When you’re suffering from a low mood, anxiety or depression, you can get stuck in a rut and you just can’t get out of it. You might have a to-do list that’s really long, but you’re struggling to even get out of bed.
Things can pile up and can add to your low mood when you’re finding it hard to get inspired about life. Your brain may feel overwhelmed and it’s hard to get excited about anything at all. But it’s not impossible to feel inspired again after being stuck in a rut.
Here are 10 ways to get yourself back on track:
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
More specifically, medical or professional help if you feel you need it. If you’re suffering from depression or anxiety, it’s absolutely essential to talk to your healthcare practitioner. For some people, therapy or medication can be the thing that helps you on your way to feeling inspired again. Sometimes depression can be a result of brain chemistry, and balancing that out can be a way to get back on track. Or therapy can help you to talk through the problems you’re facing in your life and help you carve a way through them. Speak to a professional if you’re finding yourself feeling much lower than normal.
2. Give yourself reasonable expectations
If you ask the world of yourself, then it’s going to be harder to feel motivated and inspired. Don't give yourself the expectation that you’re going to finish everything on time with zero mistakes, and don’t get angry at yourself when this is not the case. When you’re feeling low, energy levels can change drastically, and negative emotions from ‘failure’ can plummet your energy and mood even more. Set yourself reasonable goals and expectations, and give yourself a celebration or reward when you achieve it.
3. Create a routine
Having a routine that makes you happy is a great way to get yourself motivated and inspired. Setting a happy routine can help you to pick yourself up and allow you to cope with your mindset - combating dips in your mood. These can be as simple as sitting down with a new book, or going out for dinner, or working out in the mornings.
4. Make a schedule
People are creatures of habit and having a schedule can help to keep you calm and feel secure. A stable schedule when you’re feeling out of balance can help to keep you feeling comforted and in control of the world around you. Think about the things you need to do every day and schedule them, and make them regular habits. Over time these will become second instincts and will help you to feel more normal.
5. Fake it
Need some motivation and inspiration to be happier and more confident? Sometimes faking it can actually pave ways to real feelings of contentment. Projecting happiness can bring it into your life, from the people around you. On another level, if we look nice, we usually feel nicer about ourselves and are nicer to everyone around us. Putting effort into your appearance and faking happiness till you feel it
6. Delegate
When you’re suffering from anxiety or depression, you may find it harder to complete the workloads you’re usually able to manage. You may find that your work starts to pile up - which can lead to more feelings of stress and feeling overwhelmed. It’s easy to combat this and delegate those small tasks to other people - leaving you open to inspiration as your mind isn’t taken over by those smaller things.
7. Socialize
Staying isolated can reinforce negative self-talk, and can make you feel even worse. It’s important to try and stay social, even when it feels like the last thing you want to do. Make plans with a friend or family member, and force yourself to stick to it - even if all you want to do is stay in bed. It’s easier to get out there and see the world when someone else is holding you accountable - and by getting out and interacting with other people, it’s easy to find inspiration coming to you.
8. Reframe negative thoughts
When you’re suffering from depression, it’s easy to get stuck in negative self-talk and soon, your negative thoughts can spiral out of control. We can reframe these thoughts with positive words and uplifting thoughts. It might sound impossible, but force yourself to think more positively, and it can help to create new thought pathways. This naturally leads us to feel happier and inspired. It can also help create new, happier habits.
9. Put up boundaries
Boundaries are important, to help protect your mind and mental state. There are a lot of things that can trigger unwanted or unproductive thoughts, and by removing these triggers from our life we can keep ourselves productive and stable. This could be cutting out social media, or turning off notifications on your phone - or even getting yourself out the house and away from the TV. Or it could be something hard, like getting rid of memories or keepsakes from past relationships that bring bad thoughts to your brain. These things can make it harder to focus on the present and the things that really matter.
10. Exercise
Yes, it’s true - working out is a great remedy if you’re feeling blue and want to get inspired. Something as simple as just getting your body moving with a walk or slow jog can get the blood pumping - and getting outside will help too. Just 30 minutes of moving 3-5 times a week can actually combat depression.
Even in yoga, it can be easy to fall into an autopilot routine. These diverse practices have an underlying theme to give you perspective on why you show up on your mat and how the practice has the power to help you thrive off of your mat.
By Amy Cavill
Need a happiness boost? Practice these yoga classes on YogaDownload, designed to help lift you out of any funk you're in, now!
Not an All or Nothing Practice with Christen Bakken
Beat the Winter Blues Namaskara with Maria Garre
It’s easy to fall into the habit of always taking the same yoga classes and teachers, walking or running the same routes. Suddenly, you find yourself uninspired and unmotivated in not just your practice, but also your life. Remember, your yoga practice mirrors your life off the mat. The key is to stay open-minded and curious and always keep learning. We’re here with some tips to help!
1. Venture Out of Your Comfortable Routine
Try a new teacher, new class, or new style of yoga this week. We all know consistency in your yoga practice is crucial, but sometimes we fall into a rut. If you find yourself dragging your feet to get to class, try something outside of your comfort zone. If your go-to practice is Vinyasa or Ashtanga, try a Yin or Iyengar class or vice-versa. Even if the class you choose isn’t one that you’ll return to, it will give you a renewed appreciation for your usual choices. And you may learn something new by slowing down or stepping it up.
2. Take a Workshop or Tutorial
Have you been wary of trying advanced poses or arm balances because you need more personalized attention and instruction? Or are you curious about deepening your knowledge on topics from philosophy to meditation to standing on your head? In a workshop or tutorial, you will focus on a specific topic in much more depth than you would in a regular class. It’s a great way to reinvigorate your motivation.
3. Delve Into the Subtle Body and Chakras
Our physical and subtle bodies are intertwined and learning more about this connection gives added complexity to your practice. The subtle body is like a blueprint of the physical body and contains our emotions and nervous system. Prana or life force flows throughout our body through energy channels called “Nadis.” Three primary nadis, the Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna run along our spine and contain the seven primary Chakras. Emotions greatly affect the subtle body; thus stress and excitement are registered in the physical form, “fraying” the nervous system.
4. Study Yoga Philosophy
Another way to deepen your experience and renew your inspiration is to learn more about the reasons behind why we practice. Ancient wisdom from the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita is just as applicable today in our modern world as it was when first recorded. Studying and applying Patanjali’s eight-limbed path of yoga, for example, is an excellent way to connect on a more profound level to what you’re doing onyour mat and off.
5. Practice More Pranayama and Meditation
According to yogic wisdom, Pranayama or breath control and Meditation are more advanced practices beyond simple Asana. In fact, B.K.S. Iyengar refused to teach students Pranayama until they had mastered the physical postures. Try a Pranayama or Meditation practice instead of your usual physical yoga class and see how you feel.
This week's classes are all about keeping you inspired in life and on your mat. These diverse practices have an underlying theme to give you perspective on why you show up on your mat and how the practice has the power to help you thrive off of your mat.
1. Christen Bakken - Not An All or Nothing Practice
2. Mark Morford - How to Get Lucky Vol. II: Get Luckier
3. Celest Pereira - Advanced Flow: Harness Your Potential
4. Cicily Carter - Freedom of Mind in a Bind
If you have been following my recipes for a while, you know that I am a chili lover. I also happen to be a lover of Asian food, and this recipe here is inspired by my travels to Indonesia.
I am generally not a fan of soy products, but tempeh is a huge exception – I LOVE it. I love how crispy it can get, and this recipe is just amazing. Tempeh itself is fermented soybeans tightly pressed together – very high in protein and also has a lot of fiber. In short – healthy stuff!
While I can’t say that the sugar used in this recipe is the healthiest thing on earth, but a little bit of it doesn’t hurt you, and the flavor is worth not having a dessert after this meal. This sweet, sticky and spicy glaze is amazing, and turns a simple bowl of rice into something truly delicious. I served it with red whole grain rice this time, but every type of rice works well. I also added a simple sambal of more chili, and lemongrass, because, well, chili.
Sweet and Crispy Tempeh
Serves: 2
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
10 oz tempeh
Coconut oil for frying
3 shallots
1 clove of garlic
½ tsp coriander seeds
2 red chilies
1 bay leaf
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves
A thumb-sized piece of fresh galangal
1 ½ oz palm sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp water
Instructions:
Cut the tempeh to small pieces. Heat up about ½ inch of coconut oil on the pan and fry the tempeh until golden from each side. Drain on kitchen paper.
Grind the shallots, garlic, and coriander seeds to a paste. You can use mortar and pestle for it, or take an easier route with a blender.
If there is still a lot of oil on the pan then drain it off so that you are left with about a tablespoon. Fry off the paste, chopped chili, bay leaf, thinly ribboned lime leaves and crushed galangal for 5 minutes, continually stirring until the whole kitchen smells fantastic.
Add palm sugar, salt, tamarind paste, water, and soy to the pan and boil for a minute until everything is incorporated and glossy. Finally mix in the tempeh.
Serve over rice.
By Kadri Raig
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 this 20-minute yoga class for free, right now, suitable for all levels.
Head Up, Heart Strong with Christen Bakken
“Don’t write a book unless you just can not NOT write it.” – Maya Angelou
I haven’t been writing much lately, in my blog, or anywhere, truly. My yoga dharma talks, which were once the effusive ideologues of youth, have been reserved and quiet.
My energy has been taken up by personal relationships and by growing my coaching business, which takes me being more extroverted than is in my true nature. And now, at the end of the day, I find that there’s not a lot left over to give to writing or inspiring.
You understand, right? Even if you’re not growing a business or doing the dance of an on-again-off-again relationship, you pour your energy out in so many different directions. In busy times like these, we can learn to prioritize consciously, rather than succumb to a haphazard whirlwind of to-do lists. We can sort by which activities have the most impact, which takes the shortest amount of time, and which brings us the most joy.
Recently I’ve been demoting things (namely, writing blogs and spinning super spiritual stories for my students) when they don’t feel in the flow. When I’d rather get my teeth cleaned than execute a certain task then I know that item is just too forced. Forcing something diminishes its potential for magic, momentum, and meaning.
However, that said, there’s something about a regular practice of something, even when that certain something doesn’t feel in the flow. Doing your practice, even when not feeling fully inspired, can be necessary to create meaningful habit change. If I waited until I “felt like it,” I would never go to the gym, to the dentist, or pay my taxes. Countless writers attribute their writing success to forcing themselves to sit down at the keyboard every single day, no matter if they felt like it.
My experience this afternoon as I somewhat reluctantly sat down to write about not forcing things is such: the structure of writing in and of itself has created a flow. Like getting back on the ski slopes after a long Summer, what starts off clunky and slow eventually gains that magical momentum.
So stick with a practice even when it feels forced, or turn to where you’re inspired and feeling in the flow? What do you think? Please comment below.
By Elise Fabricant
Elise is a life coach and teacher on YogaDownload.com.
Want some more support on getting enough quality rest? Elise's online course REVIVE: 30 Days to Vitality, Health & Ease dives deeper sleeping rituals and other yogic lifestyle habits. I’m also always at your service for one-on-one coaching. If you’re ready to make big changes in all aspects of your life, sign up for a complimentary clarity session here.
Practice yoga with Elise right now, for FREE!
Morning Quickie with Elise Fabricant
Meditation is a practice that’s open to anyone, and there are huge health benefits to be had from a simple and daily meditation practice - both physically and mentally.
There are so many studies out there that have proven that mindfulness and meditation can have a positive impact to your mental and physical health. For example, meditation can reduce stress to the extent that it can help to reprogram your brain to increase your capacity to manage stress, and also reduce the stress hormone cortisol in your body and even strengthen your immune system.
Meditation can also help to improve your concentration and focus. This is because meditation creates a mindful awareness in the brain, allowing it to be calm and in harmony with itself. Regular practitioners of meditation have shown a heightened attention and concentration span.
Meditating daily can also help to decrease your blood pressure. Mentally, it can also increase creativity and help to reduce anxiety. Additionally, people who meditate show a calmer and more positive emotional demeanor.
Meditation can also give some spiritual benefits. You don’t have to be religious, and you can practice meditation regardless of which faith you follow. Meditation can help to connect you with the world, and bring calmness and joy into your mind and body - it can even help you discover more about yourself.
It’s easy to start meditating, though it may take you a while to get into it. Most people who try meditation for the first time do so to reduce stress levels. While this is a great action to take if you’re feeling stressed, meditation after a while can create a calmness that spreads into other aspects of your life, and you’ll find yourself feeling more balanced, more compassionate, with a clearer vision about your life and the ability to make strong decisions. However, if you’re feeling very stressed, it can be hard to switch ‘off’, and allow yourself to feel the benefits of meditation.
Begin to meditate simply by learning one technique and trying it every day.
There’s no ‘wrong’ way to do this - whatever technique speaks to you is probably the method you’ll return to. An easy technique is to sit comfortably on a cushion, or a chair - and sit up straighter than usual! Slouching can hurt your back and can also make you a little less focused.
To start you may want to try to sit against a wall to support yourself, and use extra pillows, cushions or blankets to make yourself feel comfy. You can even lie down, if this is more comfortable for you. Try to calm your mind before you start meditating. You can do this by simply listening to a song you like, to take yourself out of the stress of the day to day and calm down.
To start with, set a timer for just five minutes, and work your way up to 10, then 15, and then 20. Try not to put yourself on a schedule, and go at your own pace to lengthen your practice.
When you breathe, breathe through your nose with your mouth closed. Focus on the way the breath moves in and out of your nostrils, or your chest rising and falling.
If you notice your mind wandering away, come back to your breath and focus on it. It’s important not to drift off or fall asleep - this is why it might be better for some to meditate sitting rather than lying down. It’s totally normal to feel tired when you finally let go of your day-to-day worries, but if you work on keeping your spine straight and try to keep your eyes open.
Let whatever thoughts you have pass through your mind and bring your thoughts back to your breath. If your mind starts to race, try to count your breaths, or even repeating a word or a phrase over again in your mind. This can even be a mantra you set yourself. The key is not to suppress your thoughts but to surpass them. If your mind keeps racing, a guided meditation can be a good thing to quieten your thoughts.
Some people may have problems sitting up straight, or feel restless. Walking meditation can be a great way to counteract this. Walk at your usual pace, or perhaps slower. Try to synchronize the rhythm of your breathing with your steps, and gaze ahead. You can still focus on your breath in a walking meditation if you find your mind starts to wander.
Even if you’re feeling busy and overwhelmed, and don’t think you have the time to meditate, you can seriously carve the time out. Even if it means setting your alarm to wake up a few minutes earlier every morning, or meditating before you go to bed as part of your nightly routine. The most important thing is to meditate regularly - the amount of time you do it isn't important.
The benefits of meditation are endless and profound. To reap these benefits, one must actually practice meditation. This week we give you four different opportunities to find your center in different seated meditation practices from four different teachers.
Convinced? Meditate now, for free!
Meditation: Release Reactivity with Geenie Celento
When is the last time you were able to sink into the zone? That place where you’re not trying to be in the moment, you just are. For some people, this state of mind occurs when they are being active, doing something like running, surfing, dancing, or listening to music. In yoga, we call this involuntary dhyana.
Wouldn’t it be freeing to make this happen voluntarily, without engaging in any physical activity? That is meditation.
One of the primary intentions in yoga and meditation is to center your mind and become grounded in the present moment. In our daily lives, it’s easy to become mired in the past and controlled by memories, patterns, and fears. Also, in our Western culture, the focus on the future, on doing, on achieving, on getting somewhere or buying something, pulls us out of the now.
When you first start a meditation practice, you may discover you actually have the attention span of a hummingbird. Students confess how they find meditation to be the ultimate challenge. When we finally sit still, we realize how we tend to have fleeting, often repetitive thoughts, sailing through our minds. Our brains can feel like we have a pack of wild monkeys bouncing off windowless walls. It’s a hilarious and often humbling experience to truly turn your focus inward and listen.
Distraction is easy. Focus is a challenge, but it is worth the effort.
Don’t we all want to feel more centered and clear? In our busy world, tuning out distractions and focusing on one single thing can feel unattainable. When you can sink into sustained attention, you are fully present and truly at the height of your personal power and light. Presence can equal freedom because you’ve released any attachment to future results and accepted what IS right now.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are considered the seminal text in yoga. Yoga is defined in Yoga Sutra 1.2: Chitta vritti nirodaha: Yoga is the ability to direct the mind without distraction or interruption. Or, put another way, quiet that pack of wild monkeys.
It sounds simple, right? Simple yes, but not easy. Discipline, commitment, and patience are essential tools in developing a meditation habit.
With dedicated practice, you learn to tune out disruptions and simply focus on what’s happening minute-by-minute and breath-by-breath. True awareness and clarity arise when you are absorbed in the moment. Try one of our four meditation classes this week and embrace the present.
1. Geenie Celento - Meditation: Release Reactivity (FREE CLASS)
2. Keith Allen - Body & Mind Relaxation Meditation
3. Caitlin Rose Kenney - Tree Meditation
4. Alanna Kaivalya - Learn to Meditate. 3 Steps to Success
I love salads, no matter what the weather outside is like. Sunny, windy or snowing – give me a good salad, and I am happy! Salad does not mean a pile of greens and a boring dressing (although, as a side, I do enjoy this type of salad too), salad can be exciting and full of different flavors and textures.
One of my favorite greens are kale, and I have already shared an amazing warm kale and chickpea salad with you. Here comes another one, also very winter-appropriate, featuring sweet potatoes and load of other delicious good-for-you ingredients.
