagram: @ambertreeyogaandretreats Facebook: Amber Tree Yoga and Retreats
Give your mind a reboot with the 14-Day Meditation Program, suitable for all levels!
Before you go out and grab a box of conventional chocolates, you’ve got to check out this recipe. Our Vegan Chocolate Truffles are the most decadent, mind-blowing, rich and creamy chocolate truffles we’ve ever tasted! And trust me, we’ve had our share of chocolate.
Store-bought chocolates unfortunately come with additives, preservatives, and lots of processed sugar, leaving you with a nasty sugar crash and an upset stomach.
These truffles are guilt-free and won’t leave you with a sugar crash, plus a gift of homemade treats always means so much more than those bought from the store.
This recipe uses raw cacao, which is naturally high in essential minerals like magnesium, chromium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese, plus it is the one of the highest natural sources of antioxidants. The roasting process used to make traditional cocoa destroys these key nutrients by changing the chemical structure, so using raw cacao makes these little truffles packed with extra superfood power.
These treats have another secret superfood ingredient: maca powder! Maca is a Peruvian root known for its ability to help balance hormones, stabilize mood, manage stress levels, enhance strength and stamina, and increase energy and endurance.
We hope you enjoy this delicious sweet vegan chocolatey treat! Let us know what you think in the comments below.
For more healthy chocolate treats, check out our Mexican Haute Chocolates, Chocolate Almond Butter Cups, Lemon Balls, and Salted Date Caramels. Yum!
With love and chocolate bliss,
Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Yield: About 30 truffles
½ cup coconut oil, warmed to soften ¼ tsp. Himalayan crystal salt plus a pinch for garnish 2 tsp. vanilla extract ¾ cup maple syrup 1 cup shredded coconut 1 TB. maca powder ¾ cup raw cacao powder, divided
In a high-speed blender, blend the warmed coconut oil, salt, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Add the shredded coconut slowly and blend until smooth. Add in the maca powder and ½ cup of cacao powder and blend until thoroughly combined and there are no more chunks of cacao powder. Transfer mixture to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator to harden, at least 2 hours.
Spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture and roll into small balls. If the mixture sticks to your hands and you aren’t able to roll it easily, put it back into the refrigerator for a little longer to achieve the right consistency.
Dust finished truffles with the remaining ¼ cup of cacao powder and enjoy! Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
We’ll also be sure to share new recipes and healthy lifestyle tips. Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here.
Have you ever felt out of balance: bloated and cluttered, without a clear mental focus?
Yoga can help you lighten up and feel more energized and productive. Louise Hay, best-selling self-help author, connects all physical symptoms in the body to underlying emotional causes, and says weight-gain or excess weight, is symbolic of clinging to what no longer serves us.
A regular yoga practice doesn’t simply make you look lean and flexible, but also helps you feel that way from the inside out. Don’t worry, we’re not here to tell you to strive for a “yoga body” like the images splashed all over social media.
Yogis come in all shapes and sizes. Yoga is for every body and there’s a style and type of practice that works for each individual.
But sometimes, despite our best efforts, we feel heavy and lethargic and our ability to concentrate diminishes too. Life sometimes feels beyond our control when major transitions occur, like job changes, relationship shifts, and dramatic world news. In yoga, this state is a surplus of tamasic or heavy, solid energy. Even if we are doing our best to take care of ourselves, external influences accumulate and can leave us feeling heavy inside and out.
By engaging in more vigorous activity on the yoga mat, you can dislodge whatever is weighing you down––physically, mentally, and spiritually. Active styles of yoga help kick your body into self-cleansing mode and stimulate your digestive, circulatory, and lymphatic systems. It’s vital to remove toxins from your body.
Certain postures encourage the release of waste and toxins, which may be slowing you down. Try twists to enhance liver and kidney function and stimulate your digestion.
Forward folds are excellent to compress your abdominal organs and encourage elimination. Inversions reverse the flow of fluids from the feet and legs toward the heart.
Seventy-five percent of our immune system is located in our gut. If we’re filling our bellies with processed chemical-filled food, we not only gain weight, we compromise our ability to combat disease. Combining nutritious, balanced meals with dynamic yoga postures is an excellent way to feel and look your best.
Say goodbye to bloat, stagnation, and emotional negativity. The more energized you feel, the more you’ll want to maintain a steady routine of yoga and wellness to contribute to your well-being.
These classes will help you feel better and more confident in the skin you’re in and help you uncover your most buoyant, luminous self. You deserve to feel your best!
Claire Petretti Marti - Nothing but Core 4 (FREE class)
Ben Davis - Fitness 'n' Yoga: Super Flow
Pradeep Teotia - Deep Sweaty Detox
Kylie Larson - Yoga for Weight Loss: Bun Burner
Yoga has a lot of benefits, from the physical to the mental. But did you know it can also boost your self confidence?
Body confidence is something everyone should have. It helps you to be happy in life and with yourself, and be proud of yourself and the body you inhabit. Body confidence is believing in yourself, and not having self-doubt about your image. Yoga is one of the best ways to boost your body confidence.
Here’s the ways in which it can improve how confident you feel in your body. Some may surprise you.
Yoga Boosts Your Focus
When you concentrate on your breathing while attempting challenging yoga poses in your practice, you’re increasing your focus and honing your attention on one thing. When you do this, you’re also clearing your mind of self-doubt or negative thoughts about yourself - and you just think about breathing, balance and posture. Working on your focus boosts your body confidence, stripping away all the bad thoughts and letting you be single minded in your goal - and helps you push your body further in what it can do.
Yoga Relieves Stress
Working through your yoga practice is a great way to relax and release stress and tension. Deep breathing, and concentrating on your breath (as well as imroving your focus!) can bring more oxygen to your brain, keeping you calm and fighting those pesky stress hormones. When you’re calm, you’re more likely to feel confident about yourself and your body!
Yoga Makes You Feel Empowered
Working hard to achieve and master difficult yoga poses can be hard work, but when you reach your goal on the mat, you’ll feel empowered and strong. Through strong movements and practice, you can trigger feelings of power and control within your body, helping to increase your self confidence. Knowing what your body can do and seeing improvements week after week will make you feel like you can do anything!
Yoga Increases Self-Awareness
Practicing yoga facilities a deeper connection with your inner self. This can help you feel more at peace with yourself, and also increases your self-awareness. Having a connection with your inner self can help you realize your full potential, of what you and your body can do. This self-awareness is a huge step on the way to complete self-acceptance - which is crucial in feeling confident.
Confidence comes from that deep understanding of who you are, what you want, and what you need, and accepting this! During yoga practice, you’re focused on yourself, and there’s rarely time for comparison - to either other people or other versions of yourself. Yoga helps to shake off your ego and any comparison, and helps you to understand and appreciate all you’re capable of.
Yoga Increases Mindfulness
Taking the time to practice yoga means taking the time to be in control of your headspace and help to quieten your mind. During our busy day to day lives we can have so many thoughts racing through our heads, and it can be hard to listen to them all - this can cause us to be stressed and lose confidence in ourselves.
Yoga can help to give you the space and time to clear your head of all those unnecessary thoughts and just focus on the things that are important, or even to clear your head completely. Practicing this kind of mindfulness consists of acknowledging each thought as it pops up, and just as easily letting it go, allowing your mind to be clear. This can help you feel calmer, less stressed, and can also help to quieten any of those negative thoughts that can be sabotaging your body confidence.
