Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Eating raw or vegan doesn’t have to be lonely, or obsessive, or weird to our friends, co-workers, or loved ones. It can be very inclusive and non-judgmental. If you find you are getting made fun of or teased, just hold your head up and keep your heart strong. If you find yourself getting emotionally engaged with animal rights and activism while your co-worker or lover is eating a turkey sandwich, relax! This is not the way to approach our meat eating loved ones. Let go of the judgement. It will just cause discomfort, disconnection, and turn others off. It is hypocritical, if we are choosing this diet to become more peaceful and then allow ourselves to get all worked up. Yes, going vegan is great for the environment and sustainability. Yes, it is a more peaceful lifestyle. Yes, being vegan can provide the body detoxification. It is also a yogic path. Yet, eating raw vegan, vegan, vegetarian, organic doesn’t have to come with the stigma that intimidates our meat eating loved ones. It is all about how we present it. Stay positive and excited when going vegan. It is not our business to judge or preach to others. If they ask about it, great! Tell them how you feel, and offer to share your raw vegan meal with them. Step by step, without any judgement ever. When going to a dinner party, you can bring a colorful fruit salad, or a raw corn and sauerkraut salad, which will be great at the pool party or somewhere fun to share with your friends. People may ask you questions but how we answer them doesn’t have to be stoic talks about factory farming, pollution, or the chronic disease epidemic. Just share with them how good you feel, or better yet bring extra to share, or invite them over to share a meal with you.

As 2019 begins, we are gifted with a blank slate, a fresh calendar, and a new opportunity to start fresh and create the lives we desire. Although the holidays are exciting, there’s a tendency to fall out of our routines and practices. There is also the tendency to not sleep enough, to eat foods we don’t usually consume, and generally wear ourselves down. The New Year is a powerful time to implement healthy new habits to help you thrive in your daily life. To assist you in feeling your best, we’ve got four new practices to use as an evening wind down ritual––a life hack many of us need. Without consistent sleep and relaxation, we can’t operate at our highest level during the day. In order for our Prana to flow freely, we need balance. Each class will help you implement a ritual for relaxation and a restful night’s sleep.

Keeping to healthy sleep habits can be one of the best goals to give yourself for the new year. A good night’s sleep can improve your physical and mental health, reduce stress, improve weight loss and much more! It’s one of the basic human needs that a lot of us don’t get enough of. If you’re finding yourself perma-tired, here’s a few habits to help you sleep to pick up in 2019, so that you can start to get a good night’s sleep. Here are 10 effective habits to help you sleep better! 1. Keep a consistent sleep schedule Your body’s circadian rhythm is it’s 24hr cycle, and it functions on a set loop based on when the sun rises and sets. If you keep a consistent schedule with your sleeping and waking times, your sleep quality will improve. An irregular sleeping pattern can cause long-term sleep problems, and can also affect your body’s natural circadian rhythm. This helps signal your brain to sleep too. If you’re struggling to drop off at night, or waking up throughout your sleep, an easy habit to help you sleep better is to start waking and sleeping at the same times.

Dairy-free milk – a cleanser’s go-to ingredient to make their green smoothies creamy and delicious. But many store-bought versions have sneaky additives that can sabotage your health. Added thickening agents like gums and carrageenan, common ingredients in many store-bought nut milks, can cause damage to your gut health. Plus, many contain added flavors and added sugars. The best way to avoid these additives is to make your own dairy-free milk at home! And with our recipes, it’s way easier than you might think. All you really need is a high speed blender – that’s it! If you don’t have time to soak your almonds or cashews, try our recipe for hemp milk! It’s the simplest dairy-free milk to make. Plus, it’s a great option for those with nut allergies or sensitivities. All these milks are amazing in green smoothies, chia seed pudding, or just in a glass!

It isn’t hard to see that a healthy diet and exercise can help a person look and feel better, but did you know that being healthy is also a great way to save money? If you have been thinking about hitting the gym, practicing yoga, walking more often or making a lifestyle change so you can feel better, no time is better to do so than right now. Think about all the ways that a healthy life can improve your financial status by saving money. Here are 8 ways that being healthy saves money. 1. Family Outings Being healthy saves money when it comes to family outings. There is nothing wrong at all with taking your family out to see a movie or to sit and watch a ball game. When you’re working on leading a healthier life however, you may want to ditch the expensive movie tickets and opt for a walk in the park, a hike to a waterfall or taking a swim in a nearby lake. The average cost of a movie ticket for one person is nearly $10 and that adds up when you take your whole family. Once you figure in the cost of popcorn and drinks along with the tickets, a family movie night can cost upwards of $100. Heading to the great outdoors is FREE to do and guaranteed to be fun. 2. Medical Expenses

