What are the chakras? According to yoga, our inner bodies are full of subtle energy. This energy moves along a central channel called the sushumna nadi, These centers are thought to be doorways into the depths of awareness – awareness that is within the body, outside the body and also that can expand in such depth that we come to realize the innate vastness of our true nature. When the chakras are aligned, we are centered, balanced and healthy. When your chakras are out of alignment, illness is more apt to manifest in the body and mind. This is why it’s necessary to understand what each chakra represents, so that we can do proper chanting, pranayama and asana to support the balanced nature of each one.
Here is a thorough overview of each of the 7 chakras, and how they relate to your well-being, as well as information so you can keep them each in balance.
Root Chakra
Also known as the muladhara chakra, is connected to our sense of foundation and being deeply rooted or grounded.
This chakra actually starts below the body by about three fists widths. Think of the root chakra as being an area of consciousness underneath you that actually penetrates the ground. When the root chakra is out of balance we have issues with money and food – basically what’s needed for our survival in the world.
Red is the color associated with the root chakra. Lam is its bija mantra. Meditate by chanting the sound “lam” as you visualize it healing your root chakra.) According to Alison Eaton, lead yoga teacher trainer at the Yandara Yoga Institute, “the karmic relationships associated with the root chakra have to do with your parents, your home, your sense safety, of community, and to Mother Earth herself.”
Sacral Chakra
The Second chakra is The Sacral Chakra, also known as the Swadhisthana chakra. It’s located at the area of the lower abdomen, just below the navel.
If your second chakra is open and in balance, you’re connected to your passions, feelings and sexuality. Someone with second chakra issues might not be able to maintain healthy sexual boundaries. The color associated with this chakra is orange and its bija mantra is vam. Allow the mantra “vam” to move through the area of your second chakras as you visualize profound healing taking place there. Solar Plexus Chakra
The third chakra is the manipura chakra, also known as the “jewel in the city.”
It’s located in the stomach areas and has to do with self-esteem, self-confidence, self-acceptance and self-love. Its color is yellow and its bija mantra is ram. Chant the sound “ram” as you imagine it healing your manipura chakra.
Heart Chakra
The fourth chakra is the heart chakra, also known as the anahata chakra, which moves the energy of love through your body and through your life.
The color associated with it is green. Its bija, or seed mantra is yum. If you have troubles feeling love and compassion in all areas of your life, chant the mantra yum and allow yourself to give lots of hug and kisses.
Throat Chakra
The fifth chakra is the throat chakra, and is also known as the vishuddha chakra.
Located at the base of the throat, this chakra has to do with communicating one’s inner truth. It governs the ability to authentically express oneself freely. If you have trouble saying what you mean and tend to accommodate others rather than yourself, chant the bija, or seed mantra “ham.” You can also do camel pose to help stimulate this particular chakra. Third Eye Chakra
The 6th chakra, also known as the ajna chakra is found between the eyebrows at the third eye.
It’s also known as the “command center.” The ajna chakra is your “6th sense,” or center of intuition and wisdom. If this one is open, you might have clairvoyance or telepathy. IF you can’t trust your intuition, you’ll want to begin a meditation practice. Indigo is its color and om is its bija mantra. Chant the sound “om” while closing your eyes and resting your attention on the ajna chakra, or third eye.
Crown Chakra
Last but certainly not least is the 7th chakra or crown chakra, also known as the sahasrana chakra.
Also called the thousand petal lotus, this chakra connects you to the Divine. Call it God, Krishna, Buddha, or whatever you like – this is the chakra for achieving the enlightenment factor, or oneness of being. Its color is luminous violet or white light and its bija mantra is “ah.” Chant “ah” whenever you want to connect to the Divine.
By Aimee Hughes
Aimee is a holistic health and yoga writer who has been traveling and exploring the world of natural health and wellness, yoga, dance, and travel for the past two decades. She is the author of a self-published vegan cookbook, The Sexy Vegan Kitchen: Culinary Adventures in Love & Sex, available on Amazon. Aimee is a regular contributor to On Fitness and the lead writer and health consultant for the Yandara Yoga Institute in Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico.
Give your chakras some love, right now, with Yoga Download's Yoga for the Chakras, 7-part program!
Feeling low in confidence is a feeling many of us have experienced before. During work, amongst peers, maybe even with a loved one - there are many situations that can challenge our confidence and leave us feeling doubtful.
But no one is naturally self-confident.
Self confidence is a skill that builds up over time, and is something that you can use against the daily grind. To get you started in building up your self confidence, here’s our top quick tips for an instant boost of confidence - perfect for that next big presentation at work, mustering up the courage to ask your crush out, or just to feel more powerful in your day to day life.
1. Prune yourself
If you look your best, you’re likely to feel your best too. It’s incredible how a shower, a haircut or a shave can make you feel absolutely amazing, and do wonders for your self-image. This will boost your self confidence by miles, and can be achieved by just waking up a little earlier to give your image a little more TLC than usual.
2. Dress well
Self image also includes your outfits, and wearing something you feel comfortable and good in can make your self confidence soar. When you feel presentable, you’ll feel successful and like you’re able to take on anything. Make sure your clothes are well looked after, cleaned and ironed can make a huge difference. Wear only clothes that you feel amazing in and love, as it makes a big difference in your confidence.
3. Look on the positive side
Positive thinking can do wonders for your self esteem. By changing your thoughts into happy ones, you’re slowly changing your outlook on life and killing those self-doubting vibes. Over time, this process of looking on the bright side will make you feel happier, more content with life, and more confident.
4. Be kind to others
A great way to improve your self-image is to be kind, generous and helpful to other people. Doing something nice for someone else leaves you with a great feeling of achievement and makes you feel good about yourself, boosting your self confidence. Great for days when you’re thinking bad thoughts about yourself, by doing something kind for someone else, you’re also squashing that self-doubt and remind yourself you’re a good person! This will make you feel good about yourself and boost your self-confidence.
5. Be Prepared
If you’re feeling low in confidence before a big presentation, meeting or event, getting yourself prepared is a great way to counteract this. By preparing yourself as much as possible, you’re sorted for any eventuality, which will stop those feelings of self doubt and anxiety. IF you have a presentation, practice practice practice! If you’re heading to a job interview, do a mock interview with a friend or family member. Prepare yourself for whatever you are nervous about, and you’ll feel more confident about it.
6. Stop Slouching
Standing upright, tall and straight can be a great instant confidence boost. When you stand tall, you feel better about yourself, look assertive, and feel confident. If you’re having a bad day, simply adjusting your posture can be all it takes to change your outlook.
7. Meet small goals
A hectic to-do list full of large impossible tasks can get anyone down and feeling unproductive, and un-confident in their abilities to get things done. Give yourself a quick boost by giving yourself a small, achievable goal - and then doing it. Simply crossing off something you needed to do today can make you feel better, more productive, and more confident in yourself.
8. Practice feeling grateful
If you’re feeling down and comparing yourself to others, it can easily affect your confidence. Spend a few minutes feeling grateful for what you do have in life, and for the people in your life you love, and for yourself! Practicing gratefulness can make you feel positive about the good things in your life, and will help to improve your self-image.
9. Work out
Exercise endorphins are real, and getting in some active movement can help you feel happy, positive and more confident. You’ll feel great that you’ve done something active, and also positive about your body and what it can do. Why not try this week’s yoga classes? This week we have a focus on your power center, which is the seat of your confidence, and holds the power to manifest your desires. This week’s four classes are designed to give your power center a boost, and gives your confidence and power a boost in the process.
10. Surround yourself with confident people
One of the ways to feel confident is to surround yourself with confident people. When we are close to confident people, we start to copy the same mindset that got them there in the first place, and you might also pick up a few skills and activities that helped them become a more confident person too.
11. Smile
If there’s one, simple and easy instant way to boost your confidence it's this. Smile. Flashing a smile will make you appear confident and composed. As well as this, smiling can also kill stressful feelings, making you feel more relaxed and happy.
12. Address your failures
The only way you’ll succeed is by learning from your mistakes. Failure doesn’t have to be a bad thing, or an instant confidence dip. By assessing your mistakes and figuring out what went wrong, you’re able to learn from failure and use it in your next attempts. This behaviour builds your self confidence over time, as it allows you to be able to be ok with getting things wrong, or failing.
By Amy Cavill
Practice yoga for a self confidence boost right now!
Cultivate Confidence Flow with Claire Petretti Marti
Uddiyana Bhanda: Abdominals & the Enteric Brain
Come on yogi, light your fire!
Join us this week as we work to stoke our inner fire, to stimulate our power center, and to increase our confidence in all aspects of our lives. As you know, yoga transcends the physical, and one of the most important benefits of a regular practice is the ability to impact your subtle body and change how you feel from the inside out. Through targeted breath and movement, you can increase the flow of prana (energy) in your system and live your life feeling your best.
Who doesn’t need a little boost?
As you’ve probably experienced, different types of yoga classes yield different effects. Sometimes you need to quiet and calm, other times you need to strengthen and balance, and other times you need to rev up your engines. When you’re ready to manifest your desires, focus on the Manipura or solar plexus chakra. Of the seven main chakras in the subtle body, Manipura houses the fire element.
It’s the seat of ego and self-confidence, relationships with others and our boundaries, willpower, self-discipline, and it’s truly the center of our power and personality.