Yoga Improves Your Posture
Standing up straight and having great posture has an immediate positive effect on yourself and body confidence. And yoga is perhaps the best exercise to improve your posture. When you hold yourself higher, you feel more confident in your daily life. Yoga does wonders for your alignment, through stretching, twisting and bending - and also can improve your strength and flexibility. This will help you feel confident and comfortable in your skin.
Yoga Improves Self-Love
Yoga is a way of taking care of yourself and your body, it’s an act of self care and promotes that nurturing feeling towards yourself. Practicing yoga can help you to recognise everything that your body is capable of, and helps you to feel proud of it and thank it for everything it does in your day to day life. Yoga also helps you to recognise your growth, and how much you've improved as you move through your yoga journey. It requires self improvement almost constantly, and when you finally reach a hard pose you’ve been working towards, it’s hard to feel anything but admiration towards yourself. This type of growth needs self-acceptance and self-pride to achieve, so you’ll feel more confident the more you progress.
Yoga Improves Your Physique
Let’s not forget, yoga is a type of exercise, and with all exercise - it will help to tone and improve your physique, helping you look and feel better. Yoga is unique in the way it focuses on your breathing, which helps more oxygen to go to your muscles - giving them more energy to boost your exercise benefits! Why not try our yoga for weight loss programme, to help you reach your fitness and body goals - and feel great about yourself at the same time?
We hope we’ve given you some motivation here to get on the mat and start feeling great about yourself! Body confidence is something everyone should have, so by taking some small steps to do something great for yourself and your body, you’ll be on your way to confidence in no time!
By Amy Cavill
Want to feel confident in your skin? Practice the Body Positivity Yoga Program with Dana Smith, author of Yes Yoga Has Curves!
Yoga reminds us that having a human life is an awesome opportunity! It does not matter if you are physically beautiful, or materially rich. Yes it’s a nice bonus, but what we do with the life we are given is up to us. While each of us have a different set of circumstances, we all have some capacity to create inner freedom.
The superficial is not important to the yogi. The connection to cosmic consciousness is what's important. Through the practices of yoga the body will be its most beautiful, yet as yogis we are most interested in how we feel in our inner world. Higher states of consciousness which are possible through yoga, create a greater sense of connection to ourselves and the world around us and these benefits are far greater than any vanity benefits of the practice. Life is limited, so take good care of your body so you can become conscious and be present for the adventure of your life as much as you can.
Yoga allowed me the consciousness to remember that my time in my body is limited. It is something I remember, as I give thanks each morning when I awake from sleep. It is what inspires me to explore, and gives me the strength to be myself in the world and enjoy my time here.
Yoga can also make us conscious enough to be braver. I value courage. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about self-awareness. It’s about the journey of the practice, the art of showing up. Albert Einstein told us that to create the reality we want we must match the frequency of the reality we want. It is actually very simple. Everything is simple when you break it down. Everything you have done has led you to this moment.
In yoga we get the opportunity to go within and connect with ourselves. We don’t have to go through anyone else to learn more ourselves through yoga. And we must get to know ourselves, if we are interested healing, health, and enlightenment. We must heal to experience enlightenment. Be brave, face the darkness, and face the light, by consistently showing up on your yoga mat.
Why is it so hard to shift perspective or consistently practice? What is your relationship to change?
Nature teaches us to accept and embrace change. More time connecting with nature reveals to us that shifting perspectives and moving through change is natural, and it is something all life experiences. Change is not something to fear, it is something to celebrate. When we experience change we get to learn something new.
We create our own challenges when we resist change. Usually challenges are a measure of our resistance to change, and our resistance to show up to the present moment, especially if it is uncomfortable.
Yoga should be approached humbly, because once conscious it is harder to go back to unconsciousness ways of being. Yoga is becoming popular because it heals us. It heals our relationship to our body, mind, relationships with one another, and our relationship with all life, by uplifting our consciousness.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, what the current condition of your body is in, you can begin the practice of yoga right now. Now is always the right time to do your best. Do your practice of yoga, on and off the yoga mat. Make the connection to the mystery available within each asana. There is a teacher in each pose and the teacher is you.
For example, when we go upside down in poses like Downward Facing Dog, we literally shift our perspective up side down. We are purposely taking unconscious action like the breath, the movement of our body, and our thoughts and making it all conscious. These is a transformative shift of perception by putting our bodies into these shapes, that goes far beyond just the physical benefits. They shapes literally change our state of consciousness.
Transformation takes time. Putting it all together takes time. Don’t get ahead of yourself, don’t rush, or be in a great hurry. Stay in the moment. The moment contains the experience you need to have.
Live this moment fully present. It is the way to get to the next moment. Nature is patient. Don’t forget we are connected to nature. The increasing your consciousness takes nurturing. Engage naturally. A farmer knows the seed will not grow to her plea of now. She just is now and nurtures the moment to grow her garden.
By Shannon Connell
Shannon is a certified Jivamukti, Power, Yin, Hot Yoga, and Mindfulness Meditation Instructor, Usui and Karuna Reiki Master Teacher, and Registered Psychotherapist. She honors the interconnectedness between All-beings and All-things and is passionate about participating and supporting her community in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. You can visit Shannon and learn more through her website, www.shannonconnellhealth.com.
Practice FREE 25-minutes of yoga right now to lift your consciousness
Head Up, Heart Strong with Christen Bakken
If you google the word “chakra,” the first six images you see share the idea of chakras being seven energetic vortexes located on a person’s body, that correspond with regions of the body physically, spiritually, and energetically.
You will also see that all six images consistently show the seven chakras are all the same colors in descending order from the crown chakra to the root chakra:
Violet Crown Chakra
Indigo Third Eye Chakra
Blue Throat Chakra
Green Heart Chakra
Yellow Solar Plexus Chakra
Orange Sacral Chakra
Red Root Chakra
As someone who has been looking at chakras, or psychically reading chakras, within both myself and others, for seven years, what I see and have seen, rarely ever seems to correlate with the status-quo concept of each chakra having a predetermined color. Often I see chakras as having many colors.
Another observation I have made over the years is how different we each respond to various frequencies, and that every person is as unique as the colors that make up their chakras. For instance, I notice if I set my first chakra to a bright red color, as seen in the images that show up in the search results, my body doesn’t feel well, tension arises in my stomach, and anxieties around “responsibility” start to create an uneasy and anxious feeling.
When I notice this, I pause, and ask myself, “What color feels right for my first chakra, because red just isn’t it.”
My body responds with an image appearing like a paint sample, and I immediately see a soft, buttery, daffodil yellow. I proceed to switch my first chakra from bright red to daffodil yellow, and immediately notice the difference physically. The tension lightens up and feels like a wave of relief and a quick transition from the prior physical state I experienced.
Often times, various triggers throughout the day or week might affect us in a very real and physical way, and these experiences result in our body telling us something. A common knee-jerk reaction to feeling something unpleasant, such as I experienced when setting my Root Chakra at red, is to go unconscious, and then become comfortable with that uneasy feeling. What if triggering experiences are something to simply become aware of and check in with. Maybe neutralizing ourselves in a triggered state can become as simple and playful as switching the color on a paint palette?
Angela Droughton is a Spiritual Counselor, Mindfulness Educator, Psychic, Minister, and the creator of Mother Sparkle. Find out more by visiting her page at www.mothersparkle.com.
Practice this FREE Meditation class to balance your chakras, right now!