Are you ready to leave 2018 behind? For many of us, it’s easy to let our usual routines fall to the wayside when the holidays are upon us. If you are one of the virtuous yogis who maintained your practice, congratulations! If you’re like a few of us here at YogaDownload.com, you may have let your best intentions slide and now it’s time to turn it all around. So, if you’re ready to reset and rejuvenate and enter 2019 feeling incredible, we’ve got the perfect solution. We’ve created a slightly different challenge for you, so no excuses! Each class is 30 minutes or less, so all you have to do is wake up early and get it done or squeeze it in somewhere in your day. Consistency is key when creating a new habit and we’ve made it easier for you by shortening the time needed. Although the classes are shorter, they aren’t short on benefits. We want to empower you to complete the entire challenge so, we’ve assembled a variety of classes from some of your favorite YogaDownload.com instructors. Mastery has been described as doing something you've committed to, even on days you don't feel like it. If you still aren’t convinced to jump onboard, here are 4 reasons to tip you over the edge and join us.

It’s the time of year when many of us will be thinking about the year ahead, and setting some goals and resolutions to achieve in the next twelve months. It can be easy to just think “I want to achieve…”, but if you want to actually succeed in your resolutions, you need to set achievable goals. If you don’t have a goal to work towards, you can lose focus and direction, and be further from achieving the challenges you set yourself. Goals also help you set a benchmark for determining your success! There are steps you can take to help you set and achieve your goals. It takes some careful thought into what it is you want to do, and how you’re going to go about achieving it. Here’s our top tips for setting and achieving your goals. 1. Set yourself a motivational goal It’s very important that your goals are motivational to you.

Do you know what’s better than pumpkin pie? Pumpkin fudge! Our version is vegan, rich and decadent, and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. You’ll notice that this recipe calls for both coconut oil and coconut butter. You might be thinking, “What’s the difference?” Coconut oil is the result of cold-pressing oil from the flesh of the coconut. Coconut butter (like other nut butters) is the pureed flesh of the coconut, including the oil. Both are used together in this recipe to give this fudge its signature creaminess. Even though we L-O-V-E everything pumpkin, it is a food we keep off our plates during the cleanse.

Forgive and forget. One of those catch phrases we throw around attaching no thought or action to it. So easy to say these words, but do you; have you, actually done it? Or are you like most of us, and have something that you are harbouring or dwelling on deep inside? While life would be one bright and colourful place if it was only full of rainbows, butterflies, unicorns and sunshine, we all know, reality isn’t. There are dark moments, painful experiences, words that hurt, disappointments, set backs and things that make us see red and breathe fire. Saying “I am sorry” and meaning it, is harder than truthfully expressing “I love you”. What’s more; is it’s a challenge to say it to someone else, but near impossible to say to ourselves. Can you relate to that? Sometimes, the disappointments and harsh words in our life, come from ourselves and in my experience, they are the ones that cause the most damage.

Around the world, people are celebrating various traditions. Whether you are commemorating the Solstice or observing faith based holidays, December represents a time to connect with family and friends. It’s a great time to focus on joy, peace, and establishing rituals. Whether you’re one of the lucky ones who get to spend more time with loved ones, take a trip back home, or go on a vacation somewhere far away or you find this time of year challenging, your yoga practice is always a safe haven. This time of year is a great reminder to focus on what is most important in life: love and connection. We’re here to remind you that taking the time to connect with your own heart will help you navigate this time of year. The heart chakra is considered the seat of compassion and selfless love. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Sutra 1.33, the mind becomes peaceful and free when the qualities of the heart are cultivated. Patanjali suggests:

Life is here to be celebrated. It’s full of both small and big joyful moments, which should be appreciated and acknowledged. Celebrating life, in however small a way, can help us have a more positive outlook, feel happier and feel healthier. It’s really important to take time each day to celebrate life in all its intricacies, especially when life is busy with work and responsibilities. Here’s 20 little ways to celebrate life every day. 1. Start the day by giving thanks When you wake up each morning, try to take a couple of minutes to celebrate your life. Perhaps when you have your morning coffee or tea, just take a moment to thank the universe for the day ahead of you. Starting your day with a sense of gratitude can open your mind up in a positive way. 2. Acknowledge the small achievements

If you’re like us, nothing beats a big green smoothie in the morning! But sometimes, especially when the weather gets colder, a freezing cold green smoothie is the last thing you want to have for breakfast. And there are those who prefer higher protein content for their first meal of the day. So we’ve come up with a yummy alternative breakfast option that is still cleanse-friendly and packs a super protein punch! Since eggs are one of the top 8 allergens and are off-limits during the cleanse, we knew we had to give the usual American breakfast a makeover. This dish is a cleanse-approved spin on the traditional egg-based breakfast skillet that uses ground turkey instead. If a plant-based diet is more your speed, you can substitute cooked chickpeas for the turkey. Plus, it’s a family-friendly breakfast that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes, perfect for weekend AND weekday mornings!

