One of the beautiful aspects of yoga is that the practice is fluid and changeable, just like our lives. One day you feel called to an energetic Vinyasa flow and the next a peaceful yin class. Learning to adapt your practice to serve yourself best at any given time will ensure you stay healthy, inside and out. It’s natural for your yoga practice to shift with your current circumstances.
Sometimes current circumstances are painful, difficult, and seemingly unbearable. Loss and grief affect us physically, not just emotionally or mentally. The pain sits in our tissues and if left untended can result in blocks and stuck negative energy. By practicing yoga and mindfulness, we can help ourselves work through whatever is going on, whether it is loss of a loved one, illness, or trauma. Utilize yoga as one of the tools you use to navigate the difficult times.
How can yoga help you process grief? Grief is like a rollercoaster––it doesn’t have a time limit, it doesn’t have a distinct beginning or end. Your feelings and pain are individual and each person’s process is unique. Yoga can help you by moving the emotions that have settled into your cells, it can help you release the pain that may seem to have imprinted into your heart. We aren’t claiming you’ll be miraculously healed, only that you’ll have another way to help process your emotions.
Working with the definition of yoga in the Yoga Sutra 1.2, Chitta Vritti Nirhodha, learning to quiet the fluctuations of your mind will aid you in focusing on directing your attention where you want to go, Perhaps you seek some peace and calm or to connect with cherished memories of a loved or quieting anxiety that may have you in its grip. If you are navigating illness and your time is consumed with dealing with doctor’s appointments, side effects of medication or surgery, it can be tough to escape the burdens of feeling sick. Implementing pranayama techniques to stay calm while enduring treatment or waiting for test results can make an enormous difference in keeping calm.
Yoga can help you empower yourself and tap into your inner resiliency and strength in such a way you can continue moving forward in your life despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Yoga reminds us that everything is temporary. Everything. Accepting the concept of impermanence can help us adjust to illness, loss, and grief. The only constant in this world is change and tuning into this universal truth helps us feel more in step with the rhythm of life and death and transformation.
To put it simply, by moving your body in certain ways and breathing deliberately and quieting your mind, you are helping your nervous system quiet down and cope with grief.
You know how much better yoga makes you feel in general, well, it can help you feel better in dire times too.
This week, we’ve got a special class package, Healing 101, by Shannon Paige, to help begin with your powerful healing process. If you’re going through a hard time, whether it’s from trauma, grief, or illness, try these classes.
Featuring the 6-classes below:
1. Shannon Paige Yoga for the Anxious Moments
2. Shannon Paige Yoga for Navigating Illness
3. Shannon Paige Yoga for the Dark, Dark Days
4. Shannon Paige Yoga for Loss
5. Shannon Paige Criss Cross Healing
6. Shannon Paige Mindful Motion for Healing
There is such excitement in imagining opportunities manifest themselves. When opportunities arise and we truly believe we deserve them and our ability to create them, we can even start to see and feel ourselves experiencing them. We have the ability to imagine the things we want to unfold. We may even start to communicate to our friends that it is “happening!” Often, this approach works. However, sometimes things don't turn out exactly or even close to how we wanted them to.
It feels disappointing.
To deal with disappointment without allowing an undesired circumstance to cause us low self esteem or despair is challenging. How did this happen when we believed in what we wanted to happen. When we were already planning our future around this! WTF?! How to overcome disappointment is possible, even when it's challenging.
With a focused perspective we can accept whatever challenges life throws at us, as important, and valuable in the long run. Challenge teaches us our capacity, our boundaries, our resilience, our passion. There are many possible disappointments life can provide us; job loss, feeling rejected in a relationship, failing a test, losing our ground, death, participating in an unhealthy behavior, etc. Overcoming disappointment, such as these examples, becomes a measure of endurance to keep striving for what we are hoping to accomplish and a potential opportunity to teach us how strong, resilient, and tough we are.
Allowing ourselves to feel disappointed briefly is important and healthy to an extent, to keep momentum toward what we are desiring and creating. Showing up to disappointment, feeling it, and then letting it go is vital for health. Most of us avoid what is uncomfortable at any cost. Feelings if buried alive, will never die, and may dim the light in our enthusiasm towards life itself.
When we feel disappointed it signifies that we are passionate with what we are seeking. That passion is good!
It means there is more energy to give, to achieve our goal. The human heart is resilient if the perspective is right. If we experience failure and we try, and try, and try again, we create movement and eventual breakthroughs. Don’t shrivel up and stop trusting. That will stop opportunity. Strive forward with a patient endurance. This is how to deal with disappointment in a healthy way! It is all about keeping things moving and not letting disappointment stop us.
Disappointment stems from possibility. It’s funny how imagination can create anticipation to the point where the mind starts visualizing and sensing a possible future outcome that doesn’t even exist. It is possible, but it is also not possible.
What is possibility? Possibility is something that may happen or may be the case. It is not a guarantee. If it is a possibility, it means that there are alternative outcomes. When we presence ourselves in mindfulness, we realize that there is never a guaranteed outcome. There are multiple possibilities in every thing at every moment. It is always helpful to keep this perspective, when deciding what it is that we want. Even if it's something we really want, always remember that even if it doesn't work out exactly as hoped, it simply means that experience was not meant for us, and there's a better one waiting!
Life is going to have many unanswered whys. How we show up to the unanswered whys is the lesson. When we hit the wall, what do we reach for? When we fall down, how long do we wallow there? What is it that motivates us to stand back up, to pull ourselves up over the wall? Why do we take a disappointment, or a series of disappointments personally thinking of our self as the failure, or not good enough. We create all sorts of dangerous assumptions to try to explain to our minds why.
As yogis we search for the lessons that keep us in bondage. We challenge disappointments to be exposed so we can bring the process of freeing ourselves from their influence. Keep pushing back the limitations placed around yourself and invoke a greater relationship with your self that is not jaded by circumstance. You can overcome disappointments and setbacks.
You deserve the best in life and you owe that to yourself. No one else is going to do this for you. You do it. Disappointments will show up, but those of us that stay persistent and unwavering and see disappointments as lessons instead of failures, are the ones who create the lives they love to live. So, remember, disappointments are temporary, and merely a stepping stone along the way to what it is you desire and are worth.
Be strong. Move on. Live a life you love.
By Shannon Connell
Shannon is a certified Jivamukti, Power, Hot Yoga, and Mindfulness Meditation Instructor, Usui and Karuna Reiki Master Teacher, and Registered Psychotherapist. She honors the interconnectedness between All-beings and All-things and is passionate about participating and supporting her community in physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Visit her at her website www.shannonconnellhealth.com.
Overcome disappointment and envision what you want now with Christen's meditation!
Living the Dream: A Vision Meditation with Christen Bakken
BBQ! The go-to meal for summer cookouts and gatherings. What’s better on a lazy weekend afternoon than a big plate of finger-licking BBQ sauce-covered meat or veggies?
Unfortunately, most store-bought BBQ sauces are laden with added sugars and other impossible-to-pronounce-ingredients. For our cleansers, who are keeping tomatoes off their plates during cleanse-time, it’s also a dish that they’ve long had to avoid.
Not anymore!
We’ve developed a cleanse-friendly BBQ sauce that is so smoky and delicious you’ll never miss the original. We’ve replaced the tangy-sweetness of the tomato and sugar with beets; the only added sweetener is a little bit of blackstrap molasses. Seriously, it’s so good you’ll want to slather this stuff on everything! We went traditional with this recipe and used it on grilled chicken, but you could go vegetarian or vegan and put it on grilled or roasted veggies too. The possibilities are endless!
So, get out there, get grilling, and enjoy this super yummy cleanse-friendly meal that your entire family will enjoy.
With love and BBQ grillin’,
Tomato Free BBQ Sauce
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 beet 1 TB. olive oil 1 TB. lemon juice 5 TB. apple cider vinegar 2 TB. blackstrap molasses 1 TB. fresh ginger 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed 1 cup carrots, diced 1 cup onion, diced ½ tsp. smoked salt
Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse beet and trim off the leafy tops. Wrap beet loosely in aluminum foil and place in oven. Roast beets for about an hour or until soft. Remove the beet from the oven, take off foil and set aside to cool. Once the beet has cooled, cut off leafy end, peel skin off with thumbs, and quarter the peeled beet.
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion and carrots and sauté until onions are translucent. In a high speed blender, blend beet, onion, carrots, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, molasses, ginger, garlic, and smoked salt until smooth. Place blended ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for 7 days.
Tomato Free BBQ Chicken
Yield 4-6 servings
3 lbs. chicken thighs and legs, skin on and bone in Sea salt 1 cup Tomato Free BBQ sauce
Instructions: Season chicken with sea salt on both sides. Preheat gas grill to medium-low heat (about 300 degrees F). Place chicken on heated grill and cook for about 30 minutes with the lid down, turning occasionally. Before chicken is completely cooked, brush BBQ sauce over the surface every 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is done. The chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.
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.
Complement this delicious and detoxifying smoothie recipe with Yoga Download's Yoga for Detox, Cleansing, & Vitality package!
Restorative yoga is a deeply relaxing practice that helps relieve stress. A hectic lifestyle is the biggest host to stress. Through Restorative Yoga, deep relaxation therapy can be attained. Restorative Yoga is a slow-paced practice that holds poses for long to attain deep relaxation. The practice opens up the body by being in specific positions and gives a completely different experience than most of the more rigorous traditional and contemporary yoga styles.
There are three main components of the restorative style: use props all the time, transition into the poses slowly, and hold the poses for a longer period of time. During a restorative yoga practice, the yogis can make use of props like blankets, blocks, and bolsters for support. It also encourages long hold as it allows the muscles to relax, stills the mind, improves your mood and its healing capacity, and is an amazing and effective antidote to stress.
Here are the top four restorative yoga poses to help reduce stress:
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose)
While performing the pose, you start feeling at ease and experience a neutral sensation in the pelvic region releasing all the stress from the body and mind.
How to do the pose:
Lie straight on the floor on your back near the wall with hands placed beside the body.
Now breathe in and as you exhale, lift your legs up from the hips, and place them against the wall.
Place your hands on your back for support. You can use a block or bolster for the same.
Breathe gently and be in the pose for a while and relax.
Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
Restorative Yoga poses are the best way to relieve stress and feel rejuvenated. This pose gives a heavenly experience. It opens the heart, calms the mind, relaxes the body, and of course, releases stress.
Lie down on a floor and place a bolster that can support your head to the back.
Now fold the knees and join the soles. Place a block under the knees and let your arms rest beside the body.
Free your body and hold the pose for 5-10 minutes.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)
It is a great asana to have a restorative backbend to relax the spine, relieve back pain, and reduce stress.
Lie straight on the floor on your back, and keep the hands beside the body.
Now inhale and bend the knees and feet placed flat on the floor.
Then lift the back and hips upward and support it with the head, shoulders, and hands.
Roll the shoulders inward to feel a slight lift in the chest.
Now place a block under the sacrum for support and let your arms rest beside the body.
Hold the pose for 5 minutes. Then remove the block and slowly lower your back.
Salamba Balasana (Supported Child Pose)
Balasana is one of the most relaxing poses that totally resets your entire being. It is a great yoga posture to release the negative thoughts and to be more positive. Restorative Child Pose releases shoulder tension and relaxes the abdomen area, hip, and chest. It provides stillness to the mind and relaxes the body.
Sit on the floor on your knees with an erect spine and hands on the thighs.
Make sure your hips are placed on the heels. Now place a bolster or blanket in front.
Take a deep breath and fold the upper body forward over the prop. And rest your arms alongside the support.
Turn your head to one side and hold the pose for 5 minutes.
Conclude the session in Savasana. Experience deep relaxation and bring back the lost equilibrium.
By Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveler in India. He provides Yoga Teacher Training in India, Yoga teacher training in nepal, kerala and thailand. He loves writing and reading the books related to yoga, health, nature and the Himalayas.
Relieve stress with restorative yoga right now!
Saraswati Hangs in the Stars with Shannon Paige
Some days life feels undeniably easier than other days. It’s part of being human. Ever wake up on the “wrong side of the bed”, where one thing after another seems to keep going wrong and your mood is bad and everyone is bothering you? Life can feel like a struggle on these days, instead of something we’re meant to enjoy and savor.
Do you appreciate the opposite days? The days where you are in the flow and one amazing thing after another unfolds and you’re in a good mood, are happy, content, and enjoying life. These are the days we live for. Luckily, we have the power to put ourselves into a good mood and create more of these days, even on those days when we wake up in a bad mood.
It’s not always by chance whether we're in a good mood or a bad mood. We have the power to create the days and moods we want. While some days feel more challenging than others, we have the power to turn any day around. It’s not always easy, but there are techniques, tricks, and things we can do, to go from feeling down and in a bad mood, to resetting and feeling in a good mood.
Here are 7 ways to hit the reset button on your day, and help you go from a bad mood to a good mood.
1. Do an inversion. Inversions in yoga give a shift in perspective. Sometimes we need to put our bodies upside down, to create a shift and a reset in our minds and mood. Inversions are also excellent mood boosters and help alleviate things like anxiety and depression.
2. Meditate. It can be more challenging to meditate if you’re not in your best spirits, but this is often when we need it most! It never fails to amaze me, how even 5 minutes of stillness, breath, and inner focus, can drastically improve my thoughts and mood. You literally have the power through meditation to change your mindset, your mood, and your day.
3. Go see someone you love. Go spend time with the people who lift you up. Your friends or family who know and love you whether you’re at your best or your worst. Without dumping too much negativity on them, sometimes just having someone willing to listen and give advice, is all we need to reassure us that we’re doing amazing and whatever we’re dealing with will pass. If you can’t see one of these people in your life today because of your schedule, try calling them instead.
4. Eat Food that makes you happy. Sometimes, a good meal is all you need to remember the things that give you joy in life. While emotional eating can be detrimental over time, treating yourself to delicious food, guilt-free, even if it’s expensive or indulgent, can turn things around.
5. Go for a walk. Walk it off! Don’t underestimate the power of simply going for a stroll to clear your head, change your perspective, and reset your day. It doesn’t have to be to a destination or with an objective. Simply walk. Sometimes it’s the most effective thing to get yourself out of your head.
6. Music. Music is medicine. Put on music that makes you feel. This will help get you out of your head and can lift your spirits. Whether it’s something uplifting and fun to dance around to in your house, or something melancholy and deep, to move through your emotions, give yourself some solace with music next time you feel down.
7. Journal. My struggles seem less daunting when I write them out. Sometimes when we’re in the midst of a bad day, we’re merely stuck in a negative thought pattern. Writing about whatever it is that has us feeling bad, can help it move through us, so there is new space for good thoughts and feelings to come.
Practice one or several of these seven things next time you’re not having the best day. Don’t feel like a victim to your mood. Instead, be proactive and empowered in turning it around, and create a good mood when you need to. It’s not always easy, but it’s possible and very worth it, so you can enjoy as many days of your life as possible.
By Keith Allen
Keith Allen is a teacher on YogaDownload.com and as well as Yoga Download's Content Director. His classes balance a meditative focus with safe alignment. He has studied extensively from different teachers, lineages, and styles around the world, and remains a passionate and dedicated student of yoga and meditation. He regularly leads workshops and teacher trainings internationally and is a co-author of The Yoga Fix book, which is a resource of healthy movement patterns and safe applicable yoga alignment. In addition to yoga, Keith is a media producer and helps bring high-quality content to life with YogaDownload.com. Aside from professional endeavors, he is passionate about traveling, producing videos, skiing, making art, and enjoying music. Enjoy his classes on YogaDownload.com, connect with him on at KeithJAllen.com, or follow him on Instagram.
Put yourself in a good mood with one of Keith's classes now!
Turn Your Day Around with Keith Allen
Quick, Powerful, Yoga Reset with Keith Allen
Are you in need of a reset? Maybe you are feeling tired or lack motivation, or you simply woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Perhaps external events are weighing heavily on you. Or maybe you’ve fallen into a pattern of negative thinking and need to flip the switch and find a more positive perspective. Yoga is a practice of looking within and shining a light on our true nature.
Enter the yoga sutras! The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are considered the seminal text on yoga and despite the fact they are thousands of years old, their enduring wisdom is relevant today. The practical philosophy can be employed to help us uncover our best selves.
In order to shift your perspective, consider Sutra 2.33: vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam. When distracted by disquieting or negative thoughts or feelings, cultivate the opposite point of view and replace with the positive. This is pratipaksha bhavana.
Let’s consider a few situations and see how this practice can create a true shift in your attitude. Perhaps you’ve been critical of your partner and cannot seem to stop pointing out faults or annoying habits, like leaving dirty dishes out on the counter or piles of dirty clothes on the floor. And does this create a change in behavior? Probably not. Instead, focus on your partner’s positive habits, like always making you coffee in the morning or kissing you goodnight every night. Positive reinforcement creates more harmony.
How about how your inner voice when you are on your yoga mat? Do you criticize yourself for not being strong enough or flexible enough or balanced enough? Pay attention to your inner dialogue and if you find yourself being unkind, change your thoughts and praise yourself for showing up.
This weeks classes are perfect for when you need to hit the reset button. Whether you're feeling sluggish, frustrated, or just need a little motivational boost, any of these 4 shorter practices will help you get going!
1. Caitlin Rose Kenney - Midday Reset
2. Ellen Kaye - Brain Break (FREE Class)
3. Erin Wimert - Barre Quickie
4. Elise Fabricant - Reset Refuge: Come Home to Yourself
Here in Colorado, we start looking forward to the bounty of summer produce that will start making appearances at our local farmer’s market. One of the vegetables we eat the most during the summer is zucchini! It’s chock full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, and it works in so many different recipes (check out our Simple Basil Pesto with Zucchini “Noodles” or Coconut Curry Zucchini Soup).
This recipe uses zucchinis to put a new, healthy spin on a breakfast favorite – waffles!
These healthy waffles are a great way to get your picky eaters to eat some veggies. Plus, thanks to the cassava flour, which comes from a root, these puffy waffles are actually grain-free and paleo!
Enjoy these healthy, paleo, grain-free waffles for a lazy Saturday or Sunday breakfast or brunch. This recipe is one of our many 80:20 recipes.
Do you have a favorite healthy breakfast food you’d like us to give a healthy makeover? Let us know in the comments below.
With love and zucchini goodness,
Grain-Free Paleo Zucchini Chocolate Chip Waffles
Yield: 2-3 large Belgian waffles
1 cup zucchini, grated 1 cup cassava flour 2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. Himalayan sea salt 1 TB. olive oil 2 TB. maple syrup or Lakanto 2 cups almond milk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 egg ½ cup Lily’s chocolate chips
Instructions: Grate the zucchini and then use a paper towel to squeeze out some of the excess water and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, combine cassava flour, baking powder and salt, whisk to combine. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla and the egg, whisk to combine. Add zucchini to wet mixture and mix to just combined. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to cook in your waffle maker. Top with fresh fruit, maple syrup, and/or coconut whipped cream.
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 cleansethrough 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.
I am a dreamer. Head in the clouds, anything is possible, never settle kinda' girl. I believe that the bigger your dreams, the bigger your possibilities. Why would you want to place limitations on this short and fleeting life we have been granted?
A life without dreams is like a garden without flowers. Where is the beauty?
Plant seeds, create awareness and then focus on finding potential. Voicing your dream whether in words or writing, is like fertilizer, so be prepared to watch the dreams blossom into fruition.
They say when the student in ready the teacher appears. I say when the seed is planted the sun will shine.
If you aim for the stars even if you fall short, you will land in the clouds. From experience I know there is a much better view from the clouds than there is from the ground always looking up and wondering what if.
I grew up conservative in my approach. A planner. I saved money and believed in hard work and long term effort to reach goals over time.
Then I realized I was frustrated and impatient. My meticulous planning and attention to detail was preventing action. I could take all the time I wanted to “think” about where I wanted to go, what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be, but the result of ‘overthinking: is procrastination.
So I started taking risks. Acted a little impulsively. Injected my life with a little spontaneity. And you know what – it didn’t kill me.
It became a bit of a drug – the more I tasted, the more I wanted. I got hooked. A full blown addict. A dream junkie!
Now I spend my life encouraging others to create images of how they want their life to look. To visualize, with no holds barred.
There is no such thing as dreaming too big. In fact, the bigger the better!
Just because you dream it, doesn’t mean you have to go through with it, but you may be surprised by the power of a dream. Imagination and intention can open doors that planning has no keys for.
Have you ever bought a new car and then be surprised how many of the same cars you see on the road? Has your best friend fallen pregnant and then you look around you and seems like everyone is pregnant? Is it actually that numbers of occurence have increased or have you just tuned in and become more observant?
The same thing happens when you picture your dreams. You tune in and start to notice things leading you in that direction, that were always there, you just failed to see them. Stating a dream, is like tuning in a new station on a TV. What was previous static fuzz becomes a clearer picture. The universe starts to conspire and support you and place all sorts of key indicators, reminders and directional signs in your path.
So I ask you this – what harm does dreaming big pose? Worse case scenario, is they may actually come true?
I dare you to try a dream exercise to get your creative juices flowing and write down your dreams, without overthinking what you're writing down. Just let your imagination flow and list your desires. Visualize them. But be warned – 12 months after writing my first list 40% of my list had happened or well on its way to happening!
By Amy Booth
Amy is a yoga and pilates teacher and personal trainer in Brisbane, Australia, where she runs a cute riverside studio and a personal training business. In addition each year she runs a yoga retreat (Bali, August 2018) and hiking retreat (Australia, 2018).
Connect with Amy: Website: www.ambertreeyoga.com.au Instagram: @ambertreeyogaandretreats Facebook: Amber Tree Yoga and Retreats
Visualize and Create your Dreams Now!
This week, we are excited to kick off a two-week challenge designed to tone and strengthen your center and bolster your center of gravity. We’ve got the top 5 reasons to focus on your abs and booty during yoga…hint––not just for how you look in a bathing suit! Now, we aren’t saying we don’t love looking our best, but we want to remind you these benefits change how you feel, not just how you look.
Ready to get motivated? Here are the top 5 benefits to working out your abs and booty!
1. A Healthy Spine: Strong, toned abdominals will help maintain a healthy back. Often, lower back pain comes from weak abdominals and who has time for that? Many of these classes focus on toning not just your abdominals, but your back muscles too. The muscles of your trunk comprise your core and keeping them in shape will help you protect your spine. By performing specific, targeted work to strengthen your center, you can avoid pain and injury.
2. More Muscle Equals increased Metabolic Rate: Spending time building a strong, balanced booty will help you burn more calories 24/7. The glutes are the largest muscle group in our body and are comprised of the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. When they are toned and strong, we benefit with an increased metabolic rate, which means we burn more calories at rest, i.e. when you are sitting on that booty!
3. Hip and Joint Stability: Powerful gluteal muscles aid in pelvic stability and help ensure your functional daily activities like walking, standing, and sitting aren’t causing physical imbalances. When your glutes fire properly, they are ensuring you are moving with proper alignment and safeguard your hip, knee, and ankle joints. A weak booty can cause other muscles to take over and create imbalances and injury. Sometimes we focus so much on hip openers to the detriment of strength––we need both stability and mobility. A strong core and booty will help you with optimal balance and excellent posture.
4. Self-Confidence: Our third chakra, the Manipura or Navel Center, is located in our belly and is the seat of our inner fire and ego. Stoke your inner fire! When you are walking tall and feeling physically strong, your inner strength is bolstered too. Remember, everything is connected. Yes, looking your best is great, but feeling your best creates a self-assured persona from the inside out.
5. Improved Digestion: In addition to toning your muscles and stabilizing your joints, working your core and booty aid in maintaining healthy digestion. When you jump into this challenge, you’ll be twisting and forward folding and contracting and engaging the muscles of your trunk and lower body. This activity helps stimulate your digestive organs and keep you feeling light and buoyant. Seventy-five percent of our immune system is located in the gut and by keeping your digestion flowing, you help ward off disease.
We’ve deliberately selected each one of these practices to keep you motivated, interested, and invested in creating change in your body, mind, and heart over the next two weeks. No matter what level of fitness you are today, you’ll feel stronger, leaner, and more confident in just two weeks. We love this collection so much, we’ll be pressing play along with you! Let’s do this!
It's not to late to join the challenge! Get your abs and booty and entire body into the best shape of your life, by signing up for the challenge now!
Yoga is not only a good way to relax your mind and body, it is also being praised for improving Crossfit performance. Yoga creates more flexibility and creates more mobility, which are beneficial for the rigors of Crossfit as well as reducing the risk of injury.
While the practices are different in many ways, Crossfit and yoga actually have a lot in common, so if you practice yoga, it’s can be easier to learn to practice Crossfit, and vice versa.
Benefits of Yoga for Crossfit:
Here are a few reasons why you should consider using yoga as a part of your crossfit training regime.
Yoga has many gentle poses that develop your core which is an important part to Crossfit. Being capable of balancing and holding the body with the core is essential. When you regularly practice yoga, you promote strength, endurance, and flexibility and have a greater awareness of how to use your core effectively. You also find your inner strength which is important in Crossfit training.
You practice cultivating calm, in challenging moments in yoga, and that can really help during Crossfit. Yoga can help us have more fun in Crossfit. Studies have found that yoga allows you to become more self-aware and improves your energy levels, helping you to enjoy life more fully. Sometimes in Crossfit, training and progress becomes such a focus point that we forget to be light and have fun. Yoga can help here.
Yoga also helps people sleep better because it relaxes your nervous system. This is crucial for anyone training in any demanding athletic endeavor.
The twists and bridges in yoga help your metabolism increase which leads to more energy. The body burns more calories and better utilizes vitamins and minerals.
Greater range of motion in your joints.
Yoga helps your back become more flexible an strong as well.
Why is Flexibility and Mobility Important?
Stretching focuses on lengthening and shortening tight muscles which is really important for preventing injury. Mobilization is a bit different. It is a full-body approach that focuses on all elements of limited movement.
With all parts of the body being connected, if even one area is out of alignment, not strong enough, or not flexible enough, you can’t maximize what you body is capable of doing. For example, when lifting a barbell, you can’t stack it over your spine, heels, and hips without overextending your lower lumbar. Becoming more mobile in the shoulders will allow you to hold a barbell properly and stack it through your midline with very little stress.
What is Mobility?
Mobility is the sum of your joint range of motion, muscular tension, soft tissue, joint capsule restrictions, tendon resilience, and knowing how to form your movements. When you better develop your mobility, you’ll become more stabilized which gives you greater muscle balance and strength. This includes core strength which protects the spine.
Mobility and flexibility helps you to move your legs and arms in their full range of motion. Yoga helps with this, and these benefits will make you stronger in Crossfit.
When you can accomplish increasing mobility through yoga, you also reduce injury risk and have a greater ability to achieve whatever techniques you’re working on. You also have greater power output and more productive workouts.
Yoga and Flexibility for Safer Training
Ultimately, combining yoga with Crossfit is going to ensure your safety. Safety is one of the Crossfit charters and an important aspect to the discipline. Injuries are most likely to happen when Crossfit athletes make fast movements that engage the joints incorrectly.
Even the most basic yoga stretches will increase how efficient your motion is throughout the joints, which is the foundation to moving in full range of motion. You exert much less energy lifting the same amount of weight because you’re using the right joints and muscles.
3 Yoga Poses to Strengthen your Crossfit Game
Basic yoga poses will help the body open up to more complex poses that really improve all around strength, flexibility, and balance. The hips, hamstrings, glutes, core, and shoulders need to be stretched out daily to promote better mobility, strengthen posture as well as strengthen the whole body safely. 1. Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge) . The low lunge stretches out the hip flexors which you carry a lot of tension an are utilized in running and strength exercises.
Start by standing at the top of your mat and bring your feet hip-width apart. Begin to bend your knees and put your hands on the mat. Step your left foot back. Make sure your right knee and ankle are in one line (to protect your knees from injury.) Keep your knee aligned with your second toes. Press your toes on the mat and lift the arch of your foot to keep it activated. Your left heel should be towards the earth and the back of your knee towards the sky. Lengthen your spine and neck and just look straight ahead. Stay in this pose and breathe deeply into the hip flexors (where the tension is). Stay in this pose for about 15 seconds. To switch legs, step your left foot forward and the right foot back.
2. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose). Bridge pose is an excellent way of stretching the core which is pretty important when it comes to Crossfit because you work it so hard. When you open up your core, it helps you to stand up straighter and creates space for the abdominal organs. This helps them to do their job which is to flush and cleanse toxins.
Start on your back with your knees bent and feet on the mat. Bring your heels towards your glutes so you can touch them with your fingertips. Lift your hips to the sky and activate your thighs, externally rotate your shoulders and open up your chest. Roll your shoulder blades under your chest and interlace fingers beneath your lower back. Press your thighs, hips and heart up toward the sky. Breathe here for up to 1 minute as you continue to go further into the pose. Use your breathing to increase flexibility into the pose.
3. Arm Circles with Strap. With arm circles, you stretching the shoulders and create more mobility which is extremely helpful with barbell lifts. The shoulders are incorporated into yoga often. There are tiny stabilizer muscles in the shoulders that can become easily injured if they’re not warm. Creating heat in the shoulders is essential to preventing injury.
Begin with your shins on the mat and hips on your feet. Take a strap, belt or scarf and hold the ends in your hands. Left your hips so you’re standing on your knees. Hold either end of your strap in front of your chest with hands a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. Breathe in and lift your arms over your head and behind your back. As you breathe out, bring them back in front of your chest. Breathe in and go back, breathe out and go forward. To prevent injury, keep your chin parallel to the mat. Do this 20-30 times or until you feel like you’ve really warmed up the body.
Full yoga sequences that strengthen the main parts of the body that are used in Crossfit will improve your overall performance. Poses like this will warm up the whole body, stretch main muscle groups, increase mobility, and improve balance. The benefits of yoga for crossfit are profound and you’ll find that you’re a lot less prone to pain even when you’re training extremely hard.
These stretches help the body get ready for Crossfit training sessions and competitions. Making them a daily part of your life will allow you to see an overall improvement in flexibility which really does help you avoid injury as well as other benefits.
By Meera Watts
Meera Watts is a yoga teacher, entrepreneur and mom. Her writing on yoga and holistic health has appeared in Elephant Journal, CureJoy, FunTimesGuide, OMtimes and others. She’s also the founder and owner of SiddhiYoga.com, a yoga teacher training school based in Singapore. Siddhi Yoga runs intensive, residential trainings in India (Rishikesh, Goa and Dharamshala), Indonesia (Bali).
Connect with Meera:
Website: https://www.siddhiyoga.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/siddhiyogaacademy Instagram: https://instagram.com/siddhiyogainternational Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/siddhiyogainter Twitter: https://twitter.com/meerawatts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meerawatts FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/siddhiyogateachertraining
Practice yoga with High Intensity Training now, to expreience yoga and strength training combined!
Total Body HIIT & Yoga Fusion with Kylie Larson
If you are currently in the midst of summer, ice cream might seem like the most desirable treat on a hot day. While the occasional indulgence can be good for the soul, too much sugar and dairy, which are present in most ice creams, has very few nutritional benefits. In fact, too much of it, can take it's toll on your body and leave you not feeling your best after the cold treat.
Luckily, with vegan ice cream, you can still enjoy delicious ice cream as frequently as you'd like, while giving your body nutrients and vitality in the process!
Who thought that you could have healthy ice cream? This vegan ice cream recipe will give your body antioxidants and a healthy serving of fruit, while satisfying your ice cream craving on a hot day. Plus, it's simple, and easy to make, as long as you have access to a strong blender or food processor. Enjoy!
Ingredients: Frozen Organic Ripe Bananas Frozen Organic Mango (You can add any other frozen fruits) Ice Toppings: Raw Cacao Nibs Organic Blueberries
Place ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until you get the desired, creamy consistency. Enjoy this delicious vegan and dairy-free ice cream.
Ready to start eating healthy? Kick start your transformation with the Yoga for Detox, Cleansing, & Vitality package now!
Junk food is one of the greatest dangers for modern humans, but not everyone understands why, or how to stop eating it! For some, it’s easy to give up junk food, sweets, and pastries, but for many, overcoming this indulgence for a healthy diet is very difficult. Healthy eating must become not just a habit, but an integral part of a lifestyle for everyone who wants to live a long and happy life.
Why Is Excessive Junk Food Dangerous?
Excessive passion for processed food and snacks is a top reason for obesity and high disease rates in different countries all over the world. Americans are the leaders in this category however. They spend more $60 billion annually on snack foods, many of it processed food high in sugar. Unprocessed foods are created by nature, that’s why human body easily digests them. The taste and consistency of natural food is supposed to easily satiate hunger. In contrast, junk food and other processed foods contain a big amount of salt, sugar, and flavor enhancers, that are very addictive and leave us wanting more.
Craving junk food isn’t only about your body; it also affects your brain. According to the latest research, abuse of unhealthy food causes addiction and affects the striatum, one of the nuclei of the human forebrain that coordinates multiple aspects of cognition, in particular motivation, making decisions, and reward perception. The fact that the striatum is also activated by such things as sex and illegal drugs, once again stresses the importance of breaking addition to unhealthy food. Food high in fats and carbs becomes strongly liked, it hyper-activates the addiction centers and thus boosts addiction circuits.
Luckily, we can transform our brain over time, to go from craving junk food, to craving healthy food.
Here are 6 Effective Ways to Give up Junk Food for a Healthier Diet. 1. Take a clear look at your cravings. Our brain consumes a lot of energy, for that reason it constantly needs nutrients. On the one hand, foods rich in fats and carbs give a powerful boost of energy and activate the production of dopamine that makes us feel happy. On the other hand, they cause addiction circuits in the way described above in order to anticipate their eating by people. Preventing cravings before they begin, is the best approach to break any addiction cycle. You should consume more healthy good-tasting foods rich in carbs, as their digestion takes more time and abates the link between the taste of foods and the hyperactivation of the addiction centers. 2. Eat consciously. You shouldn’t just throw food into your mouth; everyone knows this principle, but only a few follow it. Show respect to what you eat – while biting, chewing and swallowing you should pay attention to taste, smell, and structure of the food and satisfy every bite on your plate. 3. Choose the right utensils for eating. It’s worth mentioning the illusions that trick your brain and make your brain feel more full than it really is. Prefer taller and thinner glasses to shorter and wider ones (unless you're drinking water or a healthy drink), because an equal amount of any beverage looks bigger in the former than in the latter. The same situation with plates – people eat more if food is served on the bigger plate and vice versa. 4. Examine the cause. If you want to transform a bad habit, you need to clearly see why you are doing it. Maybe you eat junk food when you're sad, angry, or feeling unloved. Sometimes we don't even realize certain bad habits are coping mechanisms for difficult emotions. Look into what you desire when you're eating junk. Instead focus on what how you'd like to treat your body instead Visualize yourself as healthy, and vibrant, and someone who eats well. Write down your purpose and cause in improving what you eat and keep coming back to it to stay consistent. 5. Make your cravings healthier. It is difficult to abandon everything at once, but you can get creative in implementing alternatives to unhealthy junk food. For example, if you crave sweet potato fries, bake sweet potato in the over instead. Eat various fruits instead of candies. Even your favorite chocolate can be eaten, but only a few pieces of dark chocolate, instead of an entire bar of sugary chocolate. These are small examples of where you will not need to go gold turkey in changing your diet completely. You can always find an alternative way of eating. 6. Realize your weaknesses and be gentle with yourself. You must be conscious when you choose food. Yes, you have the power to choose everyday to eat food that is good for your health and well-being. However, you are not perfect. You'll mess up sometimes, or indulge when you feel like it. It's important to be kind to yourself for being human! Enjoy the subtle changes and healthy choices, even if it's not a total transformation, or you have days you cheat. Final Word: Eating habits play an extremely important role in the functioning of the whole organism, and human brain also becomes a victim and a hostage to the consumption of junk food. The solutions above will help you control yourself and train your brain to want to eat healthier.
By Berta Melder
Berta Melder is a brand manager and co-founder of the Masterra professional content writers. She finds her inspiration in creative writing and blogging. In her spare time she enjoys aerial yoga and hiking/backpacking tours. Follow her on Twitter @BertaMelder.
Ready to start eating right and change your body? Practice Yoga for Weight Loss series to complement your new healthy diet.
You’re familiar with Aesop’s fable about the race between the tortoise and the hare, right? The tortoise moves slowly and steadily and doesn’t stop. The hare bursts out in front with reckless abandon, certain to win against the plodding beast. Yet, in the end, the tortoise’s persistence and refusal to give up, despite a near certain defeat, wins the race. He personifies the traits of stability and strength. These qualities are vital to a sustainable, long-term yoga practice.
In your yoga practice and in your life, you’ve probably embodied both creatures, jumping into new postures or endeavors without much thought, just like the swift-footed rabbit. And embracing life full-speed ahead without overthinking it is important. But it can lead to carelessness and injuries if you aren’t mindful.
Yoga Sutra 2.46 Sthira Sukham Asanam means the posture should be steady and comfortable. Steadiness is a quality of strength and grounded energy. Working on developing this in your yoga practice will aid you in staying centered and stable. Flexibility is important, but it needs to be partnered with stable joints to protect your hips, knees, shoulders, and wrists from injury. Also, building strength through your core is vital to maintaining spinal health. In order to feel comfortable in a posture, you need both strength and mobility.
Focusing on grounding your energy in standing asanas will help you feel more centered and powerful. Taking the time to build a solid foundation from the feet up will enable you to have the strength and steadiness to make it to the finish line. Work toward a body and mind that’s both flexible and strong, inside and out. Slow and steady AND fast and agile––it’s a winning combination. Employing both types of work is key to truly be strong and stable on the mat and off.
This week we bring you four classes that emphasize building strength, as well as focusing on understanding key foundational principles for a healthy and sustainable practice. So, tap into your inner tortoise and embrace your persistent, grounded nature.
1. Ellen Kaye - But 1st, Stability
2. Shy Sayar - How to Protect Your Wrists
3. Ben Davis - Fitness 'n' Yoga: Work and Flow
4. Kylie Larson - Live Limitless: Vasisthasana
Props? I don’t need props! Props are for beginners, right? Nope. Props are for everyone and can benefit any level of yoga practice. As yogis, we strive to make mindful decisions, so why do we shy away from props?
The most common examples of yoga props are blocks, straps and bolsters. As a yoga teacher, I sometimes include props as part of the class. Occasionally, when I ask participants to get their props prior to the start of class there is someone who doesn’t. I will usually request it again and explain we are all going to use them. If I attempt to deliver props to someone already on their mat, I am sometimes shooed away. Whether they come out and say it or not, the message is clear – “I don’t need props.” There is a stigma associated with the NEED for props. However, there are many benefits of yoga props.
Don’t believe anyone who tells you using yoga props is cheating! I have never found anyone who could not benefit from the use of a prop for one or more poses, myself included.
A strategically placed yoga prop can provide increased confidence in the pose and most importantly, assist in breathing and alignment to prevent injury. Furthermore, if you want to get creative with your practice, props will do the trick! If you feel “stuck” with a pose or bored with your practice, I encourage you to give props a try. I’ve been known to add a block for core work, borrowing movements typically used in Pilates with a small ball.
I’ll provide brief descriptions of the three most common yoga props and an overview of what they can be used for, the options are endless! Please note, this does not include specific details for each pose but a general overview.
Blocks:
Blocks bring the floor closer to you! Poses that might not have otherwise been available to you can become available with blocks.
There are three heights (I sometimes refer to them as levels) to a yoga block. You can place the block flat (lowest height), on its side (medium height), or on its end (tallest height). Flat provides the most stability and on end offers the least. Stop and think about the concept for a moment, the tallest height will bring the floor closest to you but it will be less stable in terms of balancing on it. The blocks in the photo above are on their side (medium level). Examples of standing poses to add blocks to are triangle, extended side angle, and half moon. Instead of reaching for the floor, you are reaching for the block.
A block can help tremendously with proper alignment in pigeon pose. Not allowing the hip (attached to the bent leg) to sag towards the mat is important for alignment. Sliding a block between your hip and the floor can prevent sagging and allow you to feel the benefits of the pose. The block is also good for wide legged seated forward fold (as well as wide legged standing forward fold), you can experiment with the levels of the block and it can been placed under palms, forearms or forehead. If you are interested in more of a stretch up the back of the legs (primarily hamstrings) in seated forward fold (legs out long and together), place the block at the end of your feet and reach for the block. A block on the outside of each ankle in camel pose allows you to deepen your backbend softly.
I recommend using blocks in practicing seated splits, one on each side of the outside of your hips. Blocks compliment arm balance poses. They can assist in crow pose either as a perch for your feet or at your forehead (especially if you have a fear of falling forward). They can also be used to bring the floor closer to you in shoulder pressing pose and butterfly pose. They are especially helpful if you are transitioning from one arm balance pose to another. The list goes on and on!
Strap (or Belt):
A strap acts as an extension of your arms! A common pose for a strap is a seated forward fold. If your fingers/hands don’t reach your toes/feet you might like a strap around the soles of your feet to hold on to. The strap is also a great tool for warming up the upper body and vital when practicing cow face pose.
If you are interested in improving your posture, there are actually techniques to wrap the straps around your body to build memory for proper posture. The strap is helpful for poses that have variations reaching back for your foot such as pigeon, either reaching back same arm same leg or opposites. If you are practicing binding in any pose and straining to make contact, I urge you to practice with a strap. I sometimes include the strap for stretches at the end of class such as reclined hand to big toe pose. Don’t get discouraged when using a strap, it can take time to get it situated and get familiar with using it. It takes patience to use the strap, especially in class.
Bolster:
Bolsters bring the floor closer to your body for support! Bolsters come in different shapes and sizes and tend to be firmer than a regular pillow. I don’t have a bolster for my home practice but instead use a regular size pillow.
I’ve also experimented with rolling up a blanket. Its primary purpose is to create relaxation in the body. You will typically see bolsters used in a restorative yoga class. Some of my favorite poses to include a bolster are supported child’s pose (bolster between your front body and the floor), reclined hero’s pose (bolster between your back body and the floor), and legs up the wall (bolster at head and/or low back). A bolster is likely the prop most mistakenly thought of as a beginners tool. There are numerous poses that are not typically considered restorative that are complimented by a bolster. For example, it can be used to create relaxation in poses such as seated wide legged forward fold by draping your body over the top or explore bow pose with the bolster under your stomach and pelvis.
I hope reading this encourages you to add props to your yoga practice or at least not be traumatized if your yoga teacher offers them to you. Props can only enhance your practice and are not just for beginners. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding yoga props.
Julie Christy, LCSW, RYT 200
Julie has twenty years experience as a mental health professional combined and expertise as a yoga teacher, and meshes them together. She is known for her detailed descriptions while teaching yoga and recently transferred those skills to writing.
Connect with Julie on her website or send her an email at ajewel4@charter.net.
Practice yoga that utilizes the benefits of props here!
Embodying Shakti with Jeanie Manchester
Yin Yoga for Stress Relief with Caitlin Rose Kenney
I tend to be a creature of habit– and that goes for both the good ones and the bad. So I’ve tried to make one of my habits the evaluation of my habits. As I’ve found out the hard way, there really can be “too much of a good thing.” Think of that catchy pop song: can’t get enough of it for a couple weeks. After that, you’d rather do anything than hear that chorus one more time.
Here’s the lesson: catchy pop songs, good (some might argue). Same song over and over endlessly? Not so much.
Green smoothies are the catchy pop songs of my diet.
I’m a total geek for them. When I get a taste of a new one, I get giddy. And invariably, I’m prone to overdoing it. What develops, as it turns out, can be more than just a taste aversion.
You may feel like you’ll go crazy if you hear Justin Bieber croon the word “baby” one more time, but your daily regimen of almond milk, almond butter and raw almonds, for example, can actually cause a physical intolerance to your favorite food, even if that food is packed with essential nutrients.
Food allergies come in two categories: fixed and unfixed. Fixed allergies are those that you’re born with. Unfixed allergies are developed intolerances to foods your body, after prolonged use, no longer processes as well.
Bottom line, mix it up a bit. Instead of using spinach in your smoothies every day for example, try dandelion greens, kale, chard — anything green, really. Variety, so they say, is the spice of life. And while I’m not sure that sentiment applies to replacing spinach with kale in a healthy blended drink, it does apply to the required consciousness behind even the simple changes, the little discoveries. I promise you, your body and taste buds will love you for it!
When I first started experimenting with dandelion greens, I was turned off by the name. Who wants to eat a bitter weed? But as it turns out, dandelion greens are just that – greens! The leaf is a little jagged, but it looks like any other leafy green. And dandelion greens help with detox and fluid retention. So if you’re feeling a little bloated or puffy, try switching it up with some dandelion greens.
What’s cooking in your blender? We’d love to hear how you’re keeping things spicy! We hope the recipe below offers you a great place to start!
With pep and peaches,
Peppy Peach Smoothie
Yield:1 quart
1-2 cups water ½-1 bunch dandelion greens 2 stalks celery 1 handful parsley ½ inch fresh ginger root 1 cup peaches 1 cup pineapple ½ lemon
Directions: Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy the pep you’ll get in your step!
It’s no secret that routines often reap high rewards, especially those in the morning. If you have done any kind of research on this matter, you know there is a long list of reasons to rise early in the morning.
If the facts are all laid out in front of you, what are you still waiting for?
Here’s how it all started for me.
I had heard great things about organizing and prioritizing mornings. So, I decided to take the plunge and put these ideas into practice. I set out to create my own set of morning rituals and find out the truth for myself.
After only a few months of implementing these changes, I figured just about anyone can benefit from waking up with the sun. In fact, busy people might just need morning rituals more than anyone else to keep their days productive.
Modern life can be fast paced, ever changing, busy, and stressful. For many, we are constantly interacting with a variety of clients and multitasking to get a to-do list complete. Taking time each morning to slow down may just help those of us who are busy. Having a specific morning routine helps you to be more organized and less stressed out, ultimately making you a better professional and much more productive.
Whatever it is you need to get done, if it’s a slow start to the day with a lot of take care of, then you are almost guaranteed to struggle throughout the rest of the day.
A morning routine helps set the tone for the rest of your day. If you are not a morning person, you may be thinking, “all that sounds nice, but it just isn’t going to happen.” But I am here to tell you that it doesn’t matter if you absolutely hate waking up early, you can still incorporate a morning routine to have a productive and successful day.
Waking up late, skipping breakfast, and rushing to work makes you feel like you’re trying to catch up all day.
If you already have a lot on your plate, there is no time to fall behind. If you work in a position where you need to be energized, enthusiastic and radiate positivity, how can you possibly expect to do these things when you are struggling from mental fatigue?
Each night our energy canteen is refilled, but as soon as we wake up in the morning it starts draining. Every decision we make takes away from our energy and willpower. Furthermore, when we spend all morning making meaningless decisions, the energy is drained even faster.
Trust me when I say this - avoiding mental fatigue ensures better proactivity and productivity throughout the day. Knowing exactly how the first hour of your day will look reduces stress and anxiety to a great extent. You are able to focus on the important things and start thinking about what to prioritize.
If I still haven’t convinced you to recreate your mornings, then take Mark Zuckerberg’s word for it.
He wears the same shirt every day to avoid fatigue. When asked about it he said, “I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.” Having a full life is pretty awesome, but it doesn’t come without its own set of challenges. We are tasked with goals, obligations, responsibility, and people relying on us.
Here are my rituals, that I follow religiously everyday:
A mixture of a cold or warm bath, three minutes of yoga, a bowl of matcha tea, taking a few deep breaths for thinking about how grateful I am for the simple things in life that I’ve achieved, followed by a 15-minute run. I like to earn my bath!
In addition to all those, morning rituals such as visualization and meditation help me keep my creative juices flowing. My best ideas always seem to come to me when I’m least expecting it and not forcing it. Being the first to rise can make all the difference.
For instance, I recall having slacked off quite a lot attempting to create this mega guide on setting up a dropshipping website for my ecommerce blog.
But, on one fine day, I decided to rise up early, throw away the procrastination in the trash, and my fingers and head worked in unison to create something I couldn’t accomplish for many days.
Do you reach for your phone first thing in the morning? Are you scrolling through social media feeds or checking your email before your body has even had the chance to wake up?
We’ve all been there and it’s squashing our creative juices.
I used to think that checking my phone right when I opened my eyes helped me to wake up. I could not have been more wrong. Going on your phone and social media first thing in the morning is not an ideal morning routine for a productive day.
Yes, it’s important for us busy folks in the modern world to stay up to date with current events and trends, but you will have all day to check your phone. If you absolutely have to check your email before starting your work day, do it at the end of your routine.
As soon as you start opening those messages, there is no going back. Your mind starts working a mile a minute and you become laser focused on what needs to be done. Only respond to pressing matters, and prioritize everything else for later in your day.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a morning ritual everyday, for the rest of your life. Experiment with it. Find what works for you.
Always remember that what works for one person, won’t necessarily be the best for you. If you don’t know where to start, check out my exact step by step morning routine here or look up morning rituals of successful entrepreneurs and marketers on Google. If you’re still unsure, try doing small and simple things each day. Slowly build up and add more to the ritual. Create your morning to-do list at the end of workday or the night before. Keep writing these lists until your mornings become habitual.
Being disciplined may seem boring, and the very last thing any successful person wants to be is boring, but it’s actually the complete opposite.The truth is that creativity and success stems from daily rituals. If it’s worked for some of the most successful minds, than chances are it will work for you.
Creating a morning ritual and sticking to it may seem like a daunting task, but why not tackle it head on?
You may just find yourself being more observant, curious, and accountable. And as it turns out many of the most successful people share common traits like being remarkable observers, extremely curious, and highly accountable.
By Catalin Zorzini
Catalin is the founder of Ecommerce Platforms and Web App Meister. He blogs about matcha, Japanese lifestyle, and mindfulness at matcha-tea.com. He's a design enthusiast and loves matcha, and is uber passionate about blockchain technology and travel.
Make yoga and meditation part of your morning routine for a productive day now with these two classes designed to start your day!
Morning Manifestation Meditation with Jackie Casal Mahrou
Morning Badass Flow with Mark Morford
Travel can expand our perspective, recharge us, and be one of the best parts of life. However, long journeys can also be tolling on our bodies and minds. Diet's change, long periods of time sitting, and changes in sleep patterns, are all sacrifices for the joy of travel. Restlessness from sitting and waiting can also be hard to deal with. Exercise routines can also suffer (or disappear) when we're on the go. However, you can stay healthy and enjoy traveling, despite these challenges.
Here's 7 tips to enjoy being on the go and stay healthy in the process!
1. Stay Hydrated
This simple tip can be the difference between an enjoyable trip and an uncomfortable one! Drink plenty of water while you're on the go. Of course, if you're in a car, this might mean more bathroom breaks, but it'll be worth it, to keep you healthy and feeling good for a long ride. Refillable water bottles can make this much easier, and cheaper as well, as most bathrooms and rest stops have water fountains you can refill in.
2. Stretch Before and After Take Off (and even in your seat)
Long trips usually mean long periods of time sitting. Studies have proven that too much time sitting still, is not good for our bodies. Luckily, yoga can help. Even if you don't have time to go to your usual hour-long class, a few deep stretches or postures before a long journey will keep your body comfortable for longer and balance out the negative effects of too much sitting. There's even simple stretches and movement exercises you can practice from your seat that will keep you comfortable and open on your trip, instead of tight and stiff.
3. Bring Healthy Snacks
Being on the road, or in the air, usually means much less freedom in choosing what we want to eat. Don't leave your diet entirely up to chance on what they're serving on the plane, or what's available at a rest stop. It's easier to eat junk, when there's nothing else to eat. Stock up on some healthy snacks instead! Of course you won't want to overpack food, but even a few simple, healthy choices, will keep you nourished.
4. Meditate (or practice breathwork)
Unless you're driving, you can meditate, even on the go! While it might be a different experience than meditating on a plane or bus instead of in your normal place or time of day, the benefits are still plentiful. If you're on a plane, chances are no one will even notice that you're actually meditating, while you sit in your seat with your eyes close. Plus, it's a wonderful way to pass the time if you're bored!
5. Take Vitamin C
Travel can take a toll on our immune systems whether it's through lack of sleep, a less healthy diet, or just more exposure to germs. This is especially true if you're traveling by plane, and in close quarters with many others for a prolonged period of time. Make sure you give your immune system a boost by taking vitamins, before, during or after your trip! Vitamin C especially, will give your immune system a nice boost and keep you strong, to ward off any colds or illnesses you might be exposed to on your trip.
6. Make Sure You Have Entertainment
While people watching and nice food can certainly kill the time, if you have a long trip you'll want to make sure you have things to keep you entertained and pass the time. Good music, movies to watch, a book to read, or a journal to write in, can all alleviate those restless moments that may come on trains, planes, buses, or cars. Give yourself options. Sometimes watching movies back to back on a plane can be an enjoyable experience you otherwise wouldn't get in the busyness of daily life on the ground.
7. Enjoy the Journey
Although it can feel like the time in transit is simply to get you where you're going, it's a big part of any travel experience. You never know who you'll meet, what you'll see, or what unexpected surprises will come into your path on your way to somewhere. So, be sure to enjoy the ride, even if it's a long one!
Would you like an upgrade on your next trip? The 8-class, Frequent Flyer: Yoga For Travel package, consists of different lengths and styles of yoga to make your travel experience even more delightful. These classes are specially designed to prepare for long trips, on the go, and afterwards to reset. All classes are specifically designed to recharge the systems of your body from the unique toll of traveling.
"Is there one thing that you know you could be doing that would have a big impact on your health and your life that you just don’t do consistently?”
This is one of the questions I ask in my initial Health Coaching Discovery Session. when I was once asked this question a clear and simple answer almost screamed in my head: DRINK MORE WATER.
Hydration is something I know the benefits of, and talk to clients about on the daily. So why is it so hard for me to make it a habit? Especially in the midst of cold winter days, my tendency is year for a hot cup of coffee (and later a smooth glass of wine) rather than a glass of water. These tips to stay hydrated make it easier to have to remember to drink water and make it more second nature.
Lately I’ve been nothing less than obsessed with habit change (loving this book), and the why and how of creating new habits to support overall life goals. I’m leaning that in order to introduce new habits – like drinking more water – one must keep in mind the overall benefits as motivation, and also to set up cues and rewards to make that habit stick.
For me to add more water into my daily routines, I need to remember that the H2o will help me:
Lubricate my joints. Get my brain and heart working efficiently. Transport all the good nutrients from my food. Filter out any toxins in my system. Give me energy. Regulate my body temperature. Increase collagen production to slow down the inevitable face wrinkles (and honestly, it’s sometimes this reason – aka vanity – that gets me to chug the liters).
And here are the 7 HACKS that help me adopt the habit of hydration into my daily life:
1. Begin each day by downing water, usually with lemon. Start with one cup and work up to four. 2. Fill up a pitcher with the amount of water I’d like to drink that day. Put it somewhere visible to me through the day. Or if I’m going to be out and about, fill up the water bottles I’ll take with me. 3. Buy functional and fun-feeling portable water bottles. Put name and number on them as they are so easy to lose. 4. Add flavor to the water with slices of lemon or cucumber. Cilantro can be lovely and detoxifying, too. 5. Fancy up ice cubes. Add a little juice, an edible flower or some herbal tea to the cubes. 6. Cue yourself to get up and stretch and drink water on each half hour while at your desk or during commercial breaks if watching TV. 7. Chase every cup of coffee, bottle of beer or glass of juice with an equal amount water.
Remember that signs of dehydration include brain-fog, weakness, lethargy, feeling constantly hungry, low blood pressure, dizziness and irritability. One tried and true method to know that you are hydrated enough is if your urine is clear and copious.
Please let me know if you have any other methods of remembering to stay hydrated.
Cheers to your health!
By Elise Fabricant
As a health and habits coach, Elise is passionate about helping people all over the world achieve their healthiest, most powerful goals. She also joyfully practices as a massage therapist and yoga teacher in Denver, Co. Connect with Elise to learn how to thrive this Winter and into the new year! Elise is also a featured teacher on Yoga Download!
Practice yoga with Elise now!
Stress Less, Shine More with Elise Fabricant
Awaken Your Generous Spirit with Elise Fabricant
Summer is in full swing for those of us in the northern hemisphere! Between trips, hikes, and pool days, you probably don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. We know cooking in the summer can be tough, so we’re super excited to share today’s recipe with you (which is also delicious any time of year). Not only does it take just 30 minutes to make, you can whip it up on the grill and avoid heating up your house. It’s also cleanse-approved, so those of you who are cleansing with us this summer can enjoy it, too!
Fresh, wild-caught salmon is full of vitamins and minerals, most notably vitamins D and B-12, and is one of the highest foods in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural anti-inflammatory. And this recipe turns up the flavor with lime and chipotle pepper. YUM!
Now you can have a delicious, healthy meal on the table in less than an hour.
Who’s ready to fire up the grill?
Let us know your favorite meal to make on the grill in the comments below!
With love and summer grillin’,
Chipotle Lime Salmon with Massaged Kale
Yield: 2 servings
1 lb. wild-caught salmon 3 TB. olive oil, divided 1 fresh lime, juice and zest 1 tsp. chipotle powder 1 tsp. Himalayan sea salt 1 avocado, for garnish 1 bunch of kale, destemmed and chopped Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions: Preheat grill to medium high heat. Drizzle the salmon with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, fresh lime juice and zest; sprinkle with chipotle powder and sea salt. Grill salmon, skin side down, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. In a large bowl place kale and remaining tablespoon of olive oil and juice from half a lemon. Massage kale thoroughly until it becomes soft. Serve salmon over kale, and top with avocado.
Want to start eating healthy and lose weight?
Enjoy these recipes from Jo & Jules and practice Yoga Download's 3-Week Yoga for Weight Loss Program!
Because we know how important Sun Salutations are in every yogi's life, we’ve put together an infographic with everything you need to know about the energizing sequence. Here is how to do a proper sun salutation step by step.
Sun salutations are not only an important yoga sequence, but it’s also a great workout for weight loss. Furthermore, it’s a fabulously effective way to steady the mind and learn to coordinate breath with movement. Check out the endless benefits it brings, the affirmations you could associate with every asana and tips on how to do each pose correctly.
By Irina Gabriela
Irina Gabriela is a Contributing Writer for BookYogaRetreats.com. She is a rookie yogi and meditator and a continual seeker of truth and spiritual adventures.
Practice Sun Salutations now!
Anytime Sun Salutations with Jackie Casal Mahrou
The combined effects of the biochemical process that occur in your body on a cellular level are called metabolism. They make it possible for you to digest food, think, move and perform all the functions of a living being. Your metabolism is the powerhouse that keeps your body going. Genetics have a large role to play in determining your metabolic rate. But eating right can also speed up your metabolism naturally.
The metabolism boosting foods I’m sharing in this article will not only help you burn fat, but they can also keep you healthy in the long run. So, be sure to regularly include them in your diet!
Chili peppers
Chili peppers are abundant in capsaicin, a chemical compound that has several beneficial properties. Studies have found that this compound gives chili peppers the ability to boost thermogenesis, which is the process by which calories are turned into heat to use as energy.
Chilies have the potential to boost your metabolism rapidly and also have high doses of vitamin C, so it is a good idea to add these to your meals. You can chop them finely and sprinkle them on salads, curries, and soups for a delicious culinary experience.
Coffee
A recent study has found that the metabolic rate of people who drink coffee regularly is significantly higher than non-coffee drinkers. Coffee can help break down fat from tissue and stimulates the nervous system, which sends signals to fat cells to metabolize fat. It also increases levels of the hormone Epinephrine in the blood, which travels to the fat tissues and helps break down fat. Lentils
Lentils are small legumes that are rich in fiber, magnesium, protein, vitamins B, C, and folate. They are also an excellent source of iron, especially for vegans and vegetarians. One cup of lentils contains 35% of your daily iron requirement. Iron plays a major role in helping your body burn calories and function efficiently. With most women being iron deficient, it is a very good idea to make lentils a regular part of your diet.
Berries
Berries are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which counteract the harmful effects of free radicals and keep your skin looking youthful. Also, berries contain fiber, help you heal more quickly and boost your metabolism.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a unique spice that contains thermogenic properties. It helps your body automatically start to burn more calories throughout the day. It not only helps the body effectively process carbohydrates, but it also helps control cravings for sweets. You can sprinkle cinnamon on oatmeal or even fruits like apples. But try to stick to not more than ¼ teaspoon serving per day.
Green Tea
Green tea contains Epigallocatechin gallate, a form of catechin that has been found to stimulate the fat burning process. It is rich in antioxidants that help destroy free radicals that are responsible for many diseases such as cancer.
Green tea contains flavonoids that are associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases such as stroke and heart disease. Drinking green tea also boosts your metabolism significantly and can help your body burn fat fast.
Leafy Greens
Leafy greens are great metabolism boosters. This is primarily related to the high fiber content of greens like spinach which can increase your fat burn by 30%. There are many other reasons to consider including leafy greens such as kale and swiss chard in your diet. They are rich in iron to support healthy blood and calcium to boost the performance of muscles. This combination of nutrients is necessary for optimal cellular metabolism. It is recommended to consume 3 servings of leafy greens per day to start seeing visible results.
Nuts and Seeds
Seeds and nuts are excellent sources of energy. Almonds, Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Pumpkin seeds, Pistachios and Brazil nuts have a number of health advantages. Since they are high in protein, they will help you burn more fat as protein has a high thermic effect on the body. Since your body needs to burn more fat to digest these, these nuts and seeds help speed up your metabolic rate.
Final Thoughts
Making the right diet and food choices can go a long way in revving up your metabolism. It is recommended to avoid energy drinks, processed foods, and sugar-filled sodas. Some of these foods will give you a temporary boost, but they will slow down your metabolism in the long run and lead to weight gain. Instead, make the foods mentioned above a regular part of your diet. Make sure you chew these thoroughly as this will aid in better digestion as well. It is also important to get plenty of sleep and do what you can to cut down on the stress in your life. Make regular exercise a priority and include cardio exercise and stretching. Following some of these tips, will not only increase your metabolism but also improve your overall health.
By Lystia Putranto: Lystia is a writer at BookCulinaryVacations.com. In addition to being a personal & professional development blogger, Lystia is also a lover of travel, a self-professed foodie, and an amateur cook who admittedly spends way too much time surfing the web.
Want to boost your metabolism to lose weight? Eat the foods mentioned above and practice Yoga for Weight Loss program below!
From India to Indiana and everywhere in between, International Day of Yoga is a monumental celebration for yogis around the world. It’s happening on June 21st, the first day of summer and the solstice - when the sun is at its highest peak in the year. This auspicious day brings yogis of all ages, religions, nationalities and social backgrounds together to celebrate both our individuality and universality.
Here are 3 ways you can join the International Day of Yoga festivities and promote harmony, foster good health and the overall well-being of the planet:
On the Mat
New to yoga? International Day of Yoga is the perfect time to start your practice because you’ll have the energy of the world’s yoga community behind you. If going to a studio is challenging for time, money or any other reason, enroll in YogaDownload’s Yoga 101 series for everything you need to start unlocking the serious benefits of yoga. If you’re already a seasoned practitioner, use June 21st as a moment to mix things up. Try a pose that’s always intimidated you, or head somewhere new for your daily practice, or share it with a friend.
Off the Mat
The philosophy of yoga teaches us that there are many ways to practice. ‘Seva’ or the practice of service is one such form of Yoga. On this day, dedicated to Yoga, direct your time, and energy towards a random act of kindness or selflessness. Donate food to the homeless, clothes to the ones in need or care for a friend or a complete stranger; there are endless ways to channel the lessons learnt on the mat and apply them to life outside. This truly is a great way to honor your practice. Set your yoga in action by stepping outside your comfort zone, to meet and help people who live different lives than yours. At YogaDownload, we believe that giving back is not only a cornerstone in the philosophy of yoga, but also a critical element for enriching our lives, helping our community and bettering our world. A portion of the proceeds from all Yoga Download purchases benefit these charities. This is our version of practicing Seva.
Inspire Others
As a yogi, you can give others the gift of yoga and inspire them to embark on their own journey. Spreading the word about yoga is an act free from ego - directed towards helping others find their balance. Share your positive experience with your partner or your best friend, invite them to do yoga with you, start a mini yoga challenge with your coworkers or sign up to become a yoga teacher. There are so many ways you can inspire others to experience this total mind-body transformation. And you never know, you may start a domino effect - anyone you inspire could one day pass it forward to their, friends, family and even strangers.
We take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Yoga Day. Hope you grow deeper into your practice with every passing day, to create a “confusion-free mind, an inhibition-free intellect, a sorrow-free soul and a harmonious environment.”
No matter what you do, make it a point to #GoYourOMWay.
Here are four new practices in honor of International Day of Yoga:
1. Jackie Casal Mahrou - Hatha Yoga Slow & Steady
2. Pradeep Teotia - Flow with Pradeep
3. Jack Cuneo - Align & Flow: Ashtanga Inspiration
4. Elise Fabricant - Strong Back, Soft Front
With the World Cup approaching, some healthy party snack recipes will come in handy! In the U.S., nothing says sports, like chicken wings and cheese dip. But if you want to beat the bloat and the hangover morning the next day, stick with us.
When it comes to healthy sporting event snacks, we’ve got you covered!
Our new Cauliflower “Buffalo” Hummus below is perfect for any big game! Serve it with veggies like sliced cucumbers, carrot and celery sticks.
If you want to go all out, try our Green Pea or our Beet Hummus. All three together would make a beautiful spread.
No game would be complete without our all-time favorite Spinach Artichoke Dip. This one is now a regular at most of our potlucks and parties.
Pair any of these healthy alternatives with one of our Conscious Cocktails and make your 80:20 splurge like a rockstar would.
Moscow Mule anyone?
Move over Ruffles and sour cream dip!
For more healthy alternatives on gameday that will keep you feeling on top of your game, be sure to check our our 80:20 Plan.
What’s on your game day menu? Be sure to leave us a comment below.
Cheers,
Cauliflower “Buffalo” Hummus
Yield: 8-10 servings
1 cup cauliflower, steamed for 8-10 minutes 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained ¼ cup plus 2 TB hot sauce (make sure to use a high quality hot sauce with no preservatives!) 2 TB apple cider vinegar ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper 3 cloves garlic ⅓ cup tahini ½ tsp. sea salt ¼ cup olive oil 1 tsp. fresh parsley, basil, or chives Carrot and celery sticks, for dipping
Instructions: In a food processor fitted with an S-blade place cauliflower, garbanzo beans, hot sauce, vinegar, cayenne pepper, garlic, tahini, and sea salt. Puree until smooth (it can take a few minutes due to the cauliflower). Once smooth slowly add the olive oil and continue to puree until creamy. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with additional hot sauce and fresh herbs if desired. Serve with carrot and celery sticks.
Ate an drank too much while watching soccer? Help yourself recover with Yoga for Detox from Overindulgence package, with a Conscious Cleanse class with Jo!
Here are 10 common mistakes to avoid to have beautiful skin and keep your skin healthy.
1. Trying to hydrate with sodas or energy drinks. How these drinks age your body and why avoiding them will keep your skin healthy: As the years go by our bodies literally dry up from the inside out. Our skin just can’t continue to retain moisture like it used to back in the day when we were plump infants with juicy flesh that stored water like desert succulents. Diet sodas and energy drinks may quench your thirst on the spot but they don’t hydrate your system and help have beautiful skin in the long run like good old H2O does! Why? Because they are jam packed with artificial flavors, sugars, chemical preservatives and acidifying agents that can lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, tooth decay, organ stress and lowered immune system. What you can do to make a change: DRINK WATER, DRINK WATER, DRINK WATER. Drinking water is the true fountain of youth! It is all your body needs to stay hydrated and the easiest way to have beautiful skin. How much water should you drink? A good rule of thumb is to drink between 64 ounces and 0.67% of your body weight per day. For example, if your body weight is 150 pounds, then you need to drink anywhere between 64 ounces and 100 ounces (0.67% x 150) of water per day. Read more about hydration hacks here.
2. Getting too much sun exposure without SPF. It is common knowledge that ultraviolet (UV) rays is harmful to your skin because it damages skin fibers called elastin, which makes your skin stretch and sag like a dry old rubber band that you use tie a bunch of mail together. What you can do to make a change and keep your skin healthy and beautiful: THINK SUN KISSED NOT SUN DRIED! Vitamin D is vital for healthy gut, bones and blood. So go out in the sun and enjoy, but if you’re going to be outside for longer than 15 minutes then wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher—preferably one that is chemical free and contains natural ingredients.
3. Underestimating the value of heart-healthy fatty acids. How this ages your body: The older you get, the harder your body has to work to pump blood to your heart and brain because age slows down the body’s functioning and puts strain on your heart and immune system. Keeping your heart healthy is how to have beautiful skin. So the good news is that Omega-3’s found in fatty fish such as wild salmon, lake trout sardines, mackerel and tuna are nature’s gift to anti-aging! Here’s why: Omega-3’s are known to significantly reduce inflammation in the body, which is a symptom of many chronic age-related diseases. For example, Omega-3 supplements are known to lower triglyceride (blood fat) levels that can otherwise put you at risk for heart disease. And some research suggests that Omega-3’s even protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. And aside from eating fatty fish, what is the best way to get Omega-3 fatty acids? What you can do to make a change: TAKE FISH OIL. If the thought of eating sardines out of the can turns your stomach, the next best thing is omega-3 fish oil capsules! These are one of the BEST ways to keep your skin health and supple with less wrinkles and they support your heart and immune functions as aging takes its toll on your system. According to Dr Mark Hyman, New York Times bestselling author and founder of the UltraWellenss Center, finding a high quality fish oil is imperative. So look out for reputable brands that certify that their products are heavy metal and pesticide free! Dr Hyman recommends taking 1000 mg of fish oil twice daily with a 300/200 ratio of EPA/DHA. These are both long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids—EPA is found in most fish and shellfish and DHA is found in algae.