In the Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar says in order to operate at our optimum levels we need to burn up “the rubbish.” The solar plexus is located in our core, where our digestive system is housed.
If we’re sluggish in our digestion and elimination, there is a corresponding lethargy in our energy.
By utilizing yoga asanas and pranayama techniques to stimulate our internal organs, we’re freeing up our energy to flow freely and encourage our desires the freedom to move and manifest.
By focusing on our power center, by building a strong core and spine, we naturally increase our confidence levels.
We refine our gut instincts. Can you remember a time when you recognized truth immediately in your gut, talked yourself out of it with your brain, and then discovered your gut was correct all along? Sometimes it’s easy to lose touch with our center and lose touch with trusting our inner guidance. What we focus upon expands. Tune into your center and focus on your dreams, your desires, and the positive impact you’re meant to share with the world.
Finding balance and cultivating a sense of confidence in oneself is vital to achieving a life fulfilled. This week we bring you four new classes designed specifically to boost your solar plexus, fire up your Manipura chakra, strengthen your core, and leave you feeling pleasantly energized and fired up.
1. Jackie Casal Mahrou - Anytime Detox Fow
2. Bhavani Maki - Uddiyana Bhanda: the Abdominals and the Enteric Brain
3. Claire Petretti Marti - Nothing but Core 3
4. Pradeep Teotia - Strong Core
These are the most decadent, mind-blowing, make you giddy with endorphins, heaven on earth, chocolate coconut truffles we’ve have ever tasted! And trust me, we’ve had our share of chocolate.
We love traditional chocolatey treats as much as the next person, but what we don’t love is the nasty sugar crash, hangover and the compromised immune system that they leave us with.
These sugar-free chocolate truffles are guilt-free and won’t leave you with a sugar crash. Raw cacao is a great source of natural energy and antioxidants, and coconut contains beneficial healthy fat. Did you also know that coconut oil can help to improve heart health and thyroid function? It also supports your immune system, boosts the metabolism, and can promote weight loss. Now that’s a dessert that loves you back!
Enjoy! Please let us know what you think about this recipe in the comment section below. We always love hearing from you!
For more healthy treats, check out our Mexican Haute Chocolates and Chocolate Almond Butter Cups. Yum!
With love and chocolate bliss,
Chocolate Bliss Truffles
Yield: About 30 truffles
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to soften 1/4 tsp. Himalayan crystal salt plus a pinch for garnish 2 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup maple syrup 1 cup dried shredded coconut 2 cups raw cacao powder
Directions: 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.
Pour the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in cacao powder and mix by hand until thoroughly combined. Watch for chunks of chocolate and combine well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes to harden the mixture slightly.
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.
Sprinkle finished truffles with a pinch of Himalayan crystal salt and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
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.
If you eat too much unhealthy dessert, give your body a detox, with this yoga program, with a class from Conscious Cleanse's Jo!
Being loved up and part of a couple is a great thing, especially when you start to share parts of your life together. However, after a few years - you might find yourself grabbing the remote and binge-watching Netflix instead of getting out and doing new and exciting activities as a couple. It’s important to give the time to come up with fun and exciting date ideas, and do things together to strengthen your bond and keep your romance exciting.
Here’s our top 8 ideas of activities to do as a couple, to deepen your bond, instill healthy habits together, and keep things fresh!
Yoga
We may be biased, but we think yoga is a great activity to share with your loved one to deepen your bond. Partner yoga is a challenging activity which can increase your relationship quality and attraction. The intimacy involved can also help to renew your relationship. Having to rely on and lean on your partner to achieve poses requires strong communication and trust, which can only improve your relationship bonds. And you’ll get to reap the many benefits of practicing yoga together, as well as share a new hobby.
Cook together
Rather than making it a chore, cooking together can be a great date idea to bring you closer together. There’s something special about laboring over a meal that you will get to enjoy together, just the two of you. You could even buy a cook book and work your way through all the recipes, or go to a cookery class together to improve on your skills.
Redecorate together
There’s a great sense of achievement and teamwork in getting together to redecorate part of your house. Collaborating together on how you want your room to look, what colours to use or where to put furniture is a beautiful thing to share as a couple. Afterwards, you’ll have a finished product and space that you worked together to achieve and get to live in and create memories in together.
Try new hobbies together
You may have an array of different interests and hobbies, but are there any hobbies you both have that you can do together? Find a common interest and look for a hobby you can try together, such as sports, hiking, crafts or anything else! Trying something new together is a great way to become closer as a couple and discover shared interest.
Play games together
Introduce a little competitive fun with a games night for you and your partner. Card games, board games, or even videogames can help to relieve stress, as well as create fun for you as a couple. Just make sure to keep the competitiveness friendly!
Go somewhere new
You don’t have to jump on a plane to discover a new place. Why not spend an afternoon walking around your nearby towns and neighborhoods, exploring the streets and checking out the local shops and cafes. Who knows, you might even find your dream place to live in one of these excursions!
Go to see a concert together
Live music is a great thing to experience with your loved one, whether it’s a stadium tour or a small and intimate gig in a local pub. Discover new bands or DJ's you’ve never heard before by being spontaneous and going to see the next gig playing in your nearest venue. Or you can share the music you love, and take it in turns choosing an artist to see live, and bring your partner as your plus one. This is a great way to share interests and to give insights about each other.
Have an at-home date night
Get dressed up to the nines and make at-home cocktails, put on a killer playlist and have your date night in the comfort of your own home. Spending time together doesn't mean going out and spending lots of money, and you can recreate that date-night magic in your own house.
Read together
Create a book club for two, and take turns in reading each other’s literary choices. You can then sit down and talk about what you liked about the book, and share each other’s thoughts and opinions. You may even gain a perspective you’d never thought about before.
Garden together
Whether you have a huge lawn with space to grow flowers and plants, or just have an indoor garden, creating some green space in your home and watching it grow is a great activity to do together. You can connect to the natural world and nurture your green fingers together.
Practice yoga with your partner, for a fun and healthy couple's activity, right now!
Partner Yoga Restorative with Kristen Boyle
With today’s technology and modern life, there are more distractions than ever getting in the way of having a productive work day. From the moment you sit down at your desk, there can be 101 things that steer your attention away from your to-do list. If you’re finding that you tasks just aren’t getting done, here’s some tips to make your day more productive.
1. Start the morning right for you
A healthy breakfast, an early workout, time spent getting yourself looking professional… Sometimes there’s just not enough time before sitting down at your desk at 9am to get absolutely everything done - especially if you want your eight hours of sleep too!
Starting your day on a high note can set the tone for the rest of the day, so think about what your priority is.
If you know you can’t handle a day without a long sleep, forgo the early alarm and skip that 6am spin class, instead give yourself more time in bed ready to tackle the day. However if you love cooking, why not set sometime to make a tasty breakfast? Think about one thing you want to start your day with, and go from there. This will set you in a good mood and you’ll be more likely to focus.
2. Get moving
Did you know if you get up and active during your day you’ll have more energy and a more positive outlook - two things essential to productivity? Even if you move around for just ten minutes, your brain releases a neurotransmitter called GABA which helps to soothe your brain and keep you in control of any impulses.
This will help with any impulse to procrastinate throughout your day and make you stay on track.
Don’t have much time? Take a look at these quick yoga fix classes, to get you moving and are less than half an hour. If life feels busy, these classes will be perfect for you to get moving.
3. Set your goals for the day
Having set goals will give you a feeling of control and help you get everything done. Specific goals for each day will help you put things in motion, and you’ll gain a sense of achievement when you’re able to check them off. Try to be specific and functional when it comes to setting your goals, and include ‘how’ you’re going to complete the task. This not only gives you something to achieve in your day, but also a way to achieve it.
4. Have regular breaks
Taking a break from your work may be seen as being counter productive, but actually a little break can do wonders for your focus. Boost your motivation by taking small breaks throughout your day, ideally getting out and moving in the fresh air. This can boost your brain function and also set the tone for an energetic and productive day.
5. Have a clear work environment
A clear space is a clear mind, so it’s important to keep your environment organized. Make sure you’re regularly keeping your desk or workspace tidy, to avoid any visual distractions that can make you unproductive.
You could even try switching up your workplace or space for a boost of productivity. A change in scenery can be a great way to get past any creative blocks, improving your performance.
6. Avoid screens first thing
If you check your phone and look at your emails, texts, social media as soon as you wake, you can lose focus and start thinking about external people and problems that aren’t on your to-do list. This can set you up for an unproductive days.
Try to make sure the first thing you do is something calm and positive, and ignore those messages and emails until you’re ready to tackle them.
7. Keep any meetings on schedule
Meetings can be a huge time waster, especially if everyone involved isn't focused on the issue at hand. Sometimes they can drag on for what seems like forever. Try to stick to the intended schedules, and steer colleagues back on track if they start to veer off-topic. This will motivate everyone to be more focused, and your day will stay on track.
8. Don’t multitask
Focusing on more than one thing at time can actually hinder your productivity. While it may be tempting, multitasking can actually set your day back. Doing more than one thing at a time allows you to be bombarded with lots of different information which you will be unable to pay full attention to.
It’s also harder to remember information, and switch fully from one job to the next. It can be hard to organize your thoughts and filter out irrelevant information when you're thinking about more than one task at hand.