I always like to make sure I eat as many colorful foods throughout the day as possible. The colors in different plants are different phytonutrients – natural chemicals that help our bodies to fight diseases and stay healthy, and let’s be honest – they just taste amazing. In this salad pretty much all the colors are covered – kale for green, sweet potatoes for orange/yellow, red onion and pomegranate for red, apple for white and black beans, you guessed it, for black – so I can peacefully eat white bread for the rest of the day. Just in case – the last part about white bread was a joke. After a lunch that healthy, I always feel so good that I never crave anything unhealthy.
Kale and Sweet Potato Super Salad
Serves: 4
1 large sweet potato
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and chili flakes, to taste
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
A big bunch of kale (7 oz)
2 tsp olive oil
The juice of ½ orange
16 oz canned black beans (rinse under cold water)
1 red onion
Seeds of ½ pomegranate
1 medium apple
Preheat the oven to 420 F. At the same time, peel and cut the sweet potato to about 1x1 inch cubes.
Season the sweet potato with 1 tsp olive oil, salt and chili flakes (I like adding quite a lot of chili, but follow your own taste buds).
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. About 3 minutes before it is done, add the pumpkin seeds.
Take the roasted sweet potato out of the oven and let cool.
Remove the stronger stems from the kale and chop or tear the leaves to bite-sized pieces. Mix them with olive oil, salt, and orange juice – feel free to use your hands and really massage the marinade in the leaves – it helps them to soften a bit.
Slice the onion and apple as thin as possible, and take the seeds out of the pomegranate.
Mix everything and enjoy your healthy meal.
There are many things you can do to enrich your spiritual life while in recovery from an addiction. And I’ve found that without doing so, the stress of learning to live without drugs and alcohol can be so intense that I can’t stay sober unless I find some suitable resources to cope.
I wasn’t a big fan of the idea of holistic therapy at first. However, over time I’ve really developed an appreciation for meditation and yoga. They’ve both really contributed to the quality of my recovery. I’m going to explore the benefits of both in detail below.
Yoga
In the context of addiction recovery, yoga is best utilized alongside traditional treatment options that emphasize professional therapy and participation in support groups.
Yoga can help individuals in early recovery a great deal by providing them with:
Improved mindfulness and self-awareness Restful sleep Stress relief Increase in energy Increase in physical/mental health Reduced fatigue
Yoga is used as a way to counteract the way that drugs and alcohol alter the brain. Yoga relieves symptoms of stress such as heightened heart rate, blood pressure and raised body temperature by regulating and balancing some of the stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Yoga also is useful for an addict going through withdrawal. The reason being, it can increase the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain which manages anxiety and stress, both being large mental side effects of withdrawal. Physically, yoga is a good way to get in shape, increase energy levels, and improve the quality of sleep. So yoga helps in both the mind and body.
One of the best things about yoga is its availability. A person doesn’t have to buy a bunch of expensive equipment and it can be done anytime, anywhere. Aside from the optional expense of taking a class, there are plenty of online yoga resources to learn from, and it is an incredibly cost-effective form of self-care.
In recovery, it’s important to have a coping mechanism that can be done at will. A person can’t really be sure whenever triggers will occur. Of course, you can minimize the amount of triggering stimuli in your life but something as simple as not getting enough sleep can cause an addict to begin to go down a dark path in their mind. So being able to take even five minutes to do some yoga can be what keeps you from getting in a negative headspace for the rest of the day.
Meditation
Meditation is a potent way to increase mindfulness, which for an addict in recovery is crucial. Meditation is a way of training yourself to be completely present and observe your thoughts almost as a third party looking in. The goal is to experience nonjudgement of whatever thoughts or feelings arise. Research shows that meditation even changes the physiology of the brain, building up areas associated with optimism and compassion, as well as weakening the areas associated with fear, pessimism, and depression.
For someone starting out sitting still and observing thoughts and feelings can be hard and even uncomfortable. But the practice of doing so is very helpful in relapse prevention.
Some of the benefits of meditation include:
Anxiety Relief Pain Relief Stress Management Immune System Enhancement Restful Sleep Decrease of Depressive Feelings
Types of Meditation
There are numerous ways to practice meditation. Some of the most popular practices include the following:
Guided Meditations - A meditation that is verbally led by someone else. It could be a person in the same room or one of the many online guided meditations. Typically they will walk you through a scenario and have you follow along. This is very helpful for someone who is new to meditation and might be overwhelmed with learning, or a person who has a particularly cluttered mind and needs something to focus on.
Breathing Meditations - Practiced through natural deep breathing and focusing on your breath. Many experts recommend box breathing which is counting out how long you inhale and hold the breath in, and then exhale and hold the breath out.
Muscle Relaxation Meditation - Practiced by progressing awareness from your toes to your head, aiming to let every part of your body relax.
Movement Meditations - These are other activities that are meditative and allow more free-range exploration and not confined to traditional seated meditation. Some examples are yoga, hiking, and swimming. Whatever best helps a person get in touch with their body and mind, counts as a form of meditation.
Similar to yoga, meditation is also complementary to treatment. For a person in recovery, each day brings its own struggles and blessings. Being aware and present every day is one of the best ways to increase your chances of long term sobriety. Incorporating healthy habits such as yoga and meditation will help tremendously as a person navigates the world of recovery.
By Jack Agatston
Jack Agatston lives in Atlanta, GA. He has a passion for addiction recovery and is dedicated to sharing his message of hope with others through his writing and his daily work as a tech at The Summit Wellness Group.
Practice these 10-15 minute meditations, suitable for all levels, right now!
Meditate with Gratitude with Pradeep Teotia
Having a balanced is the definition of success for many. Keeping things in balance can lead to a stress-free life, peace of mind and having a good life. We all have a manner of responsibility, and keeping these in balance with things that we enjoy doing can be hard. However, if things get off balance, stress can occur, as well as emotional or even physical health issues.
Here are our top secrets to maintaining a balanced life:
Take Care of Yourself
If you’re not healthy and living an unhealthy lifestyle, you’ll find it hard to get everything done. The first step to living a balanced life is to get enough sleep, eat nutritious food and exercise. You can’t function as an adult while not getting enough of these things. As well as taking care of your physical health, take some time to look after yourself mentally too - try to find time for activities you love, and help yourself unwind after a stressful day by doing something relaxing. This will put you in a great state of mind to lead a balanced lifestyle.
Know Your Priorities
Having a balanced life does not mean doing everything. Knowing what is important to you and setting boundaries can help you to be more balanced. Your priorities are unique to you and can be different depending on what stage of life you are at. Avoid becoming off balance by juggling too many things at once, and try not to take on a lot of large projects at one time.
Be Organized
Try to plan things ahead in your life, and stay organized. Take time each day, week or month to write what needs to be done, and take stock of any upcoming events or important meetings and appointments. Make sure that you also take time to schedule in quality time with friends, family - and yourself! Leave room for some downtime to help you recharge your batteries.
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Expecting the unexpected can help you keep your calm when things go wrong, rather than getting upset. Start with the mindset that anything can happen at any time, and it will be less likely to throw you off balance when it does. You should also not worry if things happen that need to take up more of your time, like crisis’, as these may take up a larger amount of time and resource. Do what you can to address this and take some time or refresh before getting back to normal.
Be Positive!
Start each day with positive intentions, and you’re more likely to be happy. Putting your day in perspective and dealing with adversity in a positive way is key to living a balanced life. Try to practice not letting things get to you, and start living in the moment. We can’t plan for absolutely everything, but we can decide how to concentrate our energy - staying positive will lead to a more balanced and stress free life.
A new year is a perfect time to reassess what's working in your life, where there is room for improvement, and where you're in balance and where you're out of balance. It can be easy for one area of life to be working easily, while others are in disarray. Balance is a feeling of having the various parts of your life that are important to you, working in harmony. Balancing in yoga, can help us find balance in life. This week's classes help you create balance, not only in your yoga poses, but also off the mat in your life. Balancing postures also help improve focus, strengthen your legs, and can be a lot of fun!
Practice yoga for more balance, now!
Happy New Year and Happy New Decade! Now is the perfect time to assess whether your life feels in balance or if it’s time for a few tweaks to your routine.
Except what looks like balance today could be very different than it was even a few short months ago. Our yoga practice mirrors what’s happening during the other twenty-three hours of our day. By tapping into yogic principles, you can find the perfect balance for you at this particular time in your life.
In our physical Hatha yoga practice, we seek to balance the masculine solar energy (‘Ha’) and (‘tha’) the feminine lunar energy that exists within all of us. By following the guiding principle of Yoga Sutra 2.46, Sthira Sukham Asanam, which means the posture should be steady and comfortable, we are working with the principles of effort and ease. In this way, your yoga asana and pranayama practices will bring your physical body into symmetry and sustain your mental focus. By finding balance on your yoga mat, you can create a sense of wholeness in your life.