Do you trust your intuition? Take a moment and consider the last few major decisions you made in your life.
Did you feel secure following your initial instincts or did you second guess yourself?
Learning to believe in your intuition and perceive your world clearly is one of the greatest benefits of a balanced Ajna Chakra or Third Eye. The Ajna Chakra is the sixth of seven main Chakras running along the Sushumna Nadi, an energy channel mirroring the spine. Nadis are part of the Subtle Body, a blueprint of the physical body.
The Ajna Chakra is located between your brows and roughly corresponds to your pituitary gland, the master gland of the endocrine system known as “Command Central.” Command Central governs the hormones and the other glands in your body. The Ida and Pingala energy pathways that carry the quality of active and passive energy and govern sympathetic and parasympathetic activity connect at the Ajna Chakra. Equilibrium is key.
When you are out of balance, you can be plagued by the inability to make decisions or a fixation on your way being the only correct path. Other ways you can ascertain if your Ajna Chakra is imbalanced is when you cannot connect to your life’s purpose, you’re plagued by insomnia, or you’re generally anxious.
When your Ajna Chakra is balanced, you trust your insight, you embody self-awareness, and the path forward is clear. The Ajna Chakra is said to be the location of our higher self and also where we see the divine in all beings. You'll also have a stronger ability to create the vision of your future with a clear Ajna chakra.
An excellent way to quickly connect to your intuition is through Balasana (Child’s Pose). When you press your forehead to the earth and feel that connection beneath you, it helps stimulate your Third Eye. Take a few minutes breathing comfortably in this position and when you return to a seated position, take a few minutes for seated meditation to focus upon clarity. This week's classes have a connection to your third eye region of your body, which includes your head and neck, and will help balance your sense of intuition. Enjoy!
1. Jackie Casal Mahrou - Morning Manifestation Meditation
2. Claire Petretti Marti - Yoga for Clarity
3. Dana Damara - Chakra Flow Series 6: Ajna Chakra
4. Elise Fabricant - Yoga for the 6th chakra
This recipe doesn’t need many extra words. It is a straightforward bowl of noodles, mushrooms, and vegetables, covered in a delicious sauce. I used carrots, broccoli, spinach, and spring onions, but there are no rules – use whatever you happen to have. Pak Choy would be beautiful instead of spinach I also imagine zucchini and radishes working very well instead of the veggies I used or maybe even extra. If I had had coriander leaves, I would have definitely used them.
For noodles, I have left you a choice, because almost any noodle would work here. This time, I used egg noodles, but I have often also used soba noodles (which are delicious cold as well) and rice noodles. And in case you are not so keen on consuming too many calories, I suggest giving almost 0-calorie shirataki noodles a try – they don’t have a lot of flavor, but with this miso-coconut sauce they work wonderfully.
Coconut-Miso Noodle Bowl with Shitake Mushrooms
Serves: 2
Cooking time: 15 minutes
5 oz fresh shitake mushrooms
1 small broccoli
Couple of handfuls of spinach leaves
½ lemon
3 ½ oz noodles of your choice
1 carrot
2 spring onions
1 cup of coconut milk
3 tsp of miso paste
Salt
Oil for frying
Instructions: Slice the mushrooms and fry in a drop of oil until they are crispy. Season with salt. Then set aside.
At the same time, bring a large pot of water to boil, season with salt. Cut the broccoli into florets and simmer until it is barely tender.
Cook the spinach in the same pan you used for mushrooms. Only one minute to let the spinach wilt is enough. Season with some lemon juice and salt. Again, set aside.
Check how the broccoli is doing. If it is tender enough, lift it out and place the noodles to the boiling water. Follow the packet instructions here.
Now add miso and coconut milk to the pan, season with salt. In case you like your sauce on a thinner side, add some boiling water from the broccoli/noodles.
Slice the carrots and spring onions as thin as you can, lift all the ingredients to the bowl and enjoy.
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.
Practice some FREE yoga before or after enjoying this delicious recipe!
25-Minute Full-Body Yoga with Keith Allen
Cholesterol has important functions in our body, but too much can cause harm. With proper nutrition, we stay healthy and have cholesterol under control and in balance.
The cholesterol is a lipid insoluble, which, when excessive, is responsible for some cardiovascular diseases. This lipid performs important functions in our body, such as vitamin D manufacturing, sex hormone production, and participation in cell growth and regeneration.
Types of Cholesterol
Good cholesterol and bad cholesterol are the two different types of cholesterol.
Good cholesterol also called HDL (High-Density Lipoproteins) is good for the body and protects it because it collects all the bad cholesterol deposited in the blood vessels and is then cleared out by the liver.
Bad cholesterol also called LDL (Low-Density Lipoproteins), deposits in the artery walls, making them narrower, which makes it difficult for blood to pass through and may lead to clogging of the artery. This kind of bad cholesterol is associated with overweight, poor diet, diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking.
Genetics is the determining factor for the presence of excess cholesterol. A person may have a high-fat diet and their LDL level may be low because the liver can properly eliminate excess cholesterol. Already people who have a balanced diet may have a high LDL level because the liver cannot excrete fat well. For this reason, it is wrong to say that only obese people have high cholesterol.
Both HDL and LDL are part of our body, and 70% of good cholesterol is synthesized, while 30% is acquired in food. There are foods that in addition to fighting bad cholesterol also raise the level of good cholesterol in the blood, being allies of people who suffer from excess LDL.
Here are some foods that really work to reduce cholesterol.
Fiber
Consumption of soluble fiber found in oat bran, beans, peas, citrus fruits, and apples reduces the level of LDL in the blood.
Strawberries and Cherries
Strawberry and cherry fight free radicals, which makes the cardiovascular system work better.
Red Grapes, Apples, and Broccoli
Consumption of red grapes, apples, and broccoli help to increase good cholesterol because they each contain a large amount of quercetin, a flavonoid widely found in the vegetable kingdom, with antioxidant activity and free radical removal.
Purple and red fruits also have anthocyanins, a substance also antioxidant properties and important benefits to the circulatory system.
Eggplant
The eggplant, because of its high fiber content, helps in reducing the fats that cause health issues. It is rich in flavonoids and antioxidants, substances that hinder the formation of fat plaques in artery walls.
Olive Oil
The olive oil and avocados have monounsaturated fat, very beneficial to the heart, and increase the level of good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol levels.
Sardines, Salmon, and Tuna
Sardines, salmon, and tuna are foods rich in omega -3, which inhibit platelet formation and blood clotting, preventing cardiovascular disease. Also, its consumption enables the control of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Combat bad cholesterol by implementing these foods into your diet and maintaining common sense at mealtimes. Avoid consuming saturated fats and trans fats, use vegetable oils for cooking, and avoid eating red meat, especially fatty meat.
By Sumiya Shaw
Practice free MEDITATION right now to also keep your heart healthy and reduce cholesterol.
Release Reactivity with Geenie Celento - FREE Meditation
If you can do every pose in a yoga class effortlessly, you're in the wrong class. While it's important to be content with where you're at, it's just as important to keep growing, evolving, and pushing your boundaries. It can be easy to get complacent even in yoga, doing the same poses with the same teachers. However, you may be scared to take the plunge, and are wondering how to move from beginner to an intermediate yoga class.
Here’s our top tips on how to move up in your yoga practice.