Meditation has often been touted as the road to true health physically, emotionally, and mentally. While it has become quite popular in the West in the last few decades of the 20th century and has remained so as we head well into the 21st century, it is really an age-old practice that has been observed by the wisest and healthiest of men throughout time. At the heart of it, meditation (whether seated meditation, or writing meditation) is all about being in touch with yourself. Many of us simply rush through life, letting events pass us by without taking a moment to pause and reflect about the reality and magnificence of our existence. Meditation seeks to remedy that. It enables you to get in touch with your inner self through the art of introspection. A lot of forms of meditation focus on being able to regulate your breathing, slowing it down to the point where your mind is at peace and quiet enough to really look inward. That is when you process your thoughts and feelings in a way that you can truly connect to them.

This time of year, it can be hard to find a dinner that doesn’t take too long and is healthy and filling. As busy moms with hectic work schedules, we totally get it! It can be all too tempting to grab your favorite take-out and call it a night. That’s why we’ve come up with this recipe! And trust us, it’ll beat your take-out any day :) This is a warming, nourishing curry that you can enjoy over steamed kale or cauliflower rice. It’s filling and hearty while still being cleanse-friendly AND vegan-friendly (meatless Monday, anyone?). Plus, it doesn’t take long to make, and is a one-pot meal so you’ll save time on dishes, too! Looking for other easy weeknight recipes? Check out our Weeknight Turkey Broccoli Stir Fry, Jo’s Easy Weeknight Salad, Chipotle Lime Salmon with Massaged Kale, or 30-Minute Chicken Meatball Tacos.

Can you really manifest your dreams? Make your deepest desires come true? An ideal starting point is taking the time to clarify what exactly will fulfill you, what will make you content, and define what type of life you want to lead. If you don’t know what you want, how can you find it? Visualizing your ideal world is the first step and action is the second. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Eight Limbs of yoga outline a practical path to finding your highest self and learning to become happy in the present moment. In the second limb, the Niyamas or five personal observances, Svadhyaya is defined as self-study. “Sva” means self and “Adhyaya” means study or education. In this context, svadhyaya is a constantly evolving, life long learning process. In the quest to understand our truth, svadhyaya encourages us to reflect, meditate, and study sacred texts. By reading enlightened authors, we can learn from the wisdom of the great people before and around us. By stepping onto our yoga mats, we learn about ourselves. Through dedication and practice, the answers will appear and enable us to define our dreams and clear the path to manifest them into reality.

Manifestation works on the principle that the thoughts we have can attract desires we have. The idea is each thought we have then creates an energy flow around our bodies. The energy flowing around us attracts similar energies. So, for example, if you’re thinking negative thoughts, your energy will be negative and you’ll attract negative experience. However, we can harness this principle to bring positive vibes into our lives. When we realise we’re in control of the experiences we manifest, we can in turn, think positive thoughts and attract positive experiences. Each thought we have influences the energy we exude, and this energy manifests into our life experiences. Here’s some easy ways to get started with manifestation. 1. Stay General

Jo here! Happy Hanukkah! What’re dreidel games without chocolate gelt? Unfortunately, the gelt you buy in the store is usually highly processed and packed with sugar and dairy. So why not make your own at home? It’s easier than you might think! Besides the added sugar and dairy, the main nutritional difference between store-bought gelt coins and my recipe is that my recipe uses raw cacao instead of roasted cacao.

In the Northern Hemisphere, winter is upon us. Outdoor enthusiasts are flocking to the mountains to ski and snowboard. We here at YogaDownload.com want to support winter athletes and help you have the healthiest, most exciting season ever. Yoga can enhance your performance and help keep you injury-free so you enjoy your best days this season and for years to come. If where you live it is springtime, you’ll still benefit from our targeted classes this week. Water-skiing anyone? When you’re careening down a snow-covered mountain at the speed of light or even at the speed of a sloth, it’s important for your mind to be in the game. Honing your mental focus to a razor sharp edge will enable you to not only enhance your downhill skills, but will also help prevent avoidable injuries. Athletes agree that a clear attentive mind is the key to success on the slopes.