Yoga asanas like Vrksasana (Tree Pose), Virabhadrasana III (Warrior 3), and Garudasana (Eagle) all require you to balance on one leg, maintain a sustained point of focus with your gaze, and breathe evenly in order to remain steady. These types of poses, which work to align the left and right sides of your body, force you to quiet your mind and find equilibrium or you’ll topple over. It’s also an opportunity to notice where we feel steady and strong and where we need some support.
If we take these same principles and apply them to our daily life, we can assess what’s running smoothly and what needs some bolstering. The earth is always shifting beneath our feet and it’s a process of constant adjustment to remain in balance. Some days you’re like an Olympic gymnast, sticking the landing after a perfect routine on the balance beam and others you’re like Bambi, wobbling on untested legs. Accepting that balance is a lifelong dance allows you to practice and transform accordingly.
By taking the time to nurture your individual challenges through yoga, you have the opportunity to achieve the perfect equilibrium for you.
That’s the beauty of yoga: it’s flexible and you can adapt it based upon what you need to bring yourself back into balance. This week, we offer you four unique classes designed to help you find balance in your body and your life.
I do not label myself as vegan, vegetarian, or even flexitarian, but I very rarely eat animal products. So, if there is a rare occasion that I do eat something that is not plant-based, it better be amazing.
This beetroot and citrus cured salmon ticks this box, and since it is rather festive in its bright pink color, it is very suitable for the Christmas table too. I have prepared this salmon several times for cold spreads, and every single time I will be asked for the recipe, so it is not only me who finds it delicious ☺ The earthiness of the beetroot and zing from the citrus create perfect harmony. It pairs exceptionally well with freshly toasted bread. If you can find them, then the big caper berries are a nice addition to this dish, but be careful – the capers have a strong taste, so it might make sense to serve them on the side.
Preparing this dish takes a couple of days, but most of this time, there is nothing you need to do. The active time is probably around 20 minutes.
Beetroot Cured Salmon
Cooking time: 20 minutes + 2 days
1 side of salmon, as fresh as possible, without the bones, skin on
1 bigger beetroot, raw
2 tsp orange zest (organic oranges, if possible)
1 tsp lemon zest (organic lemons, if possible)
3 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Make sure that there are no bones in the fillet. Set it on a big piece of baking paper, skin side down.
Grate the beetroot and mix it with everything else.
Spread the beetroot mix on the fillet and pat it down evenly with your hands.
Fold the ends of the baking paper on the fish, and then roll it evenly in the paper. Add the roll in a plastic bag, and let it sit on your fridge for two days, skin side down.
After two days, unwrap your fish, remove the beetroot mixture, give the fish a very quick rinse and pat it dry with kitchen paper.
To serve, slice it as thin as possible.
Practice Yoga for Detox to unwind after the holidays!
It’s nearing the end of 2019 and it’s the time of year where everyone is thinking about the year ahead. Making New Year’s resolutions are an old tradition, however many of us struggle to keep them for 365 days!
Here are our top tips for making New Year's resolutions that turn out to be successful, and how to make them stick.
Make specific goals
If you set big goals that are vague, they won’t last because they’re just too big! To achieve your goals, they have to be specific, and measurable. Break your big goals down to something more specific, which will be easier to stick to and track.
Make realistic goals
Be honest with yourself about what you can achieve. You need to be able to realistically meet your resolutions. If you overreach about the type of goal that works for you, you’ll miss your mark and it will be really demotivating! So think about what you can possibly achieve, to stay on track.
Don’t use ‘musts’
Resolutions that are strict and phrases such as ‘I must’ or “I have to’ never tend to stick. This is because our instinct is to rebel against directives like this. Try and set intentions, like an aim that you’re moving towards. Don’t put any rules or conditions on this, such as dates or points by which you want to achieve it. This takes the pressure off and lets you go at your own pace.
Ask yourself why
Ask yourself why you want what you’re aiming for in life - dig really deep and figure out what is motivating you. When you can identify the why, and stay connected to it, it’s easier to create more meaningful New Year's resolutions that are achievable, and that also bring happiness into your life.
Don’t let yourself set you back
If you feel deep down like you can’t accomplish your goals, you might start to set yourself back. The biggest hurdle with New Year's resolutions is the mindset that setting them can undo years of behavioural habits and thoughts. You’ll see the biggest changes if you remove negative thoughts that say you can't achieve your goals, and remove negative thought patterns around yourself. You can do this by learning to understand how negative thoughts can affect your behaviours. Try to keep a journal of both positive and negative thoughts throughout the day, along with the behaviours you had afterwards. Then, replace your negative thoughts with positive ones.
Align your goals with your values
It’s easier to keep New Year's resolutions that are in line with your personal values and beliefs. If you don’t know them, try to identify your key core values, and create a mission statement for how you want to move forward in your life. You can use this as a base for your New Year's resolutions.
Don’t deny yourself
Don’t use your New Year's resolutions as a way to deprive yourself from something, restrict, or punish yourself. A great example of this is the difficult diets and intense workouts people pick up on January 1st - which is the opposite way to create a long-lasting habit. Don’t restrict yourself and deny yourself the things you’re used to, and instead think of ways to meet the goals that feel good to you, to reach your goals in a positive and supportive way.
Make smaller goals
An easy way to set reachable goals is to break them up into ‘mini’ goals. You can do this by thinking of each step you need to achieve your goal, and setting these steps as individual goals. Make sure they’re doable and reasonable and check in with yourself along the way. Look at what went right at each step and what went wrong, celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes.
Don’t repeat your goals
An easy way to stick to your New Year's resolutions is not to make them the same every year. If you’ve already tried and failed, your self esteem will be low and you’ll expect to fail before you’ve already started. If you do want to try for a goal you’ve already attempted, take some time to think about your results last time, and what was and wasn’t effective. Change your approach, and you may change your results.
Have a support system
Having someone to keep you in check with your New Year's resolutions really works. A buddy system will help you to stay motivated, so explain your goals to everyone in your life, and ask them for help! They will be able to help you achieve your goals and keep you on track.
Stay motivated
During the start of the year, you’ll probably feel motivated and confident to stick to your New Year's resolutions, because it’s still early days and the excitement about meeting your goal is still there. As time goes on, and you face temptation and discomfort, it will be harder to stick to your New Year's resolutions. Your motivation will start to waver - and at these times it's important to remember the ‘why’ behind your resolution, to remotivate yourself and keep going.
Practice yoga now to get your year off to the right start and have a healthy, vibrant 2020!
Flow Your Heart Out - Jackie Casal Mahrou
How are you feeling today? We’re still in the midst of the holiday season and if you’re like many of us, your typical routines have receded in the rearview.
Don’t feel guilty if you’ve abandoned your usual healthy workout routine or eaten a few dozen frosted sugar cookies washed down with crisp champagne. Life is meant to be savored, enjoyed, and lived in the present moment. Sometimes this might be the only chance you’ve got to spend time with family, see old friends, or simply hibernate.
But if you’ve abandoned your usual exercise, yoga, and diet, you may be feeling lethargic and heavier than usual. When your body feels bloated, your mind and emotions can also feel slower and foggier. To counteract these weighty tamasic sensations, see if you can carve out some time to recharge your body’s natural cleansing powers. What do you need in this moment to feel more like yourself until you return to your habitual routine?
If you’re feeling stressed out, which is common at this time of year, you can shift your energy in one of two ways. A vigorous practice will help you sweat out the toxins and stimulate your mind if you’re feeling lazy or unmotivated to do more than lounge on the couch with the remote control. Check out classes from Ben, Becca, and Carson to stimulate your digestive, lymphatic, and circulatory systems and quiet anxious thoughts. You’ll boost your energy, improve your sleep, and finish out the season feeling clear and calm.
If the idea of a dynamic sweaty class doesn’t work for you and you haven’t taken the time to slow down all month, try Elise’s chill class to soothe your nervous system. Allow yourself to reset and relax. Even if you know you won’t be settling back into your regular routine for another week or two, choose to step away and take some time for self-care. So go ahead, hit the reset button! You’ll find more energy and be able to finish out the year and decade strong!
1. Elise Fabricant - Reset Refuge: Shake it Out
2. Ben Davis - Fitness 'n' Yoga: Core, Mobility, & More!
3. Becca Riopelle - Bride Bod (FREE CLASS)
4. Carson Calhoun - Rocket Yoga 2: Yogi Arm Day
I don’t know how it looks like all over the world, but in Estonia, Christmas time often means overindulging big time. I am talking about eating way too much meat (mostly pork) in different preparations – roasted, as blood sausages and aspic. Aspic is a meat jelly, set with natural gelatin from cooking the bones and a pig’s head for a long time on a low temperature, and blood sausages are exactly what they sound like. Both of them may seem weird, but actually, they are much more delicious than expected.
Besides – if the poor pig is anyway, then I am always voting for the whole animal to be eaten. Next to this enormous amount of meat, there are also loads of different sides and sweet treats throughout December.
There is also a tradition for the kids in Estonia, that if they have been good throughout the year, then ’päkapikk’ (Santas little helper, similar to elves, but not quite), will bring them something sweet every morning from 1st of December through 24th of December. So, to summarise, there is too much eating going on here right now.