9. Don’t be afraid to say no
If you’re on a strict deadline or big project, don’t be afraid to say no to additional work or distractions that will steer you off-track. Saying no will reaffirm your tasks and commitments and gives you the chance to complete them, keeping your productive.
10. Delegate
Not everything that you need to do needs to be done alone. If you have the option to ask for help and delegate, take advantage of the opportunity to have a helping hand in crossing things off your to-do list.
What things can be done by someone else, freeing yourself up to do the things only you can do? A key to being productive is being able to delegate and not take everything on yourself.
Need a productivity boost? Practice yoga in these quick classes, perfect when you're pressed for time!
Quick Yin Fix with Elise Fabricant
20-Minute Yoga Fix with Keith Allen
Can you believe it is almost March? Time seems to be zooming at the speed of light these days and with that swift pace, some priorities in life seem to shift.
Work, school, family, travel, all the little responsibilities…some days it’s tough to complete all the things you want to do after you’ve done all the things you need to do. And you want to do yoga, right?
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you may be battling the Polar Vortex and spending an hour shoveling your driveway or taking thirty extra minutes to get to the office. That precious time could have been spent on your yoga mat.
If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, perhaps your holidays and vacation time created a lapse in your regular yoga practice. Regardless of why you’ve not had time to practice yoga as frequently as you would like, the result is the same.
You’ve fallen out of your routine and aren’t feeling as balanced, strong, and flexible as you’d like. Maybe you feel like if you can’t get a full hour or ninety-minute practice in, it isn’t worth your time to step onto the mat. Not true!
We get it, we’re busy too. One of our priorities here at YogaDownload.com is to ensure we provide a wide variety of yoga classes for you. Not just styles of yoga, but length of classes.
This week, we bring you four new classes that are short on time, but long on benefits. Step onto the yoga mat for twenty minutes: you’ll feel more awake, clear, flexible, and calm. It only takes a few minutes to shift your mood and how you are feeling.
All of these four new yoga classes will get you moving and maximize your time. Click play to make your yoga practice happen this week!
1. Keith Allen - 20-Minute Yoga Fix
2. Elise Fabricant - Quick Yin Fix
3. Claire Petretti Marti - Quick Energy Flow 2
4. Caitlin Rose Kenney - Happy Half-Hour: Hearts & Hips
*FREE CLASS
Winter is the time of the year we tend to stay inside more compared to warmer periods. Staying inside often also means moving less and at the same time, winter dishes tend to be heavier.
Good food is my passion, no question about it, but staying fit and healthy is something I am passionate about as well. This means that I always try to figure out smarter recipes that taste amazing but are good for me.
It´s all about balance and the recipe I am going to share with you today is a perfect example of healthy food that definitely does not lack flavor!
These little red parcels, known as quinoa, are perfect as a side dish or even a vegetarian main. They look awesome on the dinner table and are rather healthy and balanced due to the protein in the quinoa.
Red Onions with Quinoa Filling
Serves: 6
6 red onions (about 100g each)
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 oz quinoa
Salt
3.5 oz cherry tomatoes
Cinnamon
Cayenne pepper
Ground cumin
1 tbsp butter
1 oz raisins
1 oz shaved almonds
Fresh coriander and mint to serve
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Slice the root tip from the onions at about 3 mm so they would stand up and from the other end cut off around 1 cm. Brush with olive oil.
Place the onions to the mold, add ca 100ml of water, cover with foil and bake for 30 min.
After cooking let them cool slightly, then remove the inner layers of onion carefully with the help of the fork. You want to keep two or three outside layers.
Chop the scraped out onion roughly and place half of it back to the mold together with quartered tomatoes.
Cook the quinoa in salted water for 10 min, then drain.
Melt the butter on the pan and fry the rest of the chopped onions and raisins for about 1 minute. Then add in quinoa and almonds, spice according to your own taste (or slightly stronger) with cayenne, cinnamon and ground cumin and fry for 3-5 minutes.
Fill the onion shells with quinoa mixture, place them back to the baking dish and lightly brush with oil.
Bake for 15 minutes. 5 minutes before taking them out of the oven place the end you cut of earlier on top of onions as a little hat.
Serve with fresh herbs on top as a side dish or vegetarian main.
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 Yoga for Detox, Cleansing, & Vitality now to complement this healthy recipe!
Do you constantly get worked up about something or the other – be it a work presentation, your relationship or even about a party you need to attend? You have days when you find your heart pounding while you sweat profusely and wonder what is it that you’re really experiencing – is this an anxiety attack or am I just stressed, you may wonder.
While both stress and anxiety have similar mental and physical symptoms, the difference lies in the fact that stress is short-term whereas an anxiety disorder is a sustained state of mind which tends to remain even in the absence of a triggering situation.
If you find yourself experiencing the latter, you might be suffering from some form of an anxiety disorder. Fortunately, there are effective ways of coping with anxiety.
Before you panic or shun this thought, understand that you are not alone in this battle. As per a recent study, anxiety has become the number one mental health issue in North America, with one-third of the North American adult population experiencing anxiety issues. The first step to cope with anxiety is to accept it and work on it proactively.
Fortunately, you can help heal your anxiety. It is not a life sentence or a curse. It may mean you have to search a little harder for techniques, tools, and things that help you cope with and relieve your anxiety. It's possible to transform from an anxious person, to a calm and confident person.
Here are 6 powerful ways to cope with anxiety:
1. Don’t Fight your Thoughts
How many times have you desperately tried to get rid of those negative thoughts, thinking it will get better only to realize that it has gotten worse?
Accept this – fighting your thoughts won’t get you anywhere. What’s important is how you choose to react to your thoughts.
Do you want to make those worries your reality or look at them as just another thought and let them pass? The choice is yours.
Next time you are up at night worrying about your future, observe your thoughts and emotions instead of hanging on to them and letting them take over your life. 2. Practice Mindfulness
If you notice, anxious thoughts either stem from past regrets or fear of what the future beholds. When you actually practice living in the present and being mindful – you realize there is so much negativity you can surpass. You can instead focus on what you're grateful for, and what you're excited about in the future, instead of what you're worried about.
However, living in the moment is not always easy. Your mind will take you places but with regular practice, you can tame your mind to live in the present.
Even incorporating small changes like savoring your meals while eating, enjoying the surroundings while taking a walk or even something as simple as focusing on your breathing when everything else fails, is a great start to being mindful and staying in the moment.
After all, the present is all we have – the best you can do is enjoy it while it lasts. Plus, the more you are in the present, the less likely you are to be worried about anything off in the future.
3. Start Journaling
Maintaining a journal for your thoughts is a very effective tool to cope with any sort of anxiety. Do not look at it as a duty. Look at it as an outlet to express your thoughts and emotions unabashedly and accept them as they come.
Journaling is hugely underrated but when you get into the practice you realize how therapeutic it can be. Write the way you think - about what’s bothering you, the reasons behind it, your fears and what you think you should do. You may begin to notice, your fears diminish, once you write and work them out on paper.
While some might find comfort in having an anonymous blog, there will be others who would prefer keeping a handwritten journal or typing into their phone. So, choose the medium that best suits you and write away to organize your thoughts and cope with anxiety better.
4. Find What Makes You Calm (and Keep Searching Until Your Discover What Does)
Everyone has different methods to find their calm and relax. Whether it’s watching a good movie, reading a book, listening to soothing music, meditating, or any form of exercise– it is important to identify what soothes you and practice it when you are feeling overwhelmed or battling anxious thoughts.
It doesn’t matter if you are experiencing this on your bed at night or are in the middle of a bustling party – what’s important is taking some time out and focusing your attention on doing something that helps you relax.
5. Speak to Someone
It’s enough that you are suffering from anxiety, don’t make it worse by forcing yourself to deal with it alone. Your mental health matters – reach out to someone you can trust in your family, friend circle or find an experienced therapist who can help and talk to them about what you are experiencing.
Sharing your emotions is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it takes a huge amount of courage to get out there and voice what you are going through.
By speaking to someone about it, you might get a different perspective, get reassurance or even find comfort by just opening up. Don’t let anxiety push you to feel alone. Sometimes, even the feeling of being heard can do wonders to your state of mind.
6. Follow a Healthy Routine
Apart from dealing with your thoughts, you need to also focus on leading a healthy lifestyle because your mental and physical health are connected.
Set a routine for yourself which includes physical exercise, having a balanced diet, and getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep. You can also start a meditation routine to calm anxiety. You'll be bound to see an improvement in your mental health.
By doing certain things every single day, they become a habit and you find yourself spending lesser time worrying and feeding negative thoughts.
By Adela Belin
Adela Belin is the Head of Digital Marketing at Writers Per Hour. She creates content surrounding marketing with a focus on social media and digital marketing. Feel free to contact Adela on LinkedIn.
Practice yoga to cope with and find relief from anxiety, right now!
Therapeutic Yoga for Stress, Anxiety, & Insomnia
Whether you’re already a dedicated morning yoga practitioner or if you are considering starting a new morning habit, we’ve got an excellent new two-week program specifically designed to kick-start your day.
Certain techniques and styles are more impactful in the mornings and your instructors for our Rise and Shine program created each class to maximize these principles. Practicing yoga in the morning has the power to create a positive attitude you can extend throughout your day.
When we wake up, we’ve got a new day in front of us to create exactly what we want in our lives.