Be Consistent
The first step in moving up from beginner’s yoga to intermediate classes is to be on your yoga mat consistently. At the start, your yoga practice is likely to be more sporadic as you get used to your new hobby. You’re probably more likely to practice more often as you’re more excited to hit the mat - however a few weeks in and you may have to drag yourself a little to get in your practice. The key to moving into an intermediate practice is to stick to a consistent routine - and sticking to it no matter what! This can be going to a class in the mornings, doing an at-home online class, whatever works for you is the best. When you push yourself to show up and practice, is when you start to progress into the next level up.
Try New Things
When you’re a beginner in yoga, just getting through the class and trying the basic poses is probably enough to keep you busy and satisfied. Learning the correct posture and placement is key when you’re just starting out, as well as learning to pay attention to your breath. Taking on too much too soon can be overwhelming, so just sticking to the basics is key. However, once you’re ready for a more intermediate practice you are ready to learn more and try new things. So kick yourself out of your comfort zone and start to learn more about yoga practice, from how your body and your breathwork together, to learn about energy flow through to the philosophy behind yoga.
Ask Questions
When you first start practicing, you may just believe absolutely everything you hear - after all, it’s all new to you! When you start to get your grips with the practice of yoga, it’s time to ask intelligent questions - while still being open-minded. Perhaps you can try different types of yoga to see different perspectives or try a different studio or teacher to test out different styles of teaching. You may even try workshops of yoga retreats to open your eyes a little more. Asking questions and trying new things is the first step in discovering the yoga style that is shaped around your needs.
Build Your Core Strength
Having a strong core is fundamental in intermediate yoga practice. This is the most important physical difference between beginner and intermediate. The core is essential, not just as one muscle in the center of the body but as layers of muscles protecting your abdominals. You should be able to engage the different muscles in your core, and a stable core will allow your to advance in your yoga positions and try things like handstands.
Be Patient with Yourself
When you first start out, you’ll either believe you can do anything straight away, or you might doubt your ability to ever progress and advance in your practice. Stepping up to an intermediate practice, you begin to learn that everything will come together in it’s own time - and you’ll begin to be a little more patient with yourself. Difficult poses never happen overnight, and it takes a lot of practice and discipline to master harder poses. Being patient with yourself also means understanding that everybody is different, and there might be certain poses that you’ll never be able to master.
Breathwork
When you’re a beginner, you’re probably struggling to keep up with the movements of each pose, and trying to focus on not falling over! As you become more advanced, you’ll realise that breathing right is vital in everything you do and every way you move - paying attention to your breath helps you to move through each practice and maintain balance and stay concentrated. There are a number of breathing techniques you can start to practice as you move up in skill, to help you find expansion in your inhales, and stability in your exhales.
Meditate
If you’re moving up to intermediate practice, you’re looking to benefit your mind as well as body. Give some time and attention to your meditation practice, as this will help to progress your yoga practice, and improve your concentration and focus, as well as help you feel more calm off the mat.
Ready to move on up? So this week, we've brought you intermediate classes, some going into more advanced postures, to keep you engaged and inspired on your yoga journey. Just as in life, it's good to level up sometimes, and soar to new heights. Enjoy!
Rocket Yoga 3: The Happy Hour with Carson Calhoun
Hop on Up with Angela Kukhahn
It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and the seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But, there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. - Alan Cohen
You’ve probably heard that how we show up on our yoga mats is a reflection of how we show up the other twenty-three hours of our day. This week’s classes will encourage you to check in and evaluate whether it’s time to up level your practice and step out of your comfort zone or if you are right where you are supposed to be today.
Okay yogis, it’s time for a little reflection and self-assessment. Take a few moments to ponder your yoga practice over the last three to six months. Make some allowances for the holiday season, but be honest with yourself. Have you settled into a comfortable routine––too comfortable a routine? When is the last time you had a breakthrough in your yoga or meditation practice? Are you fully present for your practice or have you found yourself in autopilot mode, where you’re simply going through the motions as opposed to continuing to grow?
When you’ve developed a yoga routine that works for your schedule and your lifestyle, sometimes it’s easy to become complacent and that’s when you need to remind yourself that Patanjali wrote in the Yoga Sutras that the path of yoga is simple, but it isn’t easy. We’re not suggesting you need to let go of your favorite classes and teachers, we’re just suggesting you make sure you aren’t growing stagnant. Yoga is a path to find clarity in the mind. Our practice activates and elevates our brain waves and our nervous system. We need to keep growing, inside and out.
Trying a different practice can help you evolve physically, emotionally, and mentally. This week, consider pushing your boundaries and trying something new or different, at least one time. Deepening your practice doesn’t necessarily mean a more advanced physical posture. Just know that striking a pose doesn’t necessarily correlate to a deeper practice. Advancing your practice can mean a more attentive mindset with your pranayama and your intention or pushing yourself a little harder when you’ve been on autopilot.
When we step into an uncomfortable situation and breathe through it, we’re creating change, inside and out. We’re growing each time we try something new. By working toward something outside of your usual patterns, you will create change. Just as in life, it's good to level up sometimes, and soar to new heights. Enjoy!
1. Josey Prior - Flow into Side Crow
2. Claire Petretti Marti - Quick Energy Flow 4
3. Carson Calhoun - Rocket Yoga 3. The Happy Hour
4. Angela Kukhahn - Hop on Up
This salad has been a hit on many occasions, very suitable for potlucks, as a side dish when the barbeque season starts again, and also a very simple weeknight dinner that takes less than 30 minutes to make and is likely made of only cupboard ingredients. I always have sundried tomatoes, capers, and mustard in my fridge – they take any boring meal to a different level and do not spoil quickly.
Since most of my recipes start with ‘Peel, dice, and slice an onion’, I obviously also have onions, and if you have seen an Estonian person in your life, then you surely know that our most common food is potatoes.
Disclaimer about the potatoes – my grandparents really do eat potatoes almost every single day – they (both over 80 years old) grow their own and store them over the winter. My potatoes mostly come from them too, but since I am a real spice and salad lover, I probably only have them once a week or so. But most of Estonians are more similar to my grandparents.
Back to the salad. It is one of the simplest, hearty, and delicious salads out there. Versatile, since it is good both warm and cold, and also works well as a side dish should you be a fish or meat lover. If I were you, I would prepare a double batch, eat some of it for dinner, and use the rest for office lunches over the next few days.
Hearty, Healthy, & Delicious Potato Salad
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
2 pounds of potatoes
2 medium red onions
About 20 sundried tomatoes in oil (with the oil)
3-4 tbsp capers
3 tbsp full grain Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
Peel the potatoes and cut them to about 1-inch cubes. Place in a pot, cover with water, season with salt and boil until tender. The cooking time depends on the exact size of the cubes, but just to be sure to check them in 10 minutes and react accordingly. Most likely, they take about 15 minutes to get tender.
At the same time, peel the onion and slice as thinly as you can. Squeeze the lemon juice over the slices, season with salt, and give the slices a little 30-second massage between your fingers. This step helps to draw out some bitterness from the onions and make them milder.
In a big bowl mix together sliced sundried tomatoes with about 3 tbsp of the oil from the jar, capers, and mustard, and finally the onions.
As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them, and then let them steam on the stove without a lid, so they will be dry. Add the potatoes to the rest of the ingredients (or go crazy and just add the rest of the ingredients directly to the pot), carefully mix everything, taste and add more mustard, salt or lemon, if needed.
Serve warm. The salad is also delicious cold, but I doubt you will have any leftovers.
Practice 25 minutes of yoga for free right now!