I love food and eating. Still, I always try to follow the logic that over-consuming is not good for my bank account, not good for the environment, and definitely not good for my health, so I try to stay reasonable and recommend everybody else to do the same.
In case the traditions are similar where you live I figured you might need the recipe for a sweet treat that is actually good for you, so you could give it as a small present for your dear ones and maybe get your kids to prefer this healthier treat instead of caramels and milk chocolate too.
Energy Balls: perfect for a small present
Yields: about 50 balls
Cooking time: 30 min
3.5 oz dates
3.5 oz dried apricots
3.5 oz prunes
3.5 oz sunflower seeds
2 oz raw cacao powder
2 oz vegan protein powder of your choice (I used pea protein)
A pinch of salt
Put all the ingredients to a food processor with the chopping blade and pulse until you have a coarse crumb.
Test if you have got the right texture – squeeze a little bit of the mixture between your fingers – if it sticks together nicely, you are good to go. If not, then add 1 tbsp of water and whizz for a few more seconds.
Have fun rolling out balls between your hands. I made quite small balls and got about 50.
*If you want to give them as small presents, then spend some extra time wrapping them nicely.
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/
If you eat too much during the holiday season, enjoy the Yoga for Detox program afterward!
For anyone who has given birth, a strong and supportive pelvic floor is crucial to overall health and vitality.
Your pelvic floor is a thin layer of muscles that run from the pubic bone to the Coccyx. The pelvic floor plays an important role in many things, like supporting your body’s internal organs (bladder, intestines, uterus, etc.), enabling you to maintain urinary and bowel control, and providing support vital for reproductive and sexual functioning.
Your pelvic floor supports your organs during activities that stress them physically, such as laughing, sneezing and coughing and also plays a vital role in supporting the spine.
Unfortunately, many new moms are not aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy pelvic floor. Strong pelvic floor muscles are a crucial part of your body’s internal core stabilizers, so if you want to strengthen your core, you can’t ignore your pelvic floor.
In addition, weak pelvic floor muscles cause serious issues for mothers. Many moms think that it’s normal to leak urine while laughing, sneezing or coughing. This is NOT normal, and it’s a sign of a serious issue.
After pregnancy, weakened pelvic floor muscles often cause Urinary Stress Incontinence. Signs of this issue include the accidental release of urine while laughing, sneezing or coughing. Weak pelvic floor muscles can also contribute to uterine or bladder prolapse, which is a very serious condition where one or both organs drop down and sag into the vaginal wall. Unless you adequately strengthen your pelvic floor muscles after childbirth, these types of problems will worsen with subsequent vaginal deliveries, weight gain, and aging.
Here are 4 things every mom must know about their pelvic floor and ways to keep it strong for optimal health and well-being. 1. Stretch: Pregnancy Stretches Your Pelvic Floor
During pregnancy, your abdominal wall slowly expands over 9 months. But that’s not the only thing that stretches.
When it comes time to deliver, your pelvic floor muscles also have to stretch to make room for your baby. But their stretching isn’t done slowly over the course of 9 months. They stretch and often tear in just a matter of hours as your body prepares for childbirth.
In many cases, pelvic floor muscles do not automatically rebound after childbirth. To prepare for delivery and help you recover faster, you need to strengthen them through kegel exercises, comprised of repeated contraction of your pelvic floor muscles, as well as other exercises like squats and bridges that engage your core as well as your pelvic floor.
2. Strengthen: You Can Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor
Pelvic floor muscles are no different than any other muscle on your body. When your pelvic floor muscles are well conditioned, they have greater flexibility than they would if they were weak. Muscle weakness and atrophy decreases flexibility in your pelvic floor just as it would any other muscle. If you fail to strengthen your pelvic floor, you greatly increase your risks for the problems mentioned above.
It’s important for all women who are pregnant or postpartum to be consistent with pelvic floor strengthening through a program that’s designed to prevent weakness and protect these important muscles. In addition to kegel exercises, women should engage in core and pelvic floor strengthening that involves full-body movements to retrain these areas. Yoga is an excellent way to maintain pelvinc floor strength after childbirth, specifically postnatal yoga.
3. Contract: Kegel Exercises and Yoga Can Help after Childbirth
As mentioned above, you CAN strengthen your pelvic floor. Kegel exercises alone are generally not enough and should be combined with other exercises designed to strengthen the core and pelvic floor. Prenatal and postnatal yoga helps maintain a strong pelvic floor also. Kegel exercises are contraction exercises that can be helpful in increasing blood flow to the pelvic floor and helping to speed healing after childbirth.
The proper starting position for kegel exercises include any comfortable position that isolates your pelvic floor muscles from the inner thigh and buttocks muscles. It’s best to avoid doing kegel exercises while crossing your thighs, or while standing, as this also engages the large muscles of the hips and thighs and does not isolate the pelvic floor. Try doing your kegel exercises while sitting, lying on your side, or on lying your back with your knees bent. How to Perform Kegel Exercises Properly:
Squeeze the anal sphincter (not your butt cheeks) as tightly as possible, then squeeze the vaginal sphincter as tightly as possible.
Slowly increase the intensity of your squeeze. Imagine an elevator rising up higher and higher as you intensify your effort.
Hold the contraction as tightly as you can for five or six seconds – no more than 10 seconds.
Completely relax your effort, allowing your muscles to soften.
Rest and repeat 10 times.
For optimal recovery after childbirth, experts recommend that you perform 5 sets throughout the day.
4. Connect: Connection to Your Core Matters
As you are performing your postnatal yoga or kegels, you may notice that you feel your deep abdominal muscles contracting simultaneously with your pelvic floor muscles. This is because your pelvic floor and core are so closely connected. You may notice your belly button move, waist narrow, or abdominal muscles tense during your practice. Your deep abdominals (transverse abdominis), pelvic floor muscles, and deep spinal muscles are all designed to work together to provide internal support and stability for your torso.
That’s why core-conditioning programs that strengthen the pelvic floor simultaneously with the deep abdominals are such powerful core stabilization techniques.
Keep a consistent practice to repair your body and maintain optimal health after expanding your family.
By 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
Need some support for your pelvic floor after pregnancy? Check out the postnatal, Yoga for New Moms program, now!
Depending where you are in the world, you’re either in the midst of cold weather or gearing up for a hot summer. If you’re wrapping up warm and finding the days growing darker, the winter solstice is arriving, whereas if you’re in warmer climates, the opposite is true, and the summer solstice is growing near. The shortest and longest days of the year retrospectively, the solstice is a time to think inwards, reflect, and set intentions for the season ahead.
Symbolically this is a turning point in the seasons and a powerful time to stop, reflect, and give thanks for what we each have in our lives. It's also a momentary step back from our day to day successes and trials, and remember and feel our place in the bigger picture and the cosmos. It is a powerful time to honor the sun, which gives all things on our planet life.
Taking some time for some simple solstice rituals is a great idea to bring in the new season, and to think about what you want to welcome into the year ahead.
Here are some simple rituals to honor the solstice, wherever you are in the world.
Winter Solstice Ritual Ideas
Create a yule altar
Ancient cultures used to make offerings during the winter months, to ensure the sun would return from beyond the horizon each day. You can carry on this ritual by creating a yule altar, to honor the return of the sun. Bright candles in colors of gold or yellow are perfect for this, to light and reflect on your intentions for the season ahead. You can even create a shrine of natural objects such as pinecones or berries (or use a Christmas wreath), and cleanse the air around you by burning sage. You can even adapt your Christmas tree into your altar, by adding sun shaped ornaments.
Create a meditation space
Creating somewhere quiet and sacred to set your intentions is a great ritual for the winter solstice. Find winter colored fabrics and cushions such as white, red, blue and green, to represent purity, prosperity, stability and harmony. Use these colors and watch the sunrise on the solstice, to set your intentions and connect with the earth around you.
Journaling
Find an empty notebook and use it for a journal dedicated to the winter solstice. Make wishes for your friends and family, and perhaps the rest of the earth. Use your journal to write down your intentions for your new year ahead.
Candlelight Circle
This easy ritual just requires a few candles. Gather your loved ones for a celebration, and light one large candle to represent the sun and symbolize the power of oneness. Then light a candle for each of your guests, and have them blow it out, offering gratitude for the warmth and light of the sun.
Summer Solstice Ritual Ideas
The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year. It can be a celebration of light, and invites a connection to all your senses and the elements with the sun - the source of all energy.
Show gratitude to nature
Getting outside when the sun is shining light in the sky is a great way to celebrate the summer solstice. Summer solstice is a great time to get back to nature, and immerse yourself in the sunlight. Give thanks to the sun while you’re getting back to nature, and think about how it supports all life.
Self-Reflect
Even though it’s at the middle or end of the year, summer solstice is a great time for growth and fresh starts. And growth starts best when you have some time to self-reflect. It’s empowering to acknowledge and understand where you are, and think about the ways you’d like to grow or change to get to where you want to be.