4. Caking on Foundation. How this ages your skin: As you age you don’t want to be that woman who has slapped on so much foundation that you land up looking like a cadaver with make up. Firstly, it looks like a bad cover up job and secondly, caking your face in foundation is really bad for your skin. Why? Most foundations are drying and thick. They draw moisture from your skin and seep into fine lines and wrinkles, exaggerating them instead of concealing them. A lot of foundations also contain fragrances chemicals and alcohol that can irritate your skin and remove its natural oils causing more wrinkles. What you can do to make a change: CHANGE YOUR FOUNDATION….OR GO BARE! Let your skin breathe whenever you can! Instead of foundation use a tinted moisturizer or or translucent make up especially if you are prone to dry skin. Both products cover, color-correct and gloss over wrinkles.If you do need extra coverage, then here’s a tip on how to use foundation without drying out your skin: Use a makeup brush to apply a tiny bit only to the areas, spots or patches that really need it.
5. Using High Level Ph Body Soaps. How this ages your body: Washing your whole body from head to foot with generic bar soaps is often second nature. It’s what our grandmothers used to do right? But the problem is that generic bar soaps nowadays are manufactured using all kinds of harmful ingredients by companies out to make a profit, not to protect your skin. Bar soaps are usually worse culprits than liquid soaps when it comes to drying out your skin because they generally contain much higher pH levels. What’s a pH level? Good question! This is the first thing to look out for when choosing a soap that’s truly gentle and moisturizing for your skin. The symbol pH stand for “potential of hydrogen” which is a way of measuring the acid or alkaline levels of soaps. In short this is how it works: Your skin’s natural pH level is 5.5 and most brand name bar soaps have a pH of between 8 and 10, which is way too harsh and drying for most people’s skin! So much so that these soaps crack the skin making it more prone to harmful pathogens and bacteria. (Note that as each number increases the acidity is multiplied by ten!) So, if you are using a soap with a pH of 6.5 that is making your skin feel too tight, it’s because it is drying out your skin tenfold!) And don’t be fooled by advertisers labeling their soaps as “gentle,” “natural” or “pure”… this is just marketing. So pick soaps according to their pH levels of between 5 and 7 not because of the adjectives on the box. (Empty adjectives are just as bad for you as empty calories!) What you can do to make a change: RAISE THE (SOAP) BAR! Ditch the drying soap altogether and use one with a neutral pH (soaps with a pH of 7) or a balanced pH (soaps with a pH of 5). Household brand name bar soaps such as Ivory, Dial, Shield and Palmolive have a pH of 10 or more which is extremely caustic and damages the skin leading to all kinds of dermatological problems and premature aging so stay away from these! Instead, here are some brand name liquid soaps that are either pH balanced (5) or pH neutral (7) that are much gentler on your skin: Cetaphil (pH 6) pHisoderm (pH 5) Neutrogena (pH 6). And the rest of the time don’t wash your whole body with any soap or simply buy a bottle of organic sesame or almond oil from a health-food store, slather it all over your body and wash it off in the shower…Voila! It will stimulate your muscles, get your blood circulating and the oil will wash away dead cells and hydrate your skin making it glow. Oh yeah, and hydrotherapy can make your skin even glowy-er and more beautiful!
6. Ignoring your hands and neck in your beauty routine. How this ages your skin: Nobody looks forward to getting a turkey neck later in life or hands that look like chicken feet! Your hands and necks get just as much sun exposure as your face does yet we often neglect them in our beauty routine or wash them with regular, drying soap with high pH levels to remove germs. What if you treated your hands and neck with the same care and attention as you do your face? What you can do to make a change: LOVE UP YOUR HANDS AND NECK Use the same exfoliating scrub, cleanser and moisturizer on your hands and neck as you do on your face. In the morning put natural, chemical-free sunscreen with a high SPF of 30 or more on your face, neck and hands. And at night put coconut oil on your hands and neck before bed. (Remember oil is oily so be careful not to stain your sheets)
7. Eating too much sugar. How this ages your skin: Experts now agree that eating processed sugar over a lifetime can lead to dull, wrinkled skin instead of glowing, beautiful skin. Huh? Why would sugar speed up the aging process? Good question! A high-sugar diet reduces the quality of the collagen in your skin. How does this work? Your skin has three types of collagen (I, II, and III) and when it absorbs too much sugar, it weakens type III, which is also the strongest and most durable collagen. This is what makes your skin look less supple, drier and more prone to wrinkles. What you can do to make a change: SWITCH TO NATURAL UNPROCESSED SWEETENERS. If the thought of foregoing sugar altogether is giving you a nervous breakdown, relax… here are a few healthier alternatives so you don’t have to forever abandon your sweet tooth: • Maple syrup that is pure, unflavored and free of additives like high-fructose corn syrup • Raw honey that is unheated and unfiltered is rich in minerals and vitamins • Blackstrap molasses is super high in iron and Vitamin B6 • Date sugar is high in fiber, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Also, coconut sugar is just as sweet as sugar and contains small amount of iron and potassium.
8. Turning to supplements instead of fresh fruit for antioxidants. How avoiding this will keep your skin beautiful: Vitamins may not age your skin and they can be useful but they can also be expensive so they shouldn’t replace the power of fresh, organic foods that are high in antioxidants in keeping your skin beautiful. Antioxidants are vitamins such as beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E found in colorful fruits and veggies especially berries, which protect us from free radicals that cause our cells to age and can also boost collagen production to make our skin glow. What you can do to make a change: BERRY-LY EVER AFTER! Add a handful of organic mixed berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries to your breakfast bowl. Over time, these super fruits can actually reverse skin discoloration associated with aging because they help speed up your skin’s natural repair systems.
9. Turning your nose up at stinky vegetables. How this ages your skin: You know that stinky egg odor that rises up from mineral hot springs? That’s sulfur! And it’s actually really good for your skin. It’s the often-misunderstood “beauty mineral.” If your body lacks sulfur, your skin will look dull, your pores will clog up and your complexion will appear lackluster. Why? Sulfur provides smoothness and shine to your skin by helping with fat digestion and controlling the metabolism of carbohydrates and ridding the body of waste. It also resists bacteria and protects against toxicity. And it helps restore connective tissue in the skin and maintain its structural integrity. What you can do to make a change: EAT STINKY VEGGIES! Think twice next time before turning your nose up at the green, gassy cruciferous family of veggies in the produce section like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, bok choy and kohlrabi. Add these to your diet and your skin will start to glow as though you’ve been soaking it up in mineral hot springs!
10. Casually sipping your coffee or tea. How this ages your look: Your eyes may be the window to your soul, but your teeth are what others see when you talk or smile. We all know that the caffeine in tea and coffee is notorious for staining your once cloud-white tooth enamel yellow. As we age we are more prone to stains because of the amount of caffeine we consume and because of how we sip it. What you can do to make a change: STRAWBERRY WHITENING PASTE! Be mindful when you drink coffee or tea not to swoosh it around on your teeth like a mouthwash as it erodes the enamel and stains the teeth. Instead, either drink from a straw or swallow without swooshing it Another trick is to use a natural tooth-whitener containing malic acid— a strawberry! Mash one strawberry to a pulp and mix with half a teaspoon of baking powder. Use a toothbrush to coat your teeth with the mixture. Leave on for five minutes and then brush!
Practice one of Elise's yoga classes now on YogaDownload.com!
Quick Yoga Reset with Elise Fabricant
Whether you love a power Vinyasa flow class with minimal cues or an Iyengar class with seventy-five minutes of specific directions for one posture, you can benefit from digging deeper into alignment principles to enhance your yoga practice. Yoga Sutra 2:46, Sthira Sukham Asanam, states the posture should be steady and comfortable. Learning about intelligent yoga alignment will aid you in reaching this state each time you step on the mat.
When you gain more knowledge about healthy alignment in yoga and philosophy behind a pose, you can benefit more fully––physically, mentally, and emotionally. We’re excited to share a special collection of nine short alignment tutorials, each specific to a certain yoga asana (posture.) These ten-minute classes will help you find the best version of each asana for you.
The classes in this package cover common yoga poses and touch on all families of postures including forward bends, balancing poses, arm balances, twists, and backbends.
We aren’t saying each posture needs to look a certain way or that every person will practice the asana in the same manner. Instead, we suggest if you increase your awareness of how each posture feels when you adapt alignment cues to feel right in YOUR body, you can deepen your experience. Everyone is different and alignment principles are starting points to develop your own personal practice.
Your guide this week, yoga therapy expert, Shy Sayar, (ERYT-500, YACEP) is a senior yoga therapist and continuing education provider at the highest level offered by Yoga Alliance.
He designed these short tutorials utilizing his philosophy of teaching people, not poses. He believes the practices of yoga are infinitely adaptable to fit the practitioner’s stages of development, and there is no need to push the body into arbitrary shapes. Instead, his Tantravaya yoga method integrates the classical Eight Limbs of Yoga, equally cultivating the body, breath and mind to bring each practitioner to optimal, holistic health.
This program will give you tools and in-depth understanding to strengthen your current practice.
This program is beneficial for all levels of yoga practitioners, from teachers, who wish to deepen their understanding of yoga anatomy, to beginners, who want to learn to practice yoga with healthy habits, to keep the practice safe. Take a few moments to hone your knowledge and see how it feels!
Learn more about yoga and take your practice to the next level with this new yoga program now!
Program includes all 9 classes below!
1. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Janu Sirsasana
2. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Plank Pose
3. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Crow Pose
4. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Camel Pose
5. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Triangle Pose
6. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Tree Pose
7. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Side Crow
8. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Tadasana
9. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Alignment: Revolved Janu Sirsasana