25-Minute Full Body Yoga with Keith Allen
Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga, and has been used for thousands of years to heal the body. Ayurveda uses many ancient techniques, including herbs, panchakarma, and identifying the doshas in a person by taking their pulse and asking them a series of questions. Especially for postpartum moms, there are certain herbs used in Ayurveda specifically to increase breast milk. In addition, Ayurvedic herbs benefit mothers by also helping them balance their hormones and helping them with any post-partum depression. Unfortunately, many women experience post-partum depression, among many other not-so-pleasant symptoms coming after giving birth. Luckily, we have amazing Ayurvedic herbs to help!
Here are a few herbs every Mother should add to her diet: Shatavari
This ayurvedic herb is also known as wild asparagus and has many benefits. In Ayurveda, Shatavari has many amazing uses, including:
Turmeric
Our favorite herb for curries, golden milk turmeric lattes, and teas. This herb is a super-food with many benefits for not only new Moms, but everyone. Not only does it help reduce inflammation, therefore disease, throughout the body, but it has galactogenic properties which help mothers increase the quantity and quality of their breastmilk.
Turmeric also has so many additional properties to assist you postpartum, such as:
You can add turmeric to your diet whether in a lactogenic protein powder shake, a golden milk latte, or simply ingesting it in pill form. Fennel
Fennel, coming from the carrot family, is an herb indigenous to the Mediterranean but has become widely used across the world. Another great herb to incorporate for Moms, given their galactogenic properties and phytonutrient content. Fresh fennel provides more gentle support while fennel seed is more potent.
Additional benefits include:
Moms, give these herbs a try and notice the physical, mental, and emotional benefits!
Brooke Nally
Brooke is a freelance writer who has been traveling the world for about two years, teaching yoga everywhere she lands. Find her on instagram @brookenally.
This article was originally published on LoveMajka.
Curious about Ayurveda or Yoga for New Moms? Be sure to check out these two yoga programs!
The start of the year is a time for resolutions - and many people’s resolutions will be to work out and exercise more - perhaps even get into a yoga routine! However, it can sometimes be hard to find the motivation to keep going, especially towards the end of January when it’s cold and dark, and the motivation you had on the 1st of the month is starting to wane. However, the best way to keep going with your yoga practice is to start a routine. Thinking about giving up? Let us remind you of some of the benefits of yoga, and give you some tips to get into a regular routine for 2020.
Need some inspiration to get into your yoga routine for 2020? There’s a wealth of benefits that practicing yoga can supply. As well as the expected, such as physical health and fitness, there are also some more unknown benefits.
Yoga can help improve your self-awareness. Yoga can translate to the word ‘connection’, and it's easy to use the practice as a way to connect to yourself a little more. Being more self-aware can help to benefit your relationships, your work life, and your friendships.
Yoga can also instill a sense of community in you. You can make friendships and join a like-minded community when you regularly attend a yoga practice, so if you’re feeling a little bit lonely it can be a great place to form connections and friendships. The mental health benefits of yoga are amazing. Starting a regular routine can be a great way to improve your mental state, and help you to be happier and cultivate a stronger, confident state of mind as well as improve your fitness levels.
Finally, another little known benefit of practicing yoga is to improve your productivity. Having regular practice can help to improve your levels of productivity. This is a great thing to strive for, and can make vast improvements to your 2020!
Now that you know some more of the benefits of a regular yoga practice, you might want some tips to get into a good routine this year.
Here’s some easy ways to get into a good yoga routine this year.
Start short
If you’re just getting into yoga, a 90-minute session on the mat maybe a little bit more than you can chew. Starting with shorter, more manageable practices can be a better idea if you’re working on getting yoga a part of your regular routine. The key to building out a new routine is consistency, so trying it out a few times a week is key - even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time.
Get it in your schedule
If you have a busy schedule, it can help to set aside a specific time each day where you can get on the yoga mat. Think of the times of day where you have little to no distractions, set a timer, turn your phone off and dedicate the entire time to your yoga practice.
Fit it around your existing schedule
While you might be signing up for 5 classes a week when you first get started, you might find this unsustainable once all of life’s pressures add up. Finding the right balance that works with your current life is the best way to avoid burning out a little later down the line. Think about your lifestyle and goals and practice at a pace that is good for you, and that you can build upon over time.
Get the gear
Investing in some good quality yoga equipment can be a good way to get into a new routine. Using a good yoga mat and some props can help to make your practice easier and can help to keep you in place and to keep your body stabilize.
Start with a gentle type of yoga
Start with a type of yoga practice that’s best for beginners. Try Yin yoga, or Yoga Nidra, or something that uses deep relaxation alongside mindful techniques. Vinyasa flow is also good to work on stretching and getting used to the postures.
Try different styles
Once you’ve got a handle on the beginner classes, try different styles to find the one that resonates with you. There are lots of different types of yoga out there and lots of different teachers who have different teaching styles. If you go to one class that’s not to your taste, try another.
Finally, don’t judge yourself
It can take time to cultivate the mindfulness and posture that you see in your yoga instructors. Take time to learn the skills needed, and don’t judge yourself if you don’t progress as fast as you thought you might. Remember it’s all about feeling present and connecting your body and mind. Treat yourself with kindness and compassion when you start your new routine.
Don't wait, and dive in now with the 5-Day Power Vinyasa Flow Bootcamp to get you started on your consistent yoga routine!
Power Yoga to Feel Free and Strong! When you consider all of the benefits yoga offers to you each time you step onto the mat, do you list freedom in the top five? Most of us look to increased flexibility, balance, strength, and equanimity. But a sense of freedom is also one of yoga’s most powerful gifts. Freedom to breathe more freely and freedom from habitual thought patterns, which may have held you back or caused you doubt and anxiety. This week we’ve got a Power Yoga challenge to set you free!
Sometimes, a strong, dynamic yoga practice can dislodge and set free emotions trapped in your physical body. Don’t be intimidated by the vigorousness of these classes––you can always modify and adapt the instructions to suit your energy level and ability. This new Power Yoga program consists of a variety of classes designed to empower you to find balance, joy, and an open mind. The openings we create in our physical body help release emotions and thoughts, which might be restricting us from living our fullest life.
Achieving freedom means you are aware of what you desire in your life, as well as what you wish to avoid. It takes courage to live each day with these principles in mind. Freedom means you feel free to choose how you live each moment. A yoga practice dedicated to encouraging the release of fear and negative blocks can pave the way for choosing what will make you enjoy more love, happiness, and peace. Sometimes taking your awareness to the next level begins with something as simple as sweating it out. A sense of true freedom or of going with the flow is why we continue to return to the mat.
This week, we offer a challenge for you to experience liberation and freedom with Power Yoga. Power yoga isn’t restricted to a set sequence or strict parameters. Instead, the emphasis is on flowing and building strength and working up a sweat to boost your mood and endurance. There’s something liberating about practicing yoga differently each day––a release of expectations and acceptance of something fresh and new. Challenge yourself to something outside of your comfort zone and see how that attitude impacts you off the mat too.
Sign-up for your 5-Day Power Vinyasa Flow Bootcamp to Strengthen and Sweat, and start at any time, anywhere!
By now, you are probably used to my recipes – only a few ingredients and hardly take over 30 minutes to prepare. Today’s recipe is quite different as it takes 5 hours in total to make and contains four sub-recipes. I promise it is worth it. I agree – 5 hours is a very long time to prepare the recipe, but luckily, most of it is resting time during which you can catch up on whatever tv show you are binging on or fit in a yoga session.