Do something creative
Your mind and soul will crave creativity during a solstice, and summer especially helps to unlock creativity and expand our way of thinking. We’re far more likely to do something different or creative during the summer, such as taking on an adventure, going to galleries, go on holiday. Create an ‘experience’ for yourself and unlock your creative juices. If you’re still at a loss for creative inspiration - why not start a dream journal? The best way to remember your dreams and listen to your subconscious is the writing down your dreams as soon as you wake up. You can have some serious breakthroughs in creativity just by remembering your dreams.
End the solstice with a sun ritual
You can set up a sun ritual to draw in the energy of the sun and new season. Do this by drawing a circle with a dot in the middle, which will represent the sun. Place four candles in each direction of the circle, and face south. On the north side of your circle, write down everything you want to leave behind in the new season. On the south side, write down everything you want to take with you in the new season. To the left, to the east side, write down everything you want to learn and things you’d like to manifest. Now light the candles, north then south, then west, then east.
Practice yoga
You can offer your thanks to the sun by practicing yoga, especially sun salutations. Sun Salutations are included in many yoga practices, and are an energizing sequence of poses which link your body, breath and mind, to revitalize your being - both physical and spiritual. Practice your sun salutations outside if possible, to fully experience the energy that the sun gives.
Try these two solstice rituals with Natalie Maisel!
Yule (Winter) Ritual
Summer Solstice Ritual
One of the most powerful ways to manifest change in our lives is by aligning with nature and stepping into its flow. On December 21, 2019, the last Solstice of the decade occurs. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is the longest day of the year and the shortest night. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is the longest night of the year and wherever you live, this momentous day marks the time to pause and reflect and renew our energy. While the world is shifts and transforms, it’s the perfect time to assess how you want to shift and transform individually.
Here are 3 ways to harness the power of nature in your own life and harness the power of the solstice:
1. Go Outside!
Drop what you’re doing and head outdoors. If it’s the longest night for you, embrace the darkness and look up at the stars. Cultivate a sense of awe and appreciation for the beauty of nature and the vastness of the Universe. Take a moment to contemplate your individuality as part of the enormity of the cosmos. What’s your role in the bigger picture? This lengthiest night, followed by a renewal of the sun can be a beautiful ritual reaffirming that we are all unified with nature.
If it’s the longest day where you live, take your yoga mat outdoors or even stand with your feet in the grass. Practice some Sun Salutations to offer up thanks for the warmth and life the sun bestows upon us. Savor the heat and the power of the light.
Consider volunteering in a cleanup project where you live, whether that’s a beach or park cleanup, a recycling program, or anything that helps the environment around you. Every effort matters.
2. Reflect and review the past year.
Now is the perfect time for reflection and evaluation of 2019. Jot down notes on the shifts that occurred in your personal life, the growth or lack of growth in your professional life, and the changes in your personal health and well-being. Meditate on the blessings and the challenges you’ve lived through and consider how you can best utilize all these experiences moving forward into a new decade. Often seeing what we’ve accomplished can be a surprise and confidence booster.
3. Set your intentions for 2020.
Once you’ve spent time figuring out what you’d like to leave behind and what you’d like to cultivate, it’s an excellent time to create a vision or dream board, or a goal list. Be intentional in the life you’d like to create. There’s power in setting down your intentions on paper. The possibilities are great, so dream big!
On December 21st, use the power of nature as a helpful push to manifest the life you want to live. Did you know that sol means "sun" and sistere means “to stand still?” This powerful planetary pause is your opportunity to grow!
We’ve got four classes, including two solstice rituals, this week designed to honor the solstice, so enjoy!
1. Pradeep Teotia - Sweaty Flow
2. Robert Sidoti - Sun Salutation Breakdown
3. Natalie Maisel - Yule Ritual
4. Natalie Maisel - Summer Solstice Ritual
Today we want to share a healthy holiday recipe that you can whip up for a holiday party or just sip on in front of a warm crackling fire – eggnog! Our version is a vegan eggnog, free of eggs and dairy, but before you freak out, don’t worry – we’ve made sure this recipe just as creamy and delicious as the holiday original.
Not only is this recipe tasty, but it’s also chock full of healthy ingredients that will help you keep your glow this holiday season in the face of too much sugar, stress and spirits. Maca reduces symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue, and can also help to alleviate stress, anxiety and depression. Cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar and reduces LDL cholesterol, while nutmeg calms nerves and helps with sleep. Cashews are a good source of bioavailable iron and tryptophan, which can help boost natural serotonin levels.
We hope you enjoy this healthy holiday drink! If you want to turn this recipe into a Conscious Cocktail, add 1-2 oz. of brandy, bourbon, or dark rum to each glass, depending on how strong you like it. This time of year, it can be easy to overdo all the sweet treats, drinks, and rich food, so bear in mind one of the central questions of the Conscious Cleanse before indulging in each and every holiday treat and ask yourself, “how will this food make me feel?”
Have a happy, healthy holiday! Let us know what your favorite holiday treat is in the comments below and we’ll add it to our list to give a healthy makeover.
With love and vegan eggnog kisses,
The Best Vegan Eggnog
Yield: 4-6 servings
1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours) 3 cups water 1/2 cup dates 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. sea salt 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1-2 TB. maca Cinnamon stick for garnish (optional)
Instructions: Soak cashews for 4 hours. In a high-speed blender combine, cashews, dates, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, vanilla and maca. Pour into a festive glass, garnish with a cinnamon stick (if using) and enjoy!
Would you like more healthy holiday recipes like our eggnog recipes? Download our free Healthy Holiday eCookbook. This is a collection of holiday recipes, including Christmas and Hanukkah classics that will make your holiday celebrations happy AND healthy this year.
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.
Allergies are a reaction of the body on getting in touch with the specific allergy initiating particulates called allergens. The two ways that these allergens enter the body are inhalation and direct skin contact.
Allergies are mostly seasonal and cold weather allergies are the most common type of seasonal allergy. Some of the most common allergens that are responsible for cold weather allergies are snow dust, pollen, cold weather in general and some other unknown allergic agents. There are various tests to figure out what exactly is causing your cold-weather allergies.
Some of the common symptoms of cold weather allergies are skin rash, reddening and inflammation of the skin, coughing, and eye dryness and irritation.
Fortunately, most symptoms from these allergies can be prevented and alleviated by some of the most popular natural remedies for allergies. Many of the best allergy remedies are from common natural foods and household items. These treatment methods are generally free of side effects and are work! Only in severe cases will someone suffering from intense allergies really need medication and drugs.
Best Natural Remedies for Cold Weather Allergies:
Onions
A raw onion is helpful by lowering any inflammatory symptoms caused by the presence of the chemical compound quercetin. This antihistamine compound is present in very high amounts and belong to the group of flavonoids.
Mint
Mint is one of the other popular natural remedies for allergies, and is used in various forms like sprays, tea and in food for alleviating digestion issues, relieving sore throats, colds, coughs and other respiratory symptoms.
Oregano
It is another herb like mint that is a popular natural remedy for allergies and has been used for a long time in Chinese medicine for treating asthma and coughing. It is also known to soothe hives when applied as a paste.
Omega - 3
Intake of omega-3-fatty acid rich food like nuts and fish has been known to defeat asthma and boost the immune system, making them effective in battling common allergens. Salmon is particularly helpful to the body in winter. Also note that most nuts are not recommended, as some people with strong allergies can be prone to slight nut allergies also.
Yogurt
There is nothing like a natural remedy for allergies, that is homemade and is easily available. One such product is the Yoghurt, which contains the healthy bacteria, lactobacillus, which aids in alleviating the allergic reactions from occurring, by preventing the allergens from reaching the trigger spot, and by binding to the allergens.
Hot Green Tea
A popular natural remedy for allergies, Green Tea contains the compounds quercetin, theophylline and theanine that can relieve the bronchial congestion and tightening of the chest that can result in anaphylactic shock.
Apple Cider Vinegar
It is usually included in the diet or can be diluted in water for external application to relieve itchiness and prevent the onset of inflammation.
Honey
It is one of the best natural remedies for allergies and when consumed as raw honey, as it increases the power to resist allergies and boost immunity to keep infections at bay. Local honey is even more effective.
Ginger
It is one of the most popular tropical natural remedy for allergies, but is also popular as a decongestant and anti-inflammatory and when added to tea or honey, can help prevent allergies in the winter also.
Garlic
Garlic has a number of antiviral properties. Try mixing three or four chopped up cloves of garlic with honey and eat off of a teaspoon, to prevent allergies in cold weather.
Peppermint Tea
It is one of the best anti-decongestants due to the presence of menthol and is effective against infections and allergies. This also aids in reducing coughs.