The way you start your day can have an enormous impact on how external events impact you. You may have noticed the more often you practice yoga, the more calm and collected you are when confronted with difficult situations. We don’t really have control over external events, but we do have control over how we react.
A dedicated yoga practice will help you create more space in your reaction time. By starting your day with yoga, you’ve set yourself up to stay balanced and calm, no matter whether a Mack truck narrowly misses side-swiping you or if you are confronted by a cranky co-worker. With the proper attitude, all these events can roll off your back.
In addition to starting your day out with a positive mindset, yoga in the morning stokes your digestive fire, works out any kinks in your muscles, and boosts your energy level.
Who knows, you may even be able to eliminate your morning caffeine. Scientists agree that exercising in the morning can be the best way to maintain physical fitness because you complete your workout before the distractions of the day arise. The same reasoning applies to making morning yoga one of your rituals. No matter what happens throughout your day, you did something positive for your well-being.
This program, suitable for advanced beginners and up, consists of 10 classes, uniquely planned yoga to be practiced in the morning for two weeks. These classes are designed to keep the routine diverse and fun.
Within two weeks, you'll be eager to leap out of bed and onto the mat. Sign up and kick start your morning with yoga, now!
A good morning, can make it more likely you’ll have a happy and productive day. Fortunately, you can set yourself up for success each morning and some form of a somewhat consistent ritual or thing you do, that you enjoy and can look forward to. This can make all the difference in putting yourself on a positive course for the day ahead.
These 8 morning routine ideas are a mix of movement, mindfulness, reflection, and others. Experiment with a few until you find one from this list (or perhaps another not listed), that you’d be excited to practice each day. If you begin to notice even slight improvements in your energy levels, productivity, and overall happiness, from any one of these ideas, stick with it, so it becomes second nature and a healthy habit.
Here are 8 morning routines to to be happier and successful. Treat yourself to start each day!
1. Yoga
Movement after a night’s sleep can wake everything up. Yoga designed for a morning practice, give your body and mind an opportunity to begin the day in a healthy and optimal way. It doesn’t take much either. Even 15 minutes of deep breathing and yogic movement, will have you sharper, clearer, happier, and more productive for the tasks and goals throughout the rest of your day.
If you struggle to exercise in the morning, experiment with different styles or teachers in yoga until you find the ones that resonate the most and feel best in your body, early each day.
2. Meditation
For many, the the easiest and most important time to meditate is the morning. Whether you wake up slow, or get up ready to roar, taking some minutes to tune into yourself, go inwards, and calibrate your mind for optimal success, health, and happiness for the day ahead. This can be the difference maker between a day you feel like you’re thriving, and ones where you barely scrape by. If you're brand new to meditation, even 5 minutes each morning, can be effective and a good place to start.
3. Gratitude
You can do this from your bed, upon opening your eyes (or even with them still closed). Take a few moments each morning and mentally (or write down), list 5-10 things you are grateful for. It doesn’t matter if they are big things (like your family), or seemingly small (like a nice cup of coffee), what’s important is focusing and feeling the energy of gratitude . The more you focus on what you’re grateful for, the more likely you are to stay in a state of gratitude, which most would agree is much nicer than feeling emotions like dissatisfaction, frustration, anger, etc.
4. Journal
Writing is the purest soul medicine for some. If putting a pen to paper (or typing) freely, gives your mind an opportunity to unwind and process life, give yourself dedicated time to do this each morning. The form that works best for you, will be different for everyone, but the simple act of writing is what matters and is beneficial.
Enjoy writing each morning. Make it something you delight in to begin each day. Mix it up, and on days you’re uninspired, utilize some of the other writing techniques like gratitude or to-do lists, to keep the habit of writing alive and well. There are also guided morning journals, that keep the ritual interesting and unique each day, and provide more structure and vision for those that benefit from that.
5. Intention Setting & Creating a List
Having a vision for your day, can be powerful and impactful in how much direction, focus, and ease, you experience each day. If you find yourself scattered, take time each morning to meditate or write an intention. It can be a simple word (such as “love”), emotion (confidence) or phrase (Like, “Today I flourish in my workplace”). If you benefit from taking it a step further, creating a list of the things you’d like to accomplish the day ahead can be just what you need to stay on track. Think of each goal listed as a mini intention for the day.
6. Walk
Get your body moving, and go for a walk. Whether you have a destination, or just go with the flow, walking is the perfect opportunity for some to get the mind feeling fantastic and energized. Furthermore, it’s healthy to walk. Especially as we age, walking, while not often thought of as exercise, has tremendous physical benefits. Stagnation and lack of movement are what slow us down. Walking can also have emotional and mental health benefits, and have you feeling happier.
7. Honor the Sun
Nature can wake you up, and if you’re fortunate enough to live somewhere with warm weather, many sunny days, or good windows and skylights, you can be lucky enough to greet the sun most mornings. Sun salutations in yoga are a beautiful way to charge up on your favorite solar energy. However, simply facing the sun, taking 2-5 deep breaths and imagining and feeling it’s energy light up the cells of your entire body and being, can benefit you for the rest of your day. Have fun with connecting with nature.
You have the power to feel a connection to the entire universe around you, through the magnificence of nature.
8. Coffee (or tea) Ritual
For some, the morning equals their favourite indulgence of the day; coffee! Guilt-free coffee drinking is sacred, and each sip is to be cherished. Make time for your favorite hot drink, instead of merely rushing to gulp it down on the go. Even 5 minutes, dedicated, to being present as you enjoy a beverage to start your day, will give you a moment to center yourself before you go out and thrive in the world. It doesn’t have to be coffee or a caffeinated drink. The presence and enjoyment of some sort of treat, is the important part of this morning ritual idea and can bring you more joy each morning and day.
By Leif Harum
When I was 16 I ran away from home. Over the past 14 years I've continued to travel the world, exploring more than 80 countries, and immersing myself in different ways of life and faiths. I've come to see all people as siblings, connected beings. And I've dedicated my life to sharing my experiences with the hope of helping others.
Enjoy Leif's Everyday Enlightenment: 21 Day Self Guided Morning Meditation Journal now!
If yoga is your ideal morning routine, start practicing these specially designed morning yoga classes, now!
Morning Yoga Ritual with Elise Fabricant
Morning Yoga Fix with Jackie Casal Mahrou
It’s Conscious Cocktail time!
We’ve just wrapped up another Conscious Cleanse and one thing we hear a lot of towards the end is that people are ready to enjoy an adult beverage!
Anyone ready for a little detox retox?
Giving up alcohol for two weeks is a big deal for many, especially if it’s something that’s habitually been a part of your lifestyle.
So how do you incorporate alcohol back into your diet and 80:20 lifestyle in the healthiest way possible?
This is where the Conscious Cocktail comes in!
A conscious cocktail is one that upgrades your usual alcoholic beverage to one that is allergen-free, spiked with a healthy dose of non-artificial sugar-free ingredients in your cocktail.
Today we’re featuring a twist on a recipe from our book. If you’re cleansing or simply don’t indulge in alcohol, try the cleanse-friendly version of this cocktail by simply omitting the vodka.
Need help finding a gluten-free vodka?
Try Blue Ice Potato Vodka or Ciroc Plain Vodka.
Happy Friday! We hope you have a glorious weekend.
Bottoms up,
Kiwi-Tini
Yield: 1 cocktail
1 cup seeded and chopped watermelon 1 kiwi, peeled 1 pitted date ½ cup ice 1 kiwi slice or lime wedge, for garnish 2 oz. gluten-free vodka
Directions: In a high-speed blender, blend watermelon, kiwi, date, and ice on high until smooth. Add in vodka and blend on low briefly. Pour into your favorite martini or cocktail glass and garnish with either a kiwi slice or lime wedge.
If you have too many Kiwi-tini's be sure to practice Yoga for Detox from Overindulgence to get back on track!
We’re just wrapping up our 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. We recommend the organic Om Mushrooms brand.
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.
With love,
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.
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.
Practice FREE Morning Yoga before or after your coffee with this delicious superfood adaptogenic creamer.
Start Your Day Right with Robert Sidoti
Have you ever envisioned your life 30 years from now? What do you look like? How do you feel? Are you able to play with your grandchildren and enjoy everyday activities?
These are common questions among most in regards to their future and quality of life as they evolve through the aging process. The question remains how we can slow down the aging process and ensure that our future is bright and fruitful?
As a personal trainer, I have had the good fortune and pleasure to work with many seniors over the course of my 20 years in the fitness industry. Through my very own hands-on experience, I have been able to witness the physical benefit of exercise and healthy nutrition can yield a higher quality of life and sense of well-being among the senior population.
So what exactly are the benefits of exercise as we age?
As we progress through the aging process, our bodies lose a percentage of muscular strength and endurance through the years. The integrity and muscle size tends to decrease or atrophy unless an outside stimulus such as exercise is introduced.
Fortunately, exercise can help slow down and counteract the breakdown of our muscles and bones as we age, considerably. Engaging in a resistance training program can help to prevent muscle atrophy, and to maintain strength and vitality as we grow older. Furthermore, weight-bearing exercise can also help to increase bone mineral density and hinder the onset of osteoporosis
While the benefits exercise manifests pertaining to muscle integrity and strength, as well as bone strength, there are more powerful and underestimated benefits to engaging in exercise as you get older in relation to emotions, happiness, and well-being. It has been my experience as a personal trainer that depression and lack of self-image can be prevalent among the senior population. Research shows that the stimulation that exercise brings can help to prevent or lessen depression and feelings of low self-worth experienced in the senior community.
Studies have shown that participants in regular exercise tend to have higher degrees of quality of life and an increased sense of well-being.
In summation, it has been my experience that adherence to an exercise regimen can help to slow down the aging process. Benefits in muscular strength and endurance, as well as bone mineral density, have all been witnessed as a result of engaging in regular physical exercise. Psychological benefits in regards to self-image and self-worth have also been seen to increase as a result of participating in routine exercise.
As fitness professionals, I feel that it is our mission to educate and promote physical activity among our seniors. Regardless of the exercise form, whether it's yoga, running, weight training, or swimming, finding a form of movement and fitness that keeps you passionate and youthful in spirit, will have countless benefits and is far superior to too much stillness. Hopefully, together we can help to improve longevity and health throughout of the lifespan's of many.
By Eric Leader
Eric Leader is the owner of Every Body's Personal Trainer an in home personal training company. Every Body's pt is the largest in home personal training company on the east coast.
Ready to stay strong, powerful, and healthy through the aging process? Practice the Fearless After 50 yoga program now!
You can get into your best shape by combining yoga with other fitness workouts and routines. Yoga hybrid workouts have become all the range as of late, as an active lifestyle is becoming more and more popular. As it’s becoming more apparent the benefits a regular yoga practice can give you, there’s more ways to incorporate it into your regular workout.
Here are some ways you can combine yoga poses with other fitness methods, to get into the best shape you can and move in more ways! If you’re adding a few moves to your regular workout, or adding some weights or dance moves into your yoga practice, there’s a yoga hybrid out there for you. Mixing it up can increase your endurance, strength, and most of all make your practice fun.
Here are five unique fusion yoga forms, that are worth giving a try!
Anti Gravity Yoga
If you’ve ever fancied yourself a bit of an acrobat, aerial yoga is the hybrid for you. As well as the obvious fun you’ll have from hanging from great heights, aerial yoga can also help you if you’re suffering from pain - both physical and emotional. Aerial Yoga takes the poses you’d usually do on the mat and takes them up to a silk hammock suspended from the ceiling. This allows for more modifications that make the practice easier for those with chronic pain and injury.
With more freedom of movement, you can benefit from an increase in flexibility, and give yourself a deeper stretch than a traditional yoga class. You’ll also notice a better sense of focus - as you try to concentrate on not falling out of your hammock, you’ll be more alert and aware, leading you to think and focus harder. Aerial yoga is also a great core workout, as gravity will be working on your body causing your core muscles to work harder, balancing and stabilizing your body.
Aerial yoga started from combining yoga with acrobatics, and nowadays there’s plenty of aerial yoga centered studios that you can sign up for.
HIIT Yoga
HIIT yoga combines high intensity interval training (HIIT) with a yoga asana practice. HIIT workouts have gained momentum in the fitness scene, as they are a popular way to burn fat. Hiit uses bursts of intense anaerobic exercises with brief recovery periods, keeping the heart rate up and burning fat quicker than traditional exercise.
Combining HIIT with yoga allows to body to build strength at the same time as this fat burning. As hiit usually targets the muscles with movements such as lifts, squats, burpees and star jumps, adding yoga asanas that target the stabilizing muscles in the body builds up their strength and allows for active rest. Adding yoga into your HIIT workout will lessen the strain on the joints a full hiit workout can inflict on the body, as well as letting you get a quick workout in - HIIT workouts tend to last between 15-30 minutes, as you are working your body extra hard.
Boxing and Yoga
If you’re looking for a cardio workout to balance out your yoga practice, a boxing yoga hybrid may be the workout for you. Boxing is a great workout to improve your cardio and increase your heart rate beyond your yoga flow. Boxing may seem the opposite to a peaceful and tranquil yoga flow, but it’s actually a workout that forces your mind to be present, much like yoga. The strength you get from punching a bag or mats can be transferred to improving your chaturanga. Boxing is also a great de-stress and combined with the meditative properties of yoga, this combination is sure to leave your head feeling clear.
Introducing yoga to your boxing workout will help you reduce the injury and stress on the body after going a round on the punching bag. Incorporate poses which rebalance your body and release the tightness in your thighs, chest and hips from keeping in your boxing stance for long periods of time. Combining these two practices will balance out your body and mind, ending your workout on a calm mind rather than a fast paced one.
Spin and Yoga
Spinning is a popular workout to improve your heart rate and get some muscles on your leg. You know the drill, you sit on top a special spinning bike and battle your way through sprints, hills, intervals and circuits. Usually set to music, you can be spinning continuously for up to an hour - great to tone and strengthen your legs - but it can also cause tightness in those glutes, thighs and calves!
Combing that tough spinning workout with yoga can not only give you the benefits of the past paced cycling class, but also cool you down with a calming yoga session. Yoga after spinning will help you muscles to loosen and improve your balance on the bike for your next class. Yoga spinning hybrid classes will target the muscles made tight by cycling and stretch them, as well as strengthening the connecting muscles.
Paddleboarding yoga (SUP Yoga)
Finally, if you’re looking for something really out there to combine your yoga practice with, have you tried Paddleboard yoga? It’s exactly what is says on the tin - yoga done on the water on a paddle board. While it may seem out there, paddleboard yoga really engages your core and increases the difficulty of your workout, a great challenge for your mind and body. You have to stay engaged to keep your balance - or you’re going in! It also helps you refine your balance, as it's easier to tell if your weight is unequally distributed on the water. Speaking of, the water will also increase your peace of mind and help you focus on your breath - helping you to relax!
Practice spin and yoga right now!
Spin & Yoga with Dawnelle Arthur
Most of us who practice yoga also work out and participate in other wellness activities. Whether you run, cycle, lift weights, or walk for fitness, yoga is an excellent complement. Sometimes, however, time is short and it’s not possible to get in both your workout routine and a full yoga class.
Enter fusion yoga and fitness classes, where you can experience the best of both worlds, all in one efficient, effective, and fun class.
1. Fusion yoga classes are efficient.
When you are pressed for time, but you don’t want to sacrifice either your fitness or your yoga routine, try one of these hybrid fusion yoga classes and stay on track with your life and your health. Fulfill all your needs with a class that will allow you to check off your fitness box, and balance it out with yoga to keep your muscles supple and your mind calm. Yoga Fusion classes will allow you to maintain or even improve your game, without diminishing quality. These classes provide the mental and spiritual benefits of yoga and build physical strength too.
2. Fusion yoga classes are effective.
Even though you are performing each activity for a shorter period of time, with the proper intensity, you aren’t missing out on any of the positive benefits. In fact, certain activities can actually make your yoga more impactful. For example, Yoga and Pilates are a perfect combination. Pilates focuses on using targeted resistance to strengthen your core and entire body and also focuses on breath and the mind body connection. By strengthening your center, your yoga practice improves, especially in balancing postures requiring core strength. Spinning gives you a heart-pumping cardio workout and yoga ensures you don’t lose flexibility. Barre emphasizes tiny controlled movements to create a dancer’s physique and yoga will help you stay open. Adding props to class also helps to improve your yoga practice. These combinations of fitness and well-being practice create a unified experience.
3. Fusion yoga classes are fun.
Sometimes you just want to mix up your daily routine. If you always practice traditional yoga, trying something new like Barre or Spin or Pilates may help you step out of your comfort zone and avoid falling into a rut. It’s also a great way to dip your toe into the waters of different workouts you’ve not tried before and ensure you still get your daily yoga.
We hope you love these four new fusion yoga and fitness classes as much as we do! Enjoy.
1. Dawnelle Arthur - Spin & Yoga
2. Claire Petretti Marti - Pilates Yoga Fusion: Complete
3. Ben Davis - Foam Roll + Static Stretch
4. Erin Wimert - Cardio Barre
Move over cheese-filled, bloat-inducing dips: Our White Bean Artichoke Dip is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. If you’re hosting any party, you NEED this recipe!
Our White Bean Artichoke Dip is creamy, packed with flavor, AND it’s vegan! It pairs perfectly with cut veggies, but if you really want to step it up a notch, we’ve included our favorite homemade cracker recipe: Rosemary Seed Crackers.
These crackers are relatively simple to make and super tasty. Not only are they delicious, they pack a serious nutritional punch: they’re high in fiber, plus chia seeds and flax seeds make these crackers full of healthy fats! They are also gluten-free and vegan, so all your guests, even those with food sensitivities or allergies, can enjoy them.
This recipe falls under our 80:20 Lifestyle Plan due to the food combinations, but you could enjoy just the dip with fresh veggies while on the cleanse. Never heard of the 80:20? It’s our formula for vibrant health all year long!
Now, we want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite appetizer or comfort snack you’d like us to give a healthy makeover? Let us know in the comments below!
With love and super snacks,
White Bean Artichoke Dip
Yield: 2 cups
14 oz. artichoke hearts, canned, drained 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped ½ cup kalamata olives, drained and rinsed 2 TB. capers, drained and rinsed 1 cup canned white beans, drained ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 TB. lemon juice 4 TB. olive oil ¼ tsp. sea salt ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions: In a food processor fitted with the S blade, add the artichokes and pulse them until finely chopped, not puréed. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic, olives, capers, white beans, and parsley to the food processor bowl. Pulse until almost smooth. A little texture is nice here! Pour into the large mixing bowl with the artichokes. Add the lemon juice and olive oil to the artichoke mixture. Add the sea salt and red pepper flakes and adjust to taste.
Rosemary Seed Crackers
Yield: 32 crackers
1 cup sunflower seeds ½ cup flax seeds 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds ½ cup sesame seeds 1 ½ cups rolled oats 2 TB. chia seeds 3 TB. psyllium husk powder 1 ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt 1 TB. maple syrup 3 TB. melted coconut oil 1 ½ cups water 4 TB. chopped fresh rosemary ¼ – ½ tsp. garlic powder (depending on how strong you like it)
Instructions: In a large bowl combine sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, chia seeds, psyllium husk powder, and salt, stirring well. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, oil, and water. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Divide the dough into thirds. Gather each third into a ball and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, firmly roll out into a thin sheet. Remove top layer of baking paper and using the tip of a knife, score the dough into shapes you like (I chose large rectangles but it’s up to you). Repeat with remaining two balls of dough. Let sit out on the counter overnight uncovered.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using the baking paper, slide the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven, flip the whole cracker over (if it breaks a bit, don’t worry!) and peel the baking paper off of the back. Return to oven to bake for another 10 minutes, until fully dry, crisp, and golden around the edges. Let cool completely, then break crackers along their scored lines and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Practice yoga with Jo of the Conscious Cleanse, now!
Conscious Cleanse Detox Flow with Jo Schaalman
Meditation has now entered the public consciousness as something less mystical and more practical. Far from the romantic notion of the mystic on the mountain, meditation has always had its practical uses.
Increasingly, the benefits of meditation are becoming apparent in modern life and well-being. There is increasing research that practicing seated meditation has the power to make us more alert, energized, creative, clear in our thinking, and productive. Whether you're craving a boost in productivity, or just want to feel better in at work, meditation has real potential to help.
Here are a few ways meditation it can boost personal productivity and focus, whether around the house, in the workplace, or working on a creative project.
Improved focus
Many who are new to meditation may come to it with some misapprehensions. It is, in fact, a physical tool where, rather than out of body experience. The goal is to be acutely aware.
Aware, not necessarily of your surroundings, (though it can have this application) but first and foremost of clarity on yourself. Studies into the brainwave patterns of those in mediation show dramatic shifts in the electrical activity in your brain and actually, show that meditation produces larger amounts of Alpha activity than resting states. This electrical activity is known to produce a greater state of wakefulness. This means that you are more alert and focused because of meditation.
This improved focus allows us to take in greater amounts of information, thereby improving our memory. Though often in meditation we are urged to clear our minds, it is possible to focus, as in mindfulness, on any given subject or memory, including issues we may be facing at work and creatively analyze them from a distance.
Stress Relief
Our ability to work through problems creatively is key to reducing stress. To approach an issue calmly can boost our confidence and shows others the value of reasonability - so we can also improve our interpersonal relationships.
The notion that meditation can relieve stress isn’t just an abstract idea either. In times of stress, your heart responds by pumping blood faster around your body, replicating the fight or flight instinct and gearing your body up for conflict or escape. In our over-stimulated, over-stressed modern lives, we increasingly find that our bodies are in this mode more than is healthy, and it’s no wonder that stress is one of the biggest reasons behind workplace absence. Managing your stress level with controlled breathing and thus a slower heart rate allows our body to rest and heal, while we can look at that which causes stress dispassionately.
“Having recharged after even a mere half an hour of meditation can give your mind the chance to adapt to challenging situations less as a cause of stress but as an opportunity to engage and triumph,” says Patrick Brooks.
Self-Analysis
Practicing meditation gives us an opportunity to reflect not often afforded in busy working lives. These moments of self-reflection are crucial in discovering the root causes of workplace stress, but can also allow us to approach all our personal issues with self-control as well.
This awareness is important in exercising control over our own lives and a sense of control is crucial to productivity. “If we show that we are able to control ourselves we show others that we aren’t merely led by impulse but by clear, actionable thought,” explains Charles Davis. This improves and strengthens our bonds with colleagues and helps to create an environment of positivity and understanding.
Once you’ve gained this level of self-control, you will start to feel energized, ready for anything and you may find that going a day without meditation is like going a day without sleep. In fact, you may say that meditation is a third state with all the rejuvenating effects of sleep but the contemplative aspects of wakefulness.
By Martina Sanchez
I am an entrepreneur and content marketing specialist at Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays. My main passion in life is writing; I create regular content for her blog and write consistently on topics such as digital marketing, SEO tips, and other marketing tricks.
Practice meditation for increased productivity right, and see it work for yourself.
This week we highlight the incredible practice of Ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga yoga is a modern rigorous, disciplined, and traditional style of yoga. It is comprised of 8 limbs, with asana (the physical yoga pose limb), being a set sequence of standing and seated postures, that create inner heat, refine your focus, and challenge you physically, while keeping a single pointed focus. Basic Ashtanga sequences are well-rounded, and also feature many forward bends, the most inward facing family of yoga poses, where we meet ourselves.
If you're feeling stagnant in your practice and want to take it to the next level, or feel you're craving some consistency in your yoga practice (and maybe life), give Ashtanga a try. You might find these practices are ones you can return to over and over again, as no matter how many times you practice the Ashtanga sequence, there is benefit, power, and progress. Enjoy the challenge and power of Ashtanga yoga this week, with four unique takes and versions of this transformative and powerfully simple style of yoga.
What is Ashtanga?
Ashtanga yoga is a more disciplined and traditional style of yoga than you may be used to. The phrase Ashtanga yoga is translated as ‘eight limbed yoga’, which refers to the eight limbs of yoga, the guidelines for yogis to follow to live a more disciplined life. Ashtanga yoga focuses on the third limb of yoga, which is the asana. By practicing the asana sequence, the other seven limbs of yoga can be realised.
The Ashtanga set of postures are linked together with vinyasa to create heat in the body. Combining this with conscious breathing, Ashtanga can lead you to a place of meditation through movement. The consistent movement flow of Ashtanga will stretch and strengthen you and allow energy to flow throughout your body. There are six sequences, depending on your abilities and experience with Ashtanga yoga.
Ashtanga uses heavily sun salutations and vinyasa flow to move from one pose to another in time with your breathing. Ashtanga yoga is strongly based upon the flow of sun salutations, with vinyasa taking you between poses. It can be very hard to keep your strength and alignment while moving in i the flow. Another important aspect of Ashtanga is being connected with your breath, and moving with your breath. With lots of different things to focus on, Ashtanga can be a hard practice especially for those with more experience with slower types of yoga. The best thing about Ashtanga though, is that it never changes. So with plenty of practice you can get the hang of it in no time!
If you’re looking to start practicing Ashtanga yoga, here’s some tips for first timers.
1. Don't expect to be perfect straight away
Just like with anything else, you can’t be perfect on your first try. Part of the process of Ashtanga is learning and keeping your mind strong as you correct yourself, or get things wrong. A big lesson in Ashtanga is to accept your failures and be kind to yourself anyway, and stay strong. It’s normal to feel a little overwhelmed on your first try - but keeping at it will improve your practice over the weeks, months and even years.
2. Don't try more than you’re able to
Don’t go for the more advanced series if you’re a first timer. Even the Primary Series can be tough if you’ve never practiced before. By practicing the Sun Salutations that are a kickstarter to Ashtanga practice, you can get used to the nature of the flow. Feel free to watch along with the rest of the series to get yourself acquainted with the poses and movements, and join in with the opening and closing poses. Once you know the sun salutations it’s easier to get started with the Ashtanga series.
3. Focus on the Breath
A major part of Ashtanga practice is moving with your breath. This deep method of breathing helps to tie your conscious and subconscious minds together. Think about the movement and poses in your Ashtanga Sequence as just a chance for you to breathe deeply, in and out. Once you focus on your breath, it becomes easier to get into the flow of the poses.
4. Expect to adjust
Proper alignment is important in yoga, so expect to adjust your body to the correct alignments at time. Watch the proper way to settle into a pose with correct alignment, and make sure you check in and move yourself accordingly.
5. Feel your body
The goal of practicing yoga is to feel aware of your body and movements. Mastering a pose is actually not the end goal! Instead try to become aware of how every cell in your body is feeling, and connect to it.
6. Study study study
The more you understand the Ashtanga sequences, the easier they will become. Read up on the principles of the practice, watch yoga videos and online classes, and get your head around the intentions of the practice. You’re already there by reading this blog!
Benefits of Ashtanga
There are many benefits to a regular Ashtanga practice. Once you have tried your first sequence, and have decided that Ashtanga is for you, you will benefit from:
Increase in strength
A lot of the poses in the Ashtanga Sequence will require you to bear your weight, and combining these poses with chaturanga is a great way to build up your strength and improve your muscles.
Increase in flexibility
Flexibility helps to protect our bodies from injury and recover from workouts faster. Ashtanga works to stretch your muscles and joints, releasing lactic acid from your muscles and increasing your flexibility.
Boosts your mood
We could talk for days about the ways yoga can improve your mood - it’s one of the widely recognised benefits of the practice. The way you focus on breath in Ashtanga allows you to feel calm and quiet your mind.
Increases your fitness
As Ashtanga is more active than other forms of yoga, it can count towards a cardio workout. Ashtanga increases your heart rate and breaks you out in a sweat!
Practice Ashtanga yoga now!
Everyday Ashtanga with Blair Bradley
Ashtanga Standing Postures with Jack Cuneo
Ashtanga Primary Series with Jack Cuneo
Pranyama, Dristi, & Bandhas in Ashtanga Yoga with Alik Brundett
This week we highlight Ashtanga Yoga. Sit back, take a sip of your favorite beverage, and allow us to share the fascinating history of this vigorous practice. Ashtanga is the eight-limbed yoga path as outlined in Patanjali’s seminal text, the Yoga Sutra. In order to truly appreciate the place Ashtanga Yoga holds in the yoga world, we’ve got to look back about one hundred years.
At that time, yoga in India was primarily seated meditation.
Instead of simply studying and meditating, the Father of Modern Yoga, T. Krishnamacharya, developed a series of asanas combined with pranayama, in a vigorous set sequence of flowing asanas. For the first time in yoga practice, the physical postures and the controlled breath were part of a moving meditation. This shift transformed yoga into what we primarily see in the West today. Krishnamacharya had four famous disciples, Iyengar, Patthabi Jois, Indra Devi, and his son, T.K.V. Desikachar. These teachers influenced the styles of yoga we practice today.
Sri Pattabhi Jois is credited with bringing Ashtanga yoga to the West from Mysore, India, and emphasized that one of the primary foundations of Ashtanga is Vinyasa Krama, which means to place in a special way. A yoga practice must be correctly organized with an intelligent sequence of asanas and pranayama. Yoga Sutra II:46 Sthira Sukham Asanam teaches that the posture must be strong and comfortable and this principle is key to an effective practice.
Most students stay with the Ashtanga Primary series, which is well-rounded and feature many forward bends, for several years. All the series are taught utilizing bahdhas or locks to intensify the postures, drishti gaze to maintain a single pointed focus, and Ujjayii pranayama to create inner heat.
Most Vinyasa and Power yoga classes are based in Ashtanga, but deviate from the set rigorous sequence and allow for variety in the standing and seated postures. If you’ve never tried Ashtanga, here’s your opportunity to dive in to the practice. Get ready to quiet your mind, work your body, and soothe your soul. You’ll find this traditional practice can be the moving meditation you’ve been seeking on your mat.
Enjoy Ashtanga yoga right now!
Pranayama, Dristi, & Banhdas in Ashtanga Yoga with Alik Brundett
When I first met my husband, he showed up to a BBQ with a gorgeous gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free fruit tart just for me.
“Nice move, dude,” was my first thought. Followed immediately with “where did you pick that beauty up from?”
To my surprise he had actually made it himself!
Now I know better than to question his baking skills, as he was raised by the queen of baking. Every year on Thanksgiving, he participates in a pie baking contest between him and his two younger brothers. They each have their special pies – apple, pecan and pumpkin. Yes, all three boys are impressive bakers and quite the catch.
Recently I put Adam’s pastry skills to good use and asked him to make a fruit tart for my sister’s baby shower.
True to form, Adam went back to his roots and made a gorgeous fruit tart. When I saw this work of art I just knew we had to share it with our community. It is truly to die for!!
Now some of you are looking at the ingredients wondering how is this a splurge – it’s so healthy for a dessert! To start, it does have eggs. But the other more subtle differentiator is explained by Jules’ favorite mantra about fruit, “eat it alone or leave it alone”. With this tasty dessert that mantra gets tossed aside. Also, It’s dessert so you might enjoy it after a big meal (and just deal with some gas and bloating!) or get really clever and have dessert as an appetizer. Yum!
Please let me know what else you’d like my handy dandy husband to make over in the dessert department. I know he’d love the challenge.
With fruit and tart love,
Vanilla Custard Fruit Tart
Yield: 8 servings
Crust
¾ cup walnuts 1 ½ cups almond flour 3 tablespoons coconut oil 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 egg ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon vanilla
Custard
3 cups berries of choice ½ tablespoon gelatin, unflavored 1 tablespoon water 1 cup almond milk ¼ cup maple syrup 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and bean reserved 3 egg yolks 1 cup coconut cream (from a cold can of coconut milk)
Instructions: In a small bowl, combine gelatin and 1 tablespoon of water to soften.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the almond milk, vanilla bean seeds and shell for 2-3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk the maple syrup and egg yolks. Pour the heated milk/bean mixture into the bowl while whisking.
Return the mixture to the saucepan for 2-3 minutes. Whisk mixture in saucepan. Pour in the soft gelatin. Whisk until gelatin is dissolved. Continue to heat for 5 minutes until custard has thickened. Pour custard into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the bowl so that skin does not form. Chill in refrigerator for 5 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor with a s-blade, grind walnuts until it becomes a coarse flour. Add almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla and pulse until a ball of dough forms.
Press the dough into a tart pan with removable base. Using the palms of your hands press the dough to the bottom and sides pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper. Press it onto the bottom of the crust. Fill bottom with pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment paper. Bake for another 5 minutes. Cool the crust while you make the custard.
Remove custard from the fridge. Add coconut cream from the top of 1 can of coconut milk. Using an electric mixer, whip the custard until thick and creamy.
Spread the custard into the cooled pie crust. Chill the tart for an hour to let the custard set up.
Arrange your berries in a circular pattern. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Practice yoga now with Jo of the Conscious Cleanse!
Yoga is a key practice not just on it’s own, but to compliment other activities and sports.
Many professional sporting teams and athletes use yoga practice to compliment their training, or include it as a key part of it. If you play sports regularly, trying yoga can boost your performance in a wide range of ways. Yoga will improve your physical and mental state, letting you push yourself to your limit in your training. Yoga can also balance out strength and development that can become imbalanced if you just practice one type of sport. This can also help reduce injury.
Push away any thoughts of yoga just being about flexibility and contorting your body - yoga helps your muscles grow and works parts of your body that are underused in most people’s daily life. It also helps you stretch out any areas of tightness or pain.
Here’s some of the benefits practicing yoga can have for athletes.
1. Improves strength
These repetitive movements can also lead to imbalance in muscle development - as the muscles you’re working gain strength, others stay underdeveloped. An imbalance in muscles can create aches and pains. Practicing yoga can address the muscles that are underdeveloped, restoring balance and creating full body strength for you to utilize in your sport practice.
2. Increases power
The poses you practice in yoga help you to achieve alignment in your body. Proper alignment will increase the efficiency of your bodies movement, and therefore help it generate more power.
3. Improves flexibility
If you play sports often, you might not be a stranger to repetitive movements. Think the way your arms are held in a defensive stance during boxing, or pushing a ball away in a basketball match. These repetitive movements can concentrate tension in certain areas of your body. This tension can reduce your range of motion and hinder your movement. Yoga helps to alleviate the issues created by repetitive movement by releasing tension and stretching muscles that feel overused. This can increase your flexibility, which in turn improves your range of motion and your performance.
4. Increases endurance
Whether running a marathon, rowing, or dancing, all sport and activity requires endurance. Yoga is no different, with a strong focus on breathing and pacing yourself. Focusing on how you breathe while you move your body into different poses requires strength and energy, but it also improves your circulation and respiratory capacity, increasing your endurance and allowing you to be more efficient with your movements.
5. Improves balance
A strong sense of balance is key for any athlete. There are many poses in yoga that can improve your sense of balance, and help strengthen the muscles that stabilise your body. A good balance is a good quality to have to reduce injuries, as there is a lower risk of falls and stumbles.
6. Helps reduce risk of injury
Along with improving your balance, and therefore minimising your likelihood of falling, yoga can help prevent sporting injuries in other ways. When you’re injured, you not only have to sit on the bench and miss out on playing your favourite sport, but it can also affect how often, or how much you can partake in strenuous activity in the future. A regular yoga practice will give you the benefits listed above - which all combined help maintain a healthy physical state. Yoga also contributes to joint strength, a common injury site for athletes.
7. Calms your mind
A strong focus is key for sports. Being able to concentrate at the task at hand, whilst facing external pressure is no mean feat, and mental resilience can mean the difference between success and failure - not to mention to help your mental wellbeing. Yoga will help you in learning to stay focused and composed, even in high pressure situations or when you’re outside your comfort zone.
8. Aids recovery
Yoga is a great activity to practice for some active rest. When you’re pushing yourself in sport, it can be hard to sit and do nothing on days your body needs to rest and recover. Yoga is a great way to actively rest your body from high impact activity, and can relieve any stress both mental and physical, as well as release tension and just generally give you a break.
9. Relieves Stress
Sports performance can put a lot of stress on your body, as well as your mind. You work your body hard to achieve the best performance, and playing sports can demand lots from key organs like your heart and lungs, as well as your bones and joints. Yoga can help to relieve some of that stress in the body, and help your mind relax and de-stress too. Yoga helps to reduce the stress hormones in the body, so after time, you’ll find yourself responding better to stressful situations when playing sports, and actively reducing stress on the body.
If you’re an athlete looking to take advantage of the many benefits yoga has to offer you, this week’s six class program is made for you! The program encompasses five major sports, and also includes a pre-game class to help prepare you for victory.
Practice Yoga for Athletes right now!
Yoga for Football with Robert Sidoti
Even though yoga is not considered an Olympic sport, at least not yet, the reality is that it already is a big part of the Olympics. Yoga is a fundamental component of the workout routine of many athletes who are striving for gold during these summer games, and it might very well be one of the key factors for them to finish on top of the podium. It’s no secret that yoga is a great complement for other physical activities and excellent for athletes. Some even think every athlete should do yoga to increase strength, balance, flexibility and mental control. That’s why it comes as no surprise that more and more competitors are taking advantage of the benefits it brings to their discipline. From elastic gymnasts, to big rugby players, they are all bringing the lessons learned on the mat to their respective sports.
These are 5 teams and athletes who practice yoga! Andy Murray. Tennis Player.
Tennis is considered by many as one of the most challenging sports out there. This, since you can rely on no one but yourself to perform well and a long match can last more than 5 hours. Hence, the importance of being concentrated during the whole game, so you don’t get distracted by the increasing tiredness of your body, nor the frustration after a point lost. Andy Murray is a prime example of how yoga can help with the mental aspect of the game, as well as the physical part to endure the demanding tennis season. A few years ago he added Hot Yoga to his training program, and has since won a couple of times in Wimbledon and a gold medal in London 2012, a feat he’ll try to emulate in Rio. So it’s quite evident that yoga has worked for him! New Zealand All Blacks. Rugby.
It might be hard to imagine such aggressive and tough rugby players performing beautifully-shaped asanas on the mat. But yoga is an extremely helpful practice for this kind of sports in which injuries are a common thing. With less tightness in the muscles and better flexibility gained by yoga, it not only reduces the risk of picking up an injury, but it also helps to a faster recovery after the strenuous rugby games. This sport will make its debut at the Olympics with a reduced version called rugby sevens in Rio, which represents a great opportunity for the famous All-Blacks from New Zaeland. They are firm believers of the benefits of yoga and they actually take it quite seriously. There is no denying that it has greatly helped them; after a long draught before 2011, they’ve become world champions two times in a row. Who knows? Probably the Haka is even more intimidating when you learn to control your body with yoga.
Evelyn Stevens. Biking.
After long rides and hours spent on a bike, it’s only natural that the muscles of your legs and back need some care. Stretching these areas with a yoga sequence for cycling is something that can benefit professional cyclists who spend most part of their day on a bike. Early in 2016, Evely Stevens became the fastest female cyclist, when she set a new record riding almost 30 miles in one hour. By now, it won’t surprise you to know that her training program includes yoga. She openly credits her yoga practice with giving her mental and physical strength, which has been a big part of her recent success and something that gives her hopes to get the first Olympic medal in her career.
Kevin Durant. Basketball.
Basketball is a very demanding sport that requires outstanding eye-hand coordination to get the ball in the ring; great awareness to move quickly past the opponents; and good balance to jump higher than anyone else. Well, all these traits can be enhanced for basketball with yoga. Yoga creates the perfect trifecta of flexibility, strength and coordination that every basketball player needs. NBA champion and gold medalist, LeBron James, is an advocate yogi who has found a lot of success in his career in great measure thanks to its amazing regularity. He rarely misses a game thanks to his training, which of course, includes regular yoga sessions.
USA Women's Soccer Team
Yoga can be a great boost for soccer players. It increases the range of motion to be able to do any kind of trick with the ball; the core strength is vital to win one-on-one matchups in contact sports like soccer; and the pranayama techniques are ideal to gain stamina and keep the legs moving during the 90 minutes of play. One of the most famous teams in the world for openly attributing their success in big part to their daily sessions of yoga, the US Women’s Soccer Team has gone a long way with their training program. Indeed, as the goalkeeper Hope Solo once tweeted, yoga has gone so far as to “save” the girls from a fatal shooting in Vancouver in 2012. One of the most famous devoted yoginis on the team is the forward Alex Morgan.
By Alberto Güitrón
Alberto G. Güitrón is the Community Manager at BookYogaRetreats.com. He’s a committed yogi and big sports fan with experience in sports journalism. Most of his favorite athletes are yogis, of course.
Up your game with this yoga class for athletes, right now!
Yoga for Athletes: IT Band & Hips with Kylie Larson
In order to be in peak condition for their chosen sport or sports, athletes maintain strenuous workouts and conditioning programs. Many athletes claim they don’t have time for yoga, but we’re here to share how yoga can provide you a competitive edge, whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete. This week, we’re thrilled to bring you more yoga for athlete’s classes, with a new program from YogaDownload Instructor of the Month, Robert Sidoti. Get ready to enhance your performance and prevent injury.
A well-rounded yoga practice includes dynamic flexibility training, core stabilization, strengthening and balance work.
Often, when athletes stretch pre- or post-workout, they are usually just stretching the muscles in the same direction and plane of motion in which they will be exercising. Yoga goes beyond simple stretching by working the muscles and joints through all ranges of motion--activating the little-used muscles that support the primary movers. The body must be worked through all three planes of motion in order to remain balanced and healthy.
Common overuse injuries among athletes include those involving the illiotibial band (ITB), knee, hamstrings, hip flexors and shoulders.
Often, these injuries are directly linked to lack of flexibility, poor core strength and misalignment. Yoga helps alleviate this tightness, builds a stronger center, and aligns the spine. In order to minimize and/or prevent injury, athletes should concentrate their efforts on these areas.
Many sports, such as golf and tennis, have repetitive movements, usually in one direction and in one plane of motion.
These sports can develop certain muscle groups while ignoring others. Over time, this process causes imbalances in the muscles and joints leading to overuse injuries. For instance, tight hamstrings and hip flexors will cause the body to recruit from other joints, joints not intended for bearing extra loads. By working the body through all planes of motion, yoga creates balance, stability, core strength and flexibility necessary to prevent injury.
In addition, the mind-body connection in yoga is a vital element in building focus and concentration necessary for succeeding on game day. Learning to breathe properly is one of the foundations of yoga. Athletes who learn to stay focused and centered through uncomfortable poses by concentrating on deep inhales and full exhales can utilize yogic breathing techniques to achieve peak stamina and endurance during a game.
Enjoy these specially designed classes by athlete and expert yoga teacher, Robert Sidoti. Yoga can help you recover faster after workouts, open up the tight areas that hinder performance, improve range of motion, and develop mental focus and concentration. This program is beginner friendly, and consists of classes you can return to time and time again for your favorite sports.
Check out our new Yoga For Athletes Program with Robert Sidoti
1. Pre Game Routine
2. Yoga For Golf
3. Yoga For Tennis
4. Yoga For Football
5. Yoga For Baseball
6. Yoga For Soccer
Protein powder is frequently marketed as the key to achieving a lean, muscular body. Especially for those who are physically active, it’s often seen as a necessity for a healthy lifestyle.
But is it really good for you?
Most conventional protein powders contain added sugars, preservatives, and artificial flavorings. And the most common source of protein in protein powders is whey isolate, which is highly processed and not great for those with dairy sensitivities. And even though vegan protein powders are out there, they are usually full of the same added flavors and sweeteners and are just as highly processed as the non-vegan powders.
Now, don’t get us wrong – we’re not saying don’t supplement your diet with protein. We’re just saying you should find a cleaner and healthy protein powder. We recommend looking for whole foods that come from nature that are complete proteins – meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids; these amino acids you NEED to get from your diet since your body doesn’t produce them naturally.
Your body uses amino acids to help repair and build tissues in the body – when you exercise, you make small tears in your muscle tissue, then your body uses amino acids help repair these tears. This process helps you gain muscle strength or size while avoiding soreness from exercise. Your body needs amino acids to repair and build ALL body tissue, so it’s a great supplement even for those who don’t exercise regularly.
If you need to supplement your diet with extra protein, our favorite option is hemp seeds – just 3 tablespoons contain 14 grams of protein! Plus, hemp seeds are one of the few cleanse-friendly vegan options that contain all 9 essential amino acids.
If you really love having a protein powder to quickly throw in a shaker bottle or smoothie, don’t worry! We’ve made a recipe for homemade protein powder for you that’s simple and free of added sugars and chemicals. Our first version is flavored with cinnamon, which helps to stabilize your blood sugar, while monkfruit adds sweetness without sugar. We’ve also made a chocolate-y version for you chocoholics out there, but make sure you save this version.
With love and healthy protein,
Cinnamon Spice Hemp Protein Powder
Yield: 9 servings
2 cups hemp seeds 1 TB. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 ½ TB. monkfruit sweetener (optional)
In a high-speed blender or food processor, add hemp seeds, cinnamon, and monkfruit sweetener (if using). Blend or process until it becomes a fine powder. Store in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve freshness.
To use: Mix 3 TB. of your protein powder in 16 oz homemade nut milk or blend into your favorite smoothie recipe. Enjoy!
Chocolate Hemp Protein Powder
2 cups hemp seeds 1 TB. cacao powder 1 ½ TB. monkfruit sweetener (optional)
In a high-speed blender or food processor, add hemp seeds, cacao, and monkfruit sweetener (if using). Blend or process until it becomes a fine powder. Store in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve freshness.
Jo Schaalman and Julie 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 lead 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.
If you're an athlete or into fitness, practice this yoga class for athletes, to help your body refuel and recover!