The bun recipe is an interesting one – the dough is proved with yeast, but after that, baking powder is also used. Sounds weird, but it works. Of course, my bao buns do not look as perfect as the store-bought ones are. But it is nice to say that mine are made from scratch and come out of the steamer piping hot and fresh.
And by ‘steamer’, I mean the homemade system that I build every time I fancy something steamed. The system consists of a big pot, small wooden basket and a plate covered with baking paper. I don’t even know why I haven’t purchased a real steamer as I am eating steamed foods at least once a month… In case you have an oven with steaming function, this should work well too, and saves you from steaming the buns in patches.
The fillings that I have recommended are relatively simple. Mushrooms take less than 10 minutes of active time and the salad and oil are quick to make too. Also, feel free to use any kind of leftovers to fill your buns.
Homemade Bao Buns with Oyster Mushrooms
Yields: about 16 buns
Cooking time: 5 hours, most of it resting time
For the buns:
18 oz all-purpose flour
1.5 tbsp sugar
0.5 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp oil + extra for brushing
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp baking powder
Mix flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
Mix the yeast with 1 tbsp of lukewarm water, and then add oil, vinegar and the rest of water.
Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix until a dough forms, and then knead for about 10 minutes until you have a very smooth ball of dough. Place it to an oiled bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel and leave to rest for 2 hours.
After the resting time, push the air out of the dough, sprinkle on the baking powder and knead for another 5 minutes. Roll the dough to a long sausage, about 3.5 cm diameter, cut it to 16 equal parts and roll each of them to a little ball.
Form the buns starting with the piece you rolled first. Roll the ball to an oval shape with a thickness of about 0.5 cm. Brush the oval lightly with oil, brush a chopstick with oil, and place it in the middle of the dough, so it divides the longer side of the oval into two parts. Then lift one side on top of the other one and carefully slide out the chopstick.
Repeat the same process with the rest of the dough balls and place them all on a tray covered with baking paper. Cover with lightly oiled clingfilm and leave to rest for another 1.5 hours.
Steam the buns for about 8 minutes until they are nice and fluffy.
For the mushrooms:
18 oz oyster mushrooms
5 tbsp hoisin sauce
The juice of ½ lemon
Tear the mushrooms to bite-sized pieces, mix with hoisin sauce, lemon juice, and salt, and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Fry in a drop of oil until they are nice and crispy. It doesn’t take too long, maybe 5 minutes.
For the salad:
¼ red cabbage
3 stalks of celery
1 spring onion
A handful of coriander
1 tbsp mild-tasting oil
2 red chilies (less if you are not a spice lover)
Chop the red cabbage as thin as you can and mix with chopped celery, spring onion, and coriander.
Season with lemon, salt, and chili, add oil, massage the salad with your hands and let the flavors mingle for at least 30 minutes.
For the oil:
4 tbsp of mild-tasting oil
A pinch of salt
Chop 1 of your spring onions as thinly as you can and set aside.
Place the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and whizz to a smooth consistency.
Mix in the spring onion slices.
Kadri is a food blogger and yoga teacher from Estonia. She loves healthy food and cooking and for her, these two are often the same thing. Cooking meals from scratch, you know exactly what goes in it and even without holding back with sugar or fat we end up using a lot less compared to ready-made frozen stuff from the supermarket.
She does love 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: http://www.kahvliga.ee/.
Practice 35 minutes of FREE yoga before or after making these buns, right now!
Start Your Day Right with Robert Sidoti
Even though we spend the vast majority of our childhood learning in formal education settings, there are so many useful life lessons and skills that our schools fail to teach us. Education might be effective in teaching us book smarts, but should go beyond classrooms and homework in teaching our youth how to live a fulfilling, meaningful, and happy life.
We’re now beginning to see that growing into a healthy, happy, well-adjusted adult doesn’t just happen. It takes work and we should give our kids the tools and opportunities to learn how to accomplish this.
Yoga can help us find these things as adults, but research increasingly shows that it's also helpful for children, who begin yoga and meditation at a young age.
Yoga is about much more than the poses (asanas) and physical benefits. This ancient Indian art helps us truly connect with our bodies, our inner world and the web of life that we are all a part of. It's mental and emotional benefits are profound and can be useful in the ups and downs of day to day life. It’s non-competitive and can be practiced by people of all ages and fitness levels and it imparts values like inclusivity, union and compassion, as opposed to always trying to be the best.
In our fast-paced, winner takes all world, children can derive tremendous benefits from the practice of yoga, and if you're already a practitioner, there are many classes suited towards children and ways you can get your kids involved in your own yoga practice.
Here are some real ways yoga helps kids.
1. Stress Relief
We don’t even realize how stressed kids can be. They’re living in the same world we are. It can be too easy to think that because we’re the ones going to work, paying the bills and handling all the important decisions, that they don’t really have anything to get stressed or anxious about. But they can pick up on the hustle and bustle of daily life. They also feel pressured to perform, to live up to our expectations and to those of their teachers and peers.
Practicing yoga allows kids the ability to be in the moment, to tune everything out and quiet their minds. This gives them the strength to face their own challenges and to distance themselves from the noise around them. This can help them let go of enough mental clutter to realize what their dreams are and how to get to those dreams.
2. Yoga Builds Self-Love and a Positive Body Image
Imagine how different the world would be if we had all learned self-love when we were little. Yoga philosophy teaches us that in order to be able to open our hearts and show genuine love and respect for others, we must first conquer the fear of facing ourselves in all our nuances. Only after we learn to really see and accept ourselves can we do so for someone else.
Studies have shown that the practice of yoga promotes body positivity and increases previously low levels of body satisfaction. With the rise of social media, young adults are particularly vulnerable for developing a distorted image of their physical appearance. Because of this, this benefit of yoga for young people is of paramount importance.
3. Helps Kids Develop Their Creativity
Yoga classes for children are not taught the same way as the ones for adults. When doing postures like Simhasana (Lion pose), Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) or Vrksasana (Tree pose), teachers often encourage kids to imagine themselves as that animal. It's not unusual in a children's yoga class to hear teachers instruct kids to roar like a lion or imagine what it must be like to be as still as a tree for 100 years. These roles and the way games, music and storytelling are integrated into the sessions enhance their ability to make original connections between concepts and theories. Creativity is key to being able to think critically and to come up with solutions to problems and see opportunities.
4. Improves Focus and Self-Discipline
The Marshmallow Test illustrates how important patience, or the ability to delay gratification, is to resisting urges and achieving long term goals. From this you can probably see how this would play out in your kids’ future and how it raises their chances of achieving their long-term goals and living balanced, fulfilling lives.
Yoga encourages practitioners to connect with their inner selves by slowing the breath and focusing on the present, becoming aware of the different sensations in their bodies and their passing thoughts. They learn how to acknowledge their impulses in a nonjudgmental way but without acting on them, simply letting them go and coming back to the breath
These skills make them more self-reflective and help them make healthier choices and resist potentially destructive peer pressure.
5. Physical Strength and Flexibility
Yoga is a full mind and body workout. Although the asanas might seem like low impact exercises, they actually require quite a lot of muscle power. Each pose targets a specific group of muscles, gradually strengthening them and improving posture.
This is even more important for kids. The poses that focus on stretching allows them to not lose their flexibility and helps children perform better in other sports, with a lower risk of injury.
If your child is particularly interested in athletics, practicing yoga is a great addition to their training regimen. It shortens the recovery period after demanding workouts, increases endurance, they’ll develop their muscles more evenly, as well as greater balance and coordination.
6. Better Sleep
There have been several scientific studies in recent years measuring the impact yoga has on the quantity and quality of sleep. Research has found that practitioners show a marked improvement in several aspects related to sleep, such as how long it takes to fall asleep, total sleep time and sleep efficiency, as well as how rested study participants felt during the day.
We already know how important sleep is for the brain development of kids and their ability to perform well academically. Sleep deprivation doesn’t only affect the ability to concentrate, short-term and long-term memory, but also the cardiovascular and immune system.
A purely pharmacological treatment of insomnia often comes with harmful side effects that are especially difficult for children to cope with. That makes yoga a much safer way to regulate sleep and prevent the development of chronic insomnia for our little ones.
Conclusion
The practice of yoga remains popular despite all the fitness fads that come and go because of its powerful, proven benefits. All the more reason to involve your kids to experience these benefits from an early age.
It can then be something you do together, a chance to bond and share something you’re both passionate about. Practicing yoga with your kids or encouraging them to try it for themselves, can inspire them to do something they can use as a healthy way of coping with stress throughout their lives.
By Daniela McVicker
Daniela McVicker is an editor at StudyClerk.com. She is also an experienced writer with a degree in social psychology from Durham University. Daniela is primarily focused on writing about self-improvement.
Practice yoga with your children right now.
Kids Yoga: Chillax Your Mind with Karyn Sullivan
CLICK HERE FOR MANY FUN ONLINE YOGA CLASSES FOR KIDS!
It might sound cliche, but it's good to have an open heart. What does this mean though and why is it good? From the perspective of the chakra system, the heart is the place where we love.
Simply put, when your heart center is open, you are more open to experiencing, giving, receiving, and enjoying love with others (as well as being more loving towards yourself). When your heart is closed, you're more closed off from experiencing love.
Can doing yoga poses help us experience more love? Yes!
Our bodies and minds are connected, and putting your body into a more open and loving shape, can make your mind more loving and open.
Think about how someone who is defeated, sad, and heartbroken carries themselves. It's usually a more hunched forward position and closed in the chest. Now think of someone who is bright and confident. Their posture is usually tall, proud, and open, specifically around the ara of their chest. This is an example of the connection between our emotions and our bodies.
Fortunately, backbends are a whole family of yoga poses that aim at opening the heart to make us more receptive and giving of love. Some are more beginner-friendly and accessible than others, and all have slightly different energetic and physical benefits, but all can transform the space around your heart from more closed to more open.
While many yoga poses share many physical and energetic qualities, no two are the same. Each has unqiue properties in how they benefit your body and how they make you feel.
Here are 6 yoga poses to open your heart space and why each of these shapes is a powerful force for experiencing more love both on and off your mat.
Sphinx
Sphinx is a beginner-friendly posture that not only opens your heart, but is also helpful in drawing back slouched forward shoulders, which is all too common in modern life and also associated with a lack of confidence.
If you're newer to yoga and want to try Sphinx, here's how to do it. Lie down on your stomach with the tops of your feet on the ground. Then place your elbows underneath your shoulders and your palms forward, face down. Press your toes and tailbone into the mat, and lift your head and chest up, and breathe into the front center of your chest. Hold for several breaths.
Camel
This pose can really crack the heart right open. It's important when performing Camel (Ustrasana), to keep your tailbone drawing down, or this can quickly become a kind of unsafe opening of the heart, where you're bound to get hurt (which Dancer's pose is a perfect antidote for).
While this pose opens your heart more than most of the others on this list, the nature of this shape makes it possible to go further than you're ready for, so patience is key. This is physically speaking, but you can see the symbolism here, for opening your heart off the mat as well. Be sure to breathe, listen to your body, and don't overdo it. Move into Ustrasana with some sense of caution, and you'll feel the exhilarating rush that results from opening your heart into this pose.
Bridge
Bridge is not only amazing for opening the heart, but also for helping heal any lower back pain (when done correctly). This is the perfect pose if you're just beginning to open your heart and body into this direction again, perhaps after an injury or heartache. Your feet keep you grounded and the nature of the shape allows it to be a slow and steady opening, rather than a sudden jolt, which can be experienced in other backbends, like Camel or Wheel. This posture also lengthens your neck and creates a sense of groundedness and length in your spine.
Dancer's
This posture embodies balanced love. Not the kind of blind, foolish love, but more of a grounded, steady, love with your feet on the ground and a direct aim at where you're headed, no matter who or what life may place in your path. This elegant, yet profound posture opens your heart, helps you cultivate gracefulness, and uplifts everything.
You kick back, to move forward in Dancer's pose. Iyengar says this beautiful pose requires equal parts of poise and elegance.
Wheel
Wheel pose is the creme de la creme of backbends. This pose is potent in opening your heart and the entire front side of your body. It's a posture that takes years to get into comfortably for some, and even more to master, but is worth the wait. It's effective in opening your shoulders, notably improving posture, and most importantly, blasting your heart open and letting all of those good feelings of love in.
Heart-Opener Laying on Blocks
This pose is simple, yet potent. Laying down on blocks for several breaths (or several minutes) and relaxing completely, can help open everything. This is perfect for beginners and advanced yogis alike. Different to some of the others on this list, this more restorative pose, is about surrendering, and not about the effort at all. Different heights of blocks and bolsters make it possible to fine-tune this pose to work for you, depending on where you're at on a given day. If you go too high on the block under your shoulders, you might not be able to relax, so take it easy and you can always add intensity later. The purpose of this one is to allow things to unfold.
If you're feeling stuck, closed off, or disconnected in your relationship with yourself, or with people in your world, practice more backbends. Be okay with where you're at, as you can see from this list, there are many options here to suit your body's needs. Be open to how these shapes not only help open your body but also make you a more open and loving individual off of your mat.
By Keith Allen
Keith Allen is a teacher on YogaDownload.com and as well as Yoga Download's Content Director. His classes balance a meditative focus with safe alignment. He has studied extensively from different teachers, lineages, and styles around the world, and remains a passionate and dedicated student of yoga and meditation. He regularly leads workshops and teacher trainings internationally.
Open your heart now, and practice Dancer's pose in this FREE 25-minute yoga class, with Keith, right now!
Do you remember the scene in the classic holiday cartoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, when the Grinch finally understands the gift of selfless love and his heart expands and fills with joy?
When we spend time in our yoga practice working on backbends, we are essentially creating space for more love and compassion and releasing the fear that can be restricting us from living our most authentic life.
In order to invite more love and compassion into your life, it’s important to release old resentments and hurts which may be blocking you from expressing your emotions. Our hearts contain the two primary human emotions of love and fear. Part of the human experience includes love and pain. When you’ve been hurt, it is natural to protect yourself as you heal. But often, the initial healing process morphs into fear and emotional blocks. Yes, we don’t want to have our hearts ripped out of our chests, but to truly be strong, we’ve got to be vulnerable.
This fear of pain manifests embodies in our chest and shoulders. Our shoulders round forward and if we don’t work to continue opening this area of our body, we can find ourselves perpetually shutting off possibilities for future happiness. Yoga to the rescue! Backbends emphasize the Anahata (Heart) Chakra, which is the seat of compassion, where we rise above the ego and self-love to develop the ability to love others. By practicing heart openers and strengtheners as well as learning to breathe deeply and fully, we create an open heart.
Backbends also positively impact the Visshuda (Throat) Chakra located at the base of our throat, the place from where we speak our truth. Many of us find it hard to clearly state our thoughts and feelings. Working to remove blockages of our verbal expression allows us to speak from the heart.
There are many reasons beyond an over-protective heart to perform backbends as a regular part of your yoga practice. Heart-opening postures like Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), Ustrasana (Camel Pose), and Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) all build energy, increase heat, and strengthen the spine. We spend a great deal of time with shoulders rounded forward––can you say ‘Smartphone Shoulders’? It’s vital for healthy posture to keep our spine in optimal alignment and that means opening across the front of the shoulders and chest.
Backbends are energizing and mood-lifting too! Of course, proper alignment and intelligently sequenced technique for your unique anatomy, are vital to successfully opening your heart and strengthening your spine. Take time to strengthen your own heart and forgive yourself from what may be blocking you from being your most free and compassionate.
Enjoy this week's four unique heart-opening classes that will teach you more about backbends, and leave you feeling lighthearted and open.
1. Michelle Marchildon - Easy Peasy Scorpion
2. Cheryl Deer - Forrest Yoga: Safe and Intelligent Back Bending
3. Channing Grivas - Breaking the Heart Wide Open
4. Rob Loud - Full Wheel - Saying Yes from Your Heart
You know those family recipes with that one “secret” or unexpected ingredient, like grandma’s chocolate cake recipe that calls for mayonnaise or tomato juice? This smoothie is our version of that recipe.
When you think about making a smoothie, you’re probably thinking, fresh greens, fruit or berries, maybe a booster like chia seeds or hemp seeds, and water or a nut milk.
We’re guessing that a root vegetable doesn’t immediately come to mind. Well, we’re here to change your perspective! This smoothie has an extra-special secret ingredient – beets!
Beets are a secret superfood powerhouse and are actually sweeter in flavor than most people think.
Beets have anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties, and they’re also known to boost stamina, lower blood pressure, and strengthen the immune system. They’re a great source of many health-boosting nutrients like folate, vitamin C, and manganese.
Beets are also a great way to check in on how smoothly our digestive tract is running (for more on that topic, click here for info about “The Beetroot Test”), which as you know if you’re a Conscious Cleanse regular, is very important!
Do you have a favorite “secret ingredient” you love to put in smoothies or other healthy dishes? Let us know in the comments below!
With love and beet appreciation,
Heartbeet Smoothie
Yield: 1 quart
1 cup coconut water or filtered water ½ avocado, peeled and pitted 2 celery stalks 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 1 beet, washed, ends trimmed, and roughly chopped 1 lemon, juiced 1 TB. coconut oil 1 cup apple, cored and chopped 4 ice cubes
In a high-speed blender, blend coconut water, avocado, celery, raspberries, beet, lemon juice, coconut oil, ice cubes, and apple until creamy. Adjust sweetness, if desired, by adding another apple for more sweetness. Make this recipe low sugar by substituting the apple completely for a few drops of stevia.
If you liked this recipe, we invite you to join our online community! As a welcome-gift, we’ll send you our Green Smoothie eCookbook, a collection of more of our favorite easy smoothie recipes!
In modern life, people are often working on laptops and using smartphones. Because of this, there can be a lack of rest for your hands. This often leads to the tissues inside your carpal tunnel to swell, which blocks the median nerve in your wrist, which is responsible for the finger movement.
Carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway through which muscle tendons and the median nerve pass through. Issues with your Carpal tunnel, more commonly referred to as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, can be uncomfortable, and get in the way of day to day tasks.
Fortunately, there are specific yoga poses and general areas of your body to target in your yoga practice for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, that will help to heal it naturally.
Neck Stretches
It might seem unrelated at first glance, but the neck has a connection with the wrist. Opening the neck can bring real relief.
Find a seated position on the ground, make your neck feel long and have your arms by your side. Now slowly move your head to the right side and pull down your left shoulder, so that you feel the stretch below your neck. Then in this pose, move your head from front to back slowly and feel the shift of your neck, target different areas to open in your neck stretch. Don't overdo it, to be sure you don’t feel any pain while doing this stretch. Be sure to do this stretch on both sides.
Wrist stretches
These are more obvious, but there are several stretches of the wrist, that can be highly effective in alleviating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
From tabletop position, there are two simple stretches that help. The first is to come into a regular tabletop position, and then turn your fingers backward, so that your inner elbow faces more outwards and your five fingers now point towards your knees and your palms are still face down on the mat. From here, simply shift your hips back until you feel a nice opening in your wrist. Stay there and breathe for 5 breaths. Come back to neutral and shake out your wrists.
The other variation from tabletop position is to take the tops of your hands onto the mat, with your fingers pointing towards your knees. Also from here, begin to shift your hips back until you feel a healthy edge in the pose, and breathe.
Another simple stretch of your fingers also helps. Bring your right hand forward with the fingers pointing in the upward direction. Lock your elbow such that it doesn’t move. Now cover the four fingers with the fingers of your left hand and stretch them backwards while breathing out.
Make sure your elbows are locked, and shoulders are down. Now bring back the fingers to their original position and do this on the other side. You can also do this stretch, pulling back one finger at a time (instead of all at once).
Arm and Shoulders Stretches with the Strap
Stretching your shoulders and arms can also be helpful in healing conditions in your wrists. They are all very connected. This simple posture with the strap opens many of the meridians and muscle groups in the arms and shoulders, which can also bring relief to your wrists.
Grab your strap and place your hands several feet apart, and raise your arms above your head. Make sure your elbows are straightened.
Now, let your shoulders drop away from your ears in the backward direction, until you feel the stretch in your shoulders, as well as in your chest. Take relaxed breaths.
Locust Pose: (Salabhasana): Strengthen Your Trapezius Muscles
The trapezius muscle is at your back that spreads from neck to the middle of your back. Making it stronger can help make you less susceptible to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Locust pose is an excellent choice to strengthen these muscles. To do Locust, lie down on your stomach with your forehead on the mat.
There are many variations you can do with the arms, but they all strengthen these muscles. For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, the variation with your hands interlaces on your lower back, is particularly helpful.
To do the pose, interlace your hands behind your sacrum, and lift both your strong legs and chest and head, up and off the mat. Squeeze your first together and draw your hands towards your heels, and breathe.
Downward Facing Dog: Strengthen Your Arms
There are many arm stretches, both in yoga postures (Downward Facing Dog) and fitness exercises to make your arms and upper body stronger. Downward Dog is a classic and also a powerful one to make your arms stronger. This pose also targets your wrists. Be sure to put more weight into your fingertips than the base of your wrist to maximize the benefits and prevent further strain on your wrists.
Generally, our day to day activities also imparts strain on your wrists. Alongside yoga, do your best to be sure you don’t strain them too much during your days. Taking breaks when you're working hours at the computer, or implementing some of these stretches throughout your day, can help.
If you're suffering from any discomfort from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, take solace that there are real things you can do to heal. Yoga and different physical stretching and strengthening exercises, like the ones above, can provide both long and short term relief.
By Jennifer Jeane
Jennifer is a wellness lifestyle writer. She loves sharing her thoughts and personal experiences related to natural remedies, Ayurvedic, yoga and fitness through her writing. She currently writes for How To Cure. She can connect with others experiencing health concerns and help them through their recovery journeys through natural remedies.