Conclusion: These home and natural remedies for allergies during the colder months will help! Also get good rest and drink sufficient amounts of water to keep the body hydrated. Also, boost the body's immune system by including food rich in vitamin C and E like red and orange fruits and vegetables. You can do a lot to more than you might think to reduce and relieve symptoms of allergic reactions from simple natural foods.
By Nicholas Parker
Need a boost in winter? Try some yoga and breathwork designed for the colder seasons, to keep you warm and happy inside!
Beat the Winter Blues Pranyama
Beat the Winter Blues Namaskara
"The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat." - Napoleon Hill
Get fired up! Are you ready to tap into your innermost desires and stoke your motivation? Join us for our incredible 2020 challenge and we’ll be right there with you getting fired up for not just your best year ever, but your best DECADE ever. We’re going to give you every single little thing you need to help you kick off 2020 and manifest your desires for your best life. All you need to bring to the table is your Tapas…
Tapas? If you aren’t familiar with this Sanskrit term, Tapas is one of the Niyamas or five internal practices from the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali’s Eight-Limb Yoga Path. This path outlines your journey through yoga and life. Cultivating these qualities before and during your time on the mat will lead you to success.
Here’s a quick review of the eight limbs of yoga:
1. Yamas—the five moral restraints or behaviors:
Ahmisa––non-violence
Satya––truthfulness
Asteya––non-stealing
Brahmacharya––moderation
Aparigraha––non-hoarding
2. Niyamas––the five internal practices or observances
Sauca––cleanliness, purity
Santosa––contentment
Tapas––discipline, perseverance
Svadhyaya––self-study
Isvara-pranidhana––devotion to a higher power
3. Asana––Posture
4. Pranayama––Breath control
5. Pratyahara––Withdrawal of the senses
6. Dharana––Concentration
7. Dhyana––Meditation
8. Samadhi––Enlightenment/Union/Absorption
“Tap” translates to Blaze, Burn, Shine, Suffer Pain or Consume with Heat. Patanjali explained Tapas as a burning zeal for practice and a zest for life. Cultivating your internal tapas or discipline is key to living up to your highest potential. Combine a sense of joyfulness with outer discipline––you know, get out of bed and get on your mat no matter what––will lead to inner discipline.
Are you in? We’ll help personalize this challenge just for you and send classes right into your inbox with a variety of yoga styles, teachers, levels, and class lengths.
All you need to do is decide you want to start 2020 off with a powerful boost.
Take some time to look inward and recognize your deepest desires and set your intentions. Yoga is magical and that intangible feeling you get when you are practicing regularly cannot be duplicated in any other way. You’ll be part of our community and share in each other’s success.
Especially as we head into the busiest holiday season of the year, consider planting the seeds for soaring to your highest potential in the next decade. No matter what else is on your plate, a consistent yoga practice will guide you into the flow of where you want to go. If you can stoke up your powers of perseverance for your yoga practice, imagine where else you can extend yourself? Let’s do this!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and for some, that also means the most stressful. You know that feeling when you have holiday parties to plan for, gifts to purchase, dinner to host and it feels like you’re never ever going to stop?
During the holiday season, it’s so important to find a way to relax and recharge. So here are a few quick ways to do just that, just in time for the holidays!
Don’t strive for perfection
Sometimes ‘good enough’, is just that! Don’t always strive to be best, or perfect, especially when you’re juggling a lot of tasks. When planning your holiday season, give yourself a break and let ‘good enough’ be good enough for you. After all, is anyone really going to notice the ‘perfect’ Christmas tree, when you’re having fun with your loved ones?
Ask for help
Ask your guests for help with small things, instead of sitting around watching you run around like a headless chicken. This will make them feel useful too and will take some small tasks, like preparing drinks or greeting guests out of your hands.
Get gift wrapping!
Make your life so much easier and leave the gift wrapping to the professionals. Many stores or online shops provide gift-wrapping services, there are also organizations that wrap presents for a small fee. It’s really worth it to not have to have a last-minute wrapping frenzy!
Citrus Scents
If you’re feeling stressed out, light some lemon-scented candles, or spritz some citrus perfume. A citrus scent can instantly improve your mood and help to reduce stress, according to research
Don’t shop too much
Material gifts can often be forgotten in a year, but fun experiences with the people you love can create memories that last a lifetime. Forgo the stressful shopping trips and instead think about shared experiences you can have with your loved ones.
Don’t give up your daily de-stressors
If you usually meditate every morning or read for a while before bed - keep doing that! Keeping onto your daily habits will help you keep grounded, and gives you some ‘you’ time before you have to get another holiday chore completed.
Don’t over-indulge
Yes, we know, it’s the holiday season and that means lots of treats. But too much sugar can cause your blood sugar levels to rise and crash, leaving you feeling more stressed and anxious. Try not to over-do it, while still allowing yourself a treat.
Forget traditions that no-one likes
You may have gotten into the habit of holiday traditions, and don’t notice that your family is less than keen. If they’re dragging their feet to an event or tradition you could honestly do without, don’t worry about foregoing it this year, and think of something new and fun you can do instead.
You don’t have to home-make everything
Ordering things premade isn’t a bad thing and can save you heaps of time and stress! Maybe you don’t have time to prepare a salad or bake a dessert. Rather than stressing about this, just pick something up that you can serve straight away - your guests honestly won’t mind!
Make a change
Is there a task or event that you hate during the holidays? Try to make a change and either cut it out (who needs to send out 50+ holiday cards anyway?), enlist help, or simply try to see it in a new mindset. It might just make a difference and help you see that task as less stressful!
Think ahead for travel
If you’re going further afield for the holidays, think and prepare ahead to avoid any travel woes. If you’re driving, make sure your vehicle is in good working order and there’s not going to be any nasty surprises - and check for road closures and traffic warnings before you set off.
Flying? Arrive a good couple of hours before to avoid a last-minute dash through the airport, and arrange airport transfers so you’re not wasting time looking for an expensive car parking spot.
Do something for yourself
Don’t forget to add things that make you happy to your to-do list can make your holiday less stressful. Find a hobby or an activity you enjoy and make space for it amongst all the festivities.
Stick with what you know
A busy holiday season is not the time to experiment with something new, especially when it comes to recipes. Got something you know you’re awesome at making? Stick to it! Experimenting and trying to impress with something complicated you’ve never done before can be a recipe for well, disaster.
Saying no when necessary
Try to only say yes to important events that are meaningful to you, rather than use up all your precious free time going to events you’re not that fussed about. Keep your gatherings small and intimate, and invite only the people you want to spend the holidays with.
Get in a workout or yoga
Working out is perhaps one of the top ways to beat stress. It releases endorphins - the ‘happy’ hormone which reduces stress. Why not try one of this week's classes?
We encourage you to stay on track and keep taking care of yourself, to enjoy this month, instead of feeling overwhelmed by it and use yoga as a useful tool to alleviate holiday stress.
Practice this relaxing FREE yoga class to help you keep your zen during this holiday season!
Slow Yoga Reset with Jackie Casal Mahrou
Two almost empty packets inspired this recipe. From the name of the recipe, you can already guess what they were. Yes, you are correct – red lentils and quinoa. Both of these are always favorites in my house, so that they would have been used soon anyway, but since there are never too many plant-based burger recipes, I figured if those two together would make sense. They did.
The patties are simple to make, and they hold together without adding any flour, so the recipe is also naturally gluten-free.
To serve, this time, I made a very simple salad of baby spinach and cherry tomatoes and topped the patties with mashed avocado, green onions, and jalapeno. If you fancy a bigger meal, these patties also work exceptionally well in a burger bun or with a side of rice.
Oh, and I have made the same recipe as a snack. If you wish to serve these as a snack, I recommend making them 3-4 times smaller, so they would be bite-sized and hold together nicely.
Lentil & Quinoa Plant-Based Burger Patties
Cooking time: 40 minutes
60 g red lentils
60 g quinoa
½ tsp paprika powder
½ tsp curry powder
Salt
Directions:
Add lentils and quinoa to a small saucepan and cover with boiling water. Add water so that it is about an inch over the grains. Simmer until tender. Depending on the type of lentils, it takes 20-25 minutes. Check halfway if there is enough water and add some, if needed – you wish to end up with a mixture that resembles a thick porridge.
Add the seasoning and let it cool.
If the mixture is more or less cooled down, then heat a little coconut oil on a pan, form 4 patties, and fry until crispy and golden on both sides.
Serve with a simple salad or as a burger.
Practice some FREE yoga before or after you enjoy these plant-based lentil and quinoa patties!
While most people are getting ready for bed, others are heading out the door for work. Not everyone is on a typical 9-to-5 schedule; according to the American Psychological Association, about 15 million Americans are on the clock for the night shift. Nurses, doctors, factory workers, and even employees in creative fields like radio and television are often hustling before the sun comes up.
Working while the rest of the world is dozing off presents some unique challenges because this routine conflicts with the body’s natural circadian rhythm. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get quality sleep when you return home from your shift. Here’s how to create a cozy sleep environment and enjoy eight hours of sleep, even if you’re working from sunset to sunrise.
Have a Good Mattress
First things first, you need a quality mattress to ensure that you can always get a good night’s sleep. According to the American Chiropractic Association, sleeping on an older mattress, or a mattress that isn’t suited to your sleep style, can tweak your spine out of alignment, resulting in aches, pains, and inflammation. Furthermore, if you already struggle with back pain, sleeping on the wrong mattress can make it worse.
If it’s time to purchase a new mattress, consider your usual sleep style, your body type, and what makes you feel most comfortable. Are you a side sleeper? Consider a hybrid bed to get the support you need to alleviate back pain. For heavier individuals, an innerspring mattress could be a good choice. And if you sleep on your back, try a moderately firm mattress for maximum comfort.
Aim for Consistency
Even if your schedule doesn’t quite line up with everyone else’s, you can maintain a healthy sleep routine by working consistent shifts. If possible, discuss your schedule with your manager and arrange it so that you can wake up and go to bed around the same time each day. Your body will adjust to this sleep-wake cycle, and you’ll feel more alert and energized at work.
Go Easy on Caffeine
You may find that you need a quick pick-me-up before your shift. To prevent drowsiness, a caffeinated beverage like coffee or green tea can do the trick. However, relying on caffeine to keep you awake throughout your shift can backfire.
Caffeine can stay in your system for four to eight hours after consumption, and if you chug a cup of coffee to get through the end of your shift, you might still be wired by the time your head hits the pillow. Caffeine can be a lifesaver for shift workers, but it’s best to cut yourself off a couple of hours before you head home.
Limit Screen Time
Once your shift ends, it’s time to put away any devices with screens that emit blue light, like your laptop or smartphone. This is because blue light disrupts the production of melatonin in the body.
Melatonin, also known as the “sleep hormone,” is released as it gets darker outside, making you feel sleepy at the end of the day. Blue light sends the signal to your brain that you need to stay awake. Looking at screens before bed makes it harder to fall asleep, and insufficient melatonin production can leave you tossing and turning.
If you still find it hard to sleep even after limiting your screen time, you can also try melatonin supplements. These supplements can help in a pinch, but it’s best not to become reliant on them.
Turn Down the Lights
Light coming into your bedroom from the rising sun outside can make it hard to get enough shut-eye after your shift. Invest in blackout curtains to keep the sunlight from streaming in and keeping you awake. You can also slip on a sleep mask. In addition, it doesn’t hurt to cover up the light from any electronic devices in your room.
Even if you’re on the opposite schedule of most of the workforce, you don’t have to run on empty. Shift work can be exhausting, but with the right approach to sleep hygiene, you can show up to work feeling refreshed and productive.
Add Yoga or Meditation to Your Routine
Particularly if you have a hard time winding down after your work shift, these practices can do wonders to bring your mind and body back into balance and ready for bed. There are styles of yoga designed to give you better sleep. Explore different meditation, breathing, and yoga techniques until you find ones you like, that help you get those important 8 hours of sleep.
By Dana Brown
Dana is the creator of Health Conditions, which aims to provide Internet users with helpful content and resources that will lead them to making healthier decisions.
Ready to get better sleep? The Yoga for Better Sleep program will help you get your 8 hours regardless of your schedule.
When you’re feeling stressed - and it happens so easily - it can be hard to relax. Getting rid of your day to day stress often seems really hard. However, there are a few simple ways to relax, which are especially useful if you can’t get away from the thing that's stressing you out!
Relax Your Body
A relaxed body equals a relaxed mind, according to Harvard Medical School. A relaxed body actually sends calming signals to the brain that can help to reduce mental tension. Working out can help to relax the body, as it releases endorphins, which can boost your mood. Exercise can also reduce stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
You can also relax your body by taking a warm bath. This can help to increase your blood flow, which in turn reduces stiffness and pain in your body, especially the joints. You can even go one step further, and visit a sauna. This is a great way to alleviate the body from any tension caused by stress, and allow your mind to quiet down. Saunas can also help to trigger anti-inflammatory responses in your body which can help to give some relief to conditions such as asthma and arthritis which can add to your stress.
Get a Massage
A study that looked at the effect of back massages on students who were studying for exams found that the group that received back massages had less muscle stiffness and a lower level of cortisol - this is the hormone that is associated with stress. This can make it a simple way to relax, whether you book a spa afternoon or simply buy an at-home back massager.
Animal Therapy
Spending time with canines can come with many feel-good benefits - the simplest of these is that making eye contact with your dog can release the feel-good chemical oxytocin! This chemical can reduce stress responses and can help reduce your blood pressure. It's not just dogs, animals, in general, can help us humans let go of stress.
Meditation is a great way to relax, which is backed up by science. In one analysis that looked at several studies of relaxation training, specifically in people with anxiety, the effects of a daily meditation were much more substantial than other relaxation techniques. Meditation can also be used as an antidepressant method.
Get into Nature
When everything is just feeling a little too much, it’s ok to take a break and step into nature. Being outside can make you feel relaxed and de-stressed, and there’s scientific reasoning behind it. Being in nature can reduce blood pressure and lower your heart rate, as well as lower the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Being outdoors can also release tension in your muscles. If you can’t get outside in nature, just listening to nature sounds can have the same effect on your mind - a study that monitored MRI results of participants who listened to natural sounds found the results outward focused - which means less stress, anxiety and depression.
Take Deep Breaths
Breathing deeply can be the most effective way to bust stress. When you’re stressed and feeling anxious and panicked, you tend to take shorter breaths, reducing the supply of oxygen to your brain. By deliberately taking bigger and deeper breaths, you can increase the supply of oxygen to your brain, which stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the system that slows down your heart rate, and increases your intestinal activity, relaxing your stomach muscles.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
One of the best relaxation techniques involves slowly tensing up all your different muscle groups, from toes to head. Hold the tension for up to five seconds and then slowly relax the muscles. This may help to boost your awareness of the physical sensations that are associated with being relaxed and not-tense.
Take a Vacation
A relaxing vacation can boost your mood. In a study that looked at happiness levels in people who rated their travels ‘very relaxed’ reported feeling happier than those who didn’t go away, or even those who went away but didn’t rate their travels as ‘relaxed’. This feeling of happiness lasted up to 2 weeks!
Practice Yoga
Yoga as a stress reliever is a tried and tested method. Many types of workouts are good to combat stress, but yoga is unique in the way it makes you focus on your breath as well as movement, as well as stretching and releasing any tension in the body. Yoga also includes a level of meditation and mindfulness which can help you focus and forget what’s stressing you out.
Chewing Gum
A study in 2008 found that chewing some gum can reduce the levels of cortisol in your saliva by up to 16 percent! This can be a simple way to de-stress if you’re really busy or don’t have time for some of the other options on this list.
Let it Out
Sometimes if you’re really stressed, all you need to do is let it out. One of the easiest ways to release stress is by just some good old fashioned shouting or screaming. Even a sign can help to release tension - or singing a song you love can release happy hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin.
Why not try this weeks classes? Our multi-day restorative yoga immersion to have you relaxed, more flexible, and in optimal health and alignment.
Restorative yoga is the key to your holiday survival guide. No matter where you live in the world and no matter which holidays you celebrate, it’s the time of year where your regular routine can get tossed out the window. Some of us are spending more time with family, or perhaps spending more time alone, indulging in food and drink we usually wouldn’t consume, and generally caught up in the busy-ness of the season. Whether you’re overjoyed to take time off from work and hang out with extended family and friends or you dread every moment, we’re here to help provide some balance.
This week’s Restorative Yoga Package is here to give you an escape. Of course, if you already practice Restorative yoga on a regular basis, you’re aware of the myriad of physical, emotional, and mental benefits of a slower, quieter class. Restorative yoga is helpful to balance your nervous system and quiet your mind.
Many of us enjoy vigorous Vinyasa style yoga and use it to balance stress and burn off energy. That’s a great plan for most of the year, but when we are constantly active and vigorous, our system can get stuck in adrenaline mode, which leads to adrenal fatigue and constant tiredness. Slowing down and taking a soothing class can balance out this active energy, calm your nerves, and promote a stress-free holiday season.
Need more convincing to spend your practice time on Restorative yoga? Consider that more passive postures, held for an extended period of time not only increase your flexibility, but also help quiet anxiety. Restorative practices encourage us to “be” as opposed to “do,” which will also help you fall asleep faster. While it may be more challenging than you anticipate learning to hold poses for longer periods of time, the benefits are worth it. Basically, you’re learning to relax more consciously by slowing down and focusing on your breathing. Your mind-body connection is enhanced and your connection to your thoughts and feelings deepens.
So, if you need a way to cope with the overstimulation this time of year can bring up, consider slowing down and go inside. Each of these nourishing, calming practices will help you relax and develop your attitude of gratitude from the inside out. Slow down for yourself so you can show up feeling your vibrant best. Happy holidays!
Treat yourself to this relaxing Restorative yoga experience now!