Yoga has lots of benefits for those who love to hit the snow. It can increase strength, flexibility and even balance - as well as helping prevent injury. Our classes this week focus on poses for skiers and snowboarders, and here’s some ways practicing yoga can make you better on the slopes. 1. Yoga will give you a strong core You’ll need a strong core for a good skiing or snowboarding posture. Keeping your core engaged, especially while skiing is important, as otherwise you will fold your upper body and put pressure on your back, making it harder to move and turn. The stronger your core, the easier you will find this. Yoga poses all require core strength, and you can practice poses such as plank and chair to give your core some extra strength before your skiing trip. 2. Yoga will help your focus

Embrace and love your body. it's the most amazing thing you'll ever own. -Anonymous It has been some time since I've taken the time to muse online. Even though things are expanding beautifully at the studio, and my 3 little angels are keeping my husband and I on our toes, I still find time to write in my journal each and every day. Inspiration to write hit during a quiet moment at the studio and I decided to take full advantage! While sitting at the front desk I noticed that someone put a copy my book Yes! Yoga Has Curves to the side in order to purchase it after class. Immediately I was taken back to the great times I spent with all the beautiful women in both volumes. Even though many didn't know me they trusted me to share their story and beauty with the masses. The book not only serves as inspiration for yogis of ALL beautiful sizes to practice yoga but also as a personal reminder for me to stay the course. Seeing the book was no coincidence. A few weeks ago I found myself feeling disconnected from my asana practice.

News alert: If a yoga instructor reprimands you because you don’t look a certain way in an asana or physical pose, that teacher may be in the wrong profession. A good teacher will emphasize that how you feel in a pose is what’s important, not what shape you are creating on the mat. If you are finding sensation and breathing fully, then you are in the right place. Despite the barrage of Instagram filtered images crafted by tall thin yogis in advanced yoga poses, you do NOT need to be a skinny pretzel to be a “real yogi.” We’re here to tell you there is no such thing as a yoga body. With the explosion of yoga’s popularity in the Western world over the last few decades, a huge focus on appearance has overshadowed what yoga is truly about. Yoga is for every body and there’s a style and type of practice that works for each individual. It’s adaptable. Accessible. Don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. No matter who you are, whether you are thin or heavy, tall or short, in a wheelchair or an Olympic athlete, yoga is for you.

We all have our own body hang ups, that can be hard to get past. The great thing about yoga is how it relaxes you, and lets you focus on your breath, and how your body is moving. This makes it a great practice to boost your body positivity. Yoga is a practice that all body shapes and sizes can take part in, however it can be hard sometimes to focus when we’re thinking about our body hang ups. Here’s our top tips for practicing body positivity when you’re on the yoga mat. 1. Channel Your Strength Feeling strong is a great way to instantly reap the benefits of body positivity.

Happy Thanksgiving from our families to yours! This is a wonderful time of year filled with gatherings of loved ones around the dinner table. Why not pick the healthiest options for your holiday spread? Jo, prefers to stay on a low-sugar eating track. So her family has developed a lower-sugar spin on the Thanksgiving classic — cranberry sauce! This tart and delicious recipe will win over even your pickiest family members. Looking for more healthy and delicious Thanksgiving options? Check out our Conscious Thanksgiving spread. What’s YOUR go-to Thanksgiving dish and does it need a Conscious Cleanse makeover? Let us know in the comments below! With love and holiday gratitude,

Everything in life can be considered a practice, whether it’s working out, practicing yoga, honing your hobby of choice, and even learning to operate from a place of gratitude each day. Just as you need to work your biceps and quadriceps to keep them strong, toned, and supple, you need to train your brain and your heart to move from a place of appreciation. Sometimes, it’s tough to be positive and grateful. As the Buddhists teach, life is hard. We don’t have much control over external events, but we do have control over our own reaction to them. One of the greatest benefits of a consistent yoga practice is that it allows you to create more space in your reaction time. It isn’t always easy, but being content is worth it.

Practicing gratitude is not just saying ‘thank you’ when someone opens a door for you. Feeling gratitude for all positive aspects in your life is a great way to shift your perspective from any problems and imperfections, and help you appreciate the little things. Taking some time to be thankful for your health, friends, family, or job can all help you change your perspective, especially in challenging times. Practicing gratitude can bring a wealth of benefits to your day to day life. Here are 6 of the best benefits practicing gratitude can have on your life: 1. Practicing gratitude relieves stress Anything that relieves stress is going to be beneficial not only to your mental health, but also your physical health too.