Online classes are not always given the respect they deserve. While they have plenty of differences than in-person classes, they nonetheless offer room for growth. My first experience with yoga did not happen in a studio or group setting. It happened with a Power Yoga DVD that I picked up from the store. Eventually I started going to a studio, but practicing yoga by myself with a DVD was my first step. Since then, I have enjoyed the wide variety of online classes available to explore other yoga styles and teachers. In every yoga class, online or in person, you learn something new. It ranges from the external, such as a pose cued by the instructor, to the internal, such as building self-awareness. I have been practicing yoga for nine years, and continue to learn new things from every teacher and class I attend. Online platforms bring the teachers, classes and learning experiences to you- you just need to be ready for them.
Here are 5 ways online classes enrich you’re your yoga practice
1. The social stress of class is reduced Yoga classes come with subtle social stresses, including the sometimes-awkward wait time before class, the unnecessary but common tendency to compare you body and yoga poses with fellow classmates, and the need to push beyond your limits to “show off” or overextend your body to impress others. Many of these stresses are so subtle that you may not notice them. But sometimes they are enough to inform your decision of attending or not attending class. Online classes remove this social stress and provide a comfortable platform to explore yoga at your pace in your own space. For many, online courses may be their first introduction to a yoga practice! 2.You build awareness Going to a physical class has many benefits. Being around others is energizing, and a teacher can help provide personal adjustments to explore yoga postures. Online classes flip this, requiring you to have good self-awareness to explore postures and generate your own adjustments. Online yoga classes require you to build awareness of your body, what it needs, and your ability that day. Building this self-awareness is valuable to your practice on and off the mat. 3. Online classes are always open In a busy world, fitting your practice in can be tough. It is great if you have a schedule going that offers regular opportunities to practice yoga, but life can throw you challenges that make a regular practice difficult. Online yoga classes offer yoga any time and anywhere, allowing you to fit it in when you are able. There are also more choices for class lengths online. Only have 20 minutes? Not a problem when picking a class online. Want to do yoga at 5 AM? How about Midnight? Great! Switch on your computer and get to class! 4. A myriad of teaching and yoga styles are available to explore Yoga practices change and shift with what you need in your life. When I first started practicing yoga, I was into vigorous styles. I started by practicing Power and Forrest Yoga, and eventually explored Hatha and Kundalini. Dabbling in online classes can help you explore yoga styles and teachers- each different and offering something new to learn. Part of practicing yoga is being comfortable with it, and online classes give you a taster of a teacher and style. If you like it, you can find a yoga studio. If not, you can keep exploring. I’m now exploring meditation and pranayama with online classes. 5. Online classes make yoga accessible financially and geographically Online classes make yoga accessible financially and spatially. Yoga can be pricey, and online classes are often more affordable than studio classes. More yoga for less money can be great for your wallet and your practice. Online classes help connect teachers and yoga styles to students and remove spatial boundaries by being digitally accessible. Some places have a lot of yoga studios, allowing you to explore and find one that works for you. Other places are yoga deserts- no yoga is available, so online is an excellent option and tool to have a consistent and powerful yoga practice. Online classes adapt to you, and are a great way to explore and experience yoga. They are obviously different from in-person classes, but can be a great way to practice or supplement practicing in a studio.
By Laura Heggs
Laura is an anthropologist and 500-hour RYT based in Norwich, UK.
We'd love to hear how have online classes improved your practice in the comments!
New to online yoga or wanting to re-commit to your practice? Access hundreds of exclusive online classes from the world's top instructors for a 2-week trial for $1 on YogaDownload!
Today I want share with you my new favorite green juice! Hydrating and refreshing – it’s just perfect for detoxifying. Cilantro Detox Juice is an incredibly healing juice. Created by our friend and fellow wellness warrior, Elana Amsterdam, this juice features an entire bunch of cilantro (stems and leaves), which is known to be highly effective at helping chelate heavy metals from the body. As someone who has a family history with Alzheimer’s, detoxing heavy metals is of particular interest to me. If you don’t have a juicer at home, this would probably taste just as good blended up in your high speed blender, but you’ll have to report back and let me know. Alternatively, you might like our Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do! Be sure to leave me a comment below. we’d love to hear from you. With love and healing green juice,
Cilantro Detox Juice By Elana Amsterdam Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Jo Schaalman and Julie Peláez are co-authors of the book The Conscious Cleanse: Lose Weight, Heal Your Body, and Transform Your Life in 14 Days, a best-selling, step-by-step guide to help you live your most vibrant life. Together they've lead thousands of people through their online supported cleanse through their accessible and light-hearted approach. They've been dubbed “the real deal” by founder and chief creative director Bobbi Brown, of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, beauty editor of the TODAY show.
To learn more about “Jo and Jules” and to download a free e-cookbook for a sampling of the delicious food served up on the Conscious Cleanse, please visit their website.
Practice this Yoga for Detox: Overindulgence program to support yourself during the holiday season!
As 2017 comes to a close, ask yourself how are you feeling? Do you feel strong? Powerful? Are you shining your inner light to the world at one hundred percent or do you feel weighed down physically, emotionally, or mentally?
We’re thrilled to offer a brand new package: Yoga for Detox: Overindulgence to help you release any extra baggage PLUS four new classes this week designed to fuel your inner power.
The end of the year is an excellent time to check in and connect to your center. In order to find clarity and truly see yourself, it’s necessary to shed whatever excess may be concealing your true sense of self.
First, burn off the layers that are hindering you with our new program designed for detoxification, just in time to balance out the holiday season. The last few months of the year are full of holiday feasts, travel, and more time to lounge around like a couch potato. If you’ve consumed a few extra glasses of wine or slices of pie, you may need a special boost to reset your energy levels. Also, stress levels can accelerate now, so dedicating yourself to your yoga practice is key to reaching 2018 feeling good. Try our new program:
Yoga for Detox: Overindulgence
1. Yoga for Hangovers- Ashley Turner
2. Reset Refuge : Come Home to Yourself- Elise Fabricant
3. Toxic Twist- Pradeep Teotia
4. Wash, Rinse, Repeat : Freedom Through Twists- Angie Arnold
5. Let's Get Twisted- Rob Loud
Use our new Detox package to shed old habits and behaviors that no longer serve you. Clear out not just your physical body, but your thoughts and emotions too. Once you’ve cleared out the noise, tune into your emotions and the messages your body is sending you, you are free to express your personal power. Now it’s time to stoke your personal power!
Yoga offers the tools to help tap into your prana and unleash your unique inner light. When you recognize what’s creating self-doubt, you can make better choices. To rediscover your self-confidence and present your best self to the world, we suggest focusing on the subtle body. The subtle body is similar to an electrical “force field” or exact blueprint, which provides vital life force to the physical or gross body. One of the seven main chakras located in your energetic body is the Manipura or Navel Chakra. It’s where the seat of your self-confidence and identity reside. Find your inner power with Empowerment Flow 1: I Think I Can, the latest class by Jackie Casal Mahrou.
Tap into your self-discipline or tapas to find balance and stoke your confidence. Erin Wimert’s Wake Up! and Pradeep Teotia’s Oh My Asana: Power Flow offer vigorous practices designed to stimulate the fire in your belly. Or, try a different kind of flow with Shy Sayar’s Powerful Yoga with No Weight on the Hands. Work on your confidence from the outside in with asana, and from the inside out with pranayama, mantras and meditation.
Believe in yourself.
The universal mantra for meditation is So Hum, which translates to I Am and is an excellent tool to tune into your inner confidence. Trust you have the power within you and practice to release it! Feel it, believe it, and practice it this week with these empowering practices to connect you to your personal strength.
pow·er ˈpou(ə)r noun the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. When we think of power, we tend to think of domination or control. A few years ago, though, I heard of a healthier and more yogic definition of power which resonated with me: power can be measured by how quickly you can make your desire into a reality. When we are in our personal power, we get what we want so easily, as if in the blink of an eye. To access the kind of personal power that allows us to quickly transform what we want into what we have, we must have a clear vision of which possibilities we actually desire. Visualization and goal setting can be a helpful practice to turn the gaze inward and initiate this kind of alchemy. I know from everyday experience that to be in a place of healthy personal power, I must also be in true alignment with my Higher Self. In yoga asana, alignment is key to a safe, purposeful and powerful practice. When we are in alignment in our poses, we can move between them efficiently and with power and grace. When we are out of alignment in our physical yoga practice, we risk injury, suffer from a more shallow breath and often a distracted mind. Similarly, when I am out of alignment with the Higher Self, and in the rest of my daily life, I are disconnected from my personal power and blocked from attracting or creating what I desire. I may not even know what it is I desire! A sign of disempowerment is playing the victim, not owning ourselves in our true complexities. “This situation (or you) is the reason I’m acting this way,” echos frequently from my mouth when I’m disempowered. Healthy, balanced empowerment is a constant process, especially for us women. Historically we have been conditioned to equate power with bitchiness, and so we forget how to say “no” and end up feeling like a human doormat. One helpful practice to help us step into our alignment and power is to work with the third chakra, or Manipura. Manipura, the third chakra, is said to house the place of our personal power. The word “manipura” translates poetically as the “jewel in the city.” We all have that jewel of power, yet so often we don’t let it shine. We protect the jewel with small, ego driven stuff — which may have been appropriate at one time but probably isn’t any longer. Imbalances with Manipura can sway either to the side of arrogance or to the side of low self confidence. Satsang (or spiritual community) can help polish this special “jewel in the city.” By balancing and polishing the 3rd chakra, you cultivate a spiritual ferocity with allows you to stay in your own transformative power without dominating others.
By Elise Fabricant
Elise Fabricant is passionate about helping and healing the body, mind and spirit through yoga and massage. She is also a top teacher on YogaDownload.com. Her offerings can be found more on elisefabricant.com. Interested in the elimination reset cleanse? Elise will be leading a group through it in February 2018. Contact her at elisefabricant.com to reserve your space now.
To assist you to step into your most splendid power, Elise developed this specific yoga practice to help soothe and soften the third chakra.
Yoga for the 3rd Chakra
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ―Hippocrates
Did you know that the immune system’s army is in the stomach? And to keep the army healthy, you need to feed it good nourishment.
Our immune system does an incredible job at protecting us from all those pesky germs that want to invade our body. But sometimes, germs pass by it and we get sick. Thankfully, it is possible to intervene and give the immune system a helping hand.
In this article, I share you easy recipes to boost immunity and help you fight those nasty germs and colds.
Ginger-spiced banana smoothie
Ginger is a well known antibacterial food, which has anti-inflammatory properties, eases gut problems, and even kills cancer cells. Boost its anti-inflammatory proprieties with a dash of cinnamon and a handful of spinach and you’ve got a new favorite breakfast.
To make this smoothie you need:
Directions:
Red Cabbage Healing Smoothie
Freshly picked red cabbage has the highest concentration of flavonoids/antioxidants of all other cabbages. Add in blackberries, with their high vitamin C content and antioxidants, and you’ve got an excellent smoothie for when you are fighting a cold. Need more fighting power against the cold? Bring in the elderberry, which is also high in vitamin C.
To make this smoothie, you need:
Pineapple Parfait
The weird looking pineapple has a lot of health benefits. It helps cure colds, improves digestion, reduces inflammation, protects against cancer, and helps keep your immune system in perfect shape. Add some yogurt into the mix and you have a great breakfast or snack to keep you healthy.
To make the parfait, you need:
Bean Soup
High in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, beans are a powerful tool to keep us healthy in the long run. They are also very affordable and can be turned into delicious dishes. Add to the mix onions, which have powerful antioxidants and the ability to enhance your digestive system, and this soup should be part of your fail-proof recipes to live a healthier life.
To make the bean soup, you need:
Beet Hummus
Beets are known to lower blood pressure, improve stamina, fight inflammation, protect against cancer, and are a good source of vitamin C, too. No wonder they are known as one of the healthy foods you should eat on a regular basis.
To make beet hummus, you need:
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By Cris Puscas
Cris Puscas is a contributing writer at BookCulinaryVacations.com, the best place to book a culinary vacation. She is a hopeless romantic, equally passionate about discovering new places to explore and new foods to try.
Practice Yoga for Immunity Boost with Nancy Nielsen to complement these recipes.
Travelling regularly for work or pleasure can be extremely fun, but often isn’t particularly good on your body. Gaining weight is all too easy, sitting for long periods of time on trains or planes and being forced to make rush food decisions or generally unhealthier options along the way can mean adding a few pounds around the waist in a short amount of time.
Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly is a lot simpler when you can home cook and exercise at home or nearby, but while travelling, these luxuries are gone; eating healthy and exercising become even more of a challenge. At the very least, staying as well rested and hydrated as possible should be two priorities.
Being overly tired, hungry or both can mean overeating and lethargy, a lethal combination when it comes to health and weight gain. A basic plan of attack is all that you need. This handy infographic by De Vere Hotels gives some highly actionable tips and tactics that you can use to minimize the effects of your travel.
More Inspiration for these 8 Tips!
1. Combine Sightseeing with Fitness to Fit More In : Exercising in a new setting is really a unique lens to experience a new place with. Running in particular, is a powerful way to see a new place, while taking a yoga class in a new city is a way to get a deeper understanding of the people there and maybe make some local friends!
2. Ask the Locals Where to Eat: People are the best resources, wherever you are in the world. You'll be able to get an idea of local gems, perhaps off the main strip of a town. While the internet is also a valuable resource for reviews and menus, a strong in-person recommendation is often genuine and can lead to a delicious and healthy meal.
3. Check the Hotel Facilities: If you know fitness and staying active are a priority for your travels, make this a priority for your accomodation. It's often not much more expensive to have a hotel with a workout space and gym, and feeling your best is worth any price. This is especially good you like weights and treadmills.
4. Drink Up - Water That Is! This is important no matter where you are, but long travel journeys can lower our immune system and staying hydrated is a simple way to stay healthy, vibrant, and avoid getting sick.
5. Fail to Prepare & Prepare to Fail: Sometimes unhealthy food choices come out of urgency. If you're committed to eating well, take the time to look up several places you know provide quality food, and plan to go there. Plus, you'll have meals to look forward to at new places.
6. Remember the Snacks: Healthy snacks can help you stay feeling your best while traveling! Most of the time, you can bring them with you on the plane as well, which will not only keep you healthier, but also save you money.
7. Take your Exercise Kit with You: If you need props and tools to workout and your workout kit only takes up a tiny amount of space, bring it with you! Yoga mats and running shoes can be easy to transport, and make the difference between a healthy trip versus an unhealthy one.
8. Choose an Active Holiday: Sometimes unwinding is an excellent choice. But it can be worth it to stay active, have balance, and stay fit while enjoying a new place.
By Jay Williams
Jay is part of the community team at DeVere Hotels, responsible for engaging with their community and beyond. As well as having an obsession with all things, travel Jay is a family man, and lover of self-improvement and life hacks.
Facebook: DeVere Hotels
Enjoy these YogaDownload.com classes created for healthy travel!
Barre Flow on the Go with Geenie Celento
Yoga for Travelers by Celest Pereira
Quick exercise: Name three things you’re grateful for right now.
Can you do it? Were you able to list three? Ten? Or, did you have a tough time feeling thankful because you’re in a challenging phase of life and your focus is simply on surviving whatever is difficult right now? We’re here to remind you that if you shift your attention, you’ll change your perspective. Two of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras provide direction and wisdom.
One of the major tenets of yoga is Yoga Sutra 1.2, citta vritti nirodhah or learning to direct the attention of your mind where you want it to go. Yoga Sutra 2:33 encourages us to replace negative thought patterns with positive ones or Pratipaksha bhavanam. Life is like a rollercoaster. When we accept the ups and downs in our lives as simply part of the process, we can work toward living in an attitude of gratitude.
Here are a few ways to choose the positive and be thankful, no matter what is happening around you. Try a gratitude journal. At the beginning or the end of each day, write down three things you are grateful for, no matter how small they might be. A bright blue sky, a good night’s sleep, a smile from a stranger—anything at all. Find something to enjoy about what is happening in your life instead of giving attention to what is lacking.
Appreciate what you do have today and release attachment to exactly how everything will work out in your life tomorrow.
What we focus on expands and what we remove our attention from diminishes. So, focus on the positive in each day and begin to grow your patterns of appreciating everything in your life. Like yoga, gratitude is a practice. Once you settle into a daily pattern of focusing on what you’re grateful for, it’s easy to start automatically seeing the positive instead of the negative.
We’ve brought you a wonderful program Yoga for Gratitude this week, with new meditations and yoga classes designed to help you not only focus your attention, but direct it toward gratitude first.
Meditate with Gratitude - Pradeep Teotia
Gratitude Training - Kylie Larson
Core Gratitude - Pradeep Teotia
Open Your Heart to Gratitude - Elise Fabricant
Gratitude Meditation Practice - Alanna Kaivalya
Turkey, stuffing, pie, oh my!
Thanksgiving is a holiday about abundance, or for many us, overabundance! So to make sure you don’t feel like slithering out of your chair only to fall asleep under the table, we’ve pulled together six of our favorite healthy recipes that will leave you feeling energized and not stuffed to the gills. Using fresh herbs, seasonal farm fresh produce, and nutrient dense ingredients, we’ve put a healthy spin on some of our traditional favorites. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do and feel our love as you make them!
As you plan your Thanksgiving menu, remember that this time of year is not just about the food you put on your table, it’s also about the connection and time spent with your loved ones. Enjoy every moment!
To a healthy and happy turkey day, P.S. – What’s your favorite traditional Thanksgiving dish? Tell us in the comments section below.
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
By the Conscious Cleanse
Check out more delicious and healthy recipes from Jo & Jules here!
I can almost still taste last weekend. Tacos, tequila, BBQ, sausages, mimosas, ceviché, beer, benedicts, ice cream…Two of my best girlfriends and I spent the weekend eating around Austin, TX. Sure, we caught a little bit of live music, did some window shopping, and took a walk around Lady Bird Lake — but mostly we just ate and drank, and ate some more. This week I decided it was time for a cleanse. Yep, time to clean out the ol’ intestines with a reset elimination diet. For the past 7 days I’ve ousted wheat, meat, booze, dairy, sugar, caffeine, most grains, legumes and nightshades. Side-effects of this elimination experiment have been a heightened sensitivity to flavor – good morning, tastebuds! – and an awareness of my tendency to comfort eat. It’s now clear to me that most of the time I put food in my mouth it’s for a reason other than true hunger. Maybe I’m bored, lonely, or feel that I need a reward or entertainment. And stopping at 80% full as recommended? Rarely. Thankfully, my bloodline passed on to me a raging metabolism so overeating is not as detrimental to me as it is to some. What’s actually more harmful is my tendency to over-schedule. I’m one of those (you may be, too?) that fill any gap of free time, more comfortable being hyper-busy than having chill time.
This 100+% full, whether it is from overeating or over-scheduling is:
The reframe for “overeating” or “over-scheduling” is “underloving.” We underlove ourselves and those around us when we fill up so fully that we have room for nothing else. We ultimately suffer when the God-shaped hole, yearning for connection with the primordial nature of humanity and the universal synapses with spirit, is instead stockpiled with distraction, quick comfort and busyness. As the season for overeating and over-scheduling nears, let’s all play the game of 80% full.
Let’s eat only when hungry and tend our the emotional emptiness in other, more honest ways. Let’s make the time for the most important things in our lives no matter how much we have going on around us. Let’s trust that there will always be enough food and time and that by simplifying and cleansing our palates – and our schedules – we will be better able to taste the fullest flavors of life.
Reset with this top YogaDownload.com class from Elise:
Reset Refuge with Elise Fabricant
New Moon in Scorpio — Consciously Choosing the Light This Scorpio new moon on November 18, 2017 calls us to initiate ourselves into the watery depths of our unconscious. Whether it be through occult practices, transformational rituals, psychotherapy, shadow work or anything that ushers us “beyond the veil,” now is the time to walk into the underworld. Most of us strive to stay in the light, ignoring the dark and repressing that which needs to be addressed for us to be truly free. We can no longer resist the change that is upon us, and ignore the power of the shadow within.
The lesson of Scorpio is that what we try to hide away and leave in the dark rarely remains there for long. Either we bring it forth ourselves with our own depth work, or it comes forward on its own as our struggles, triggers, and negative patterns.
What we leave in the darkness destroys us, but what we bring into the light ultimately saves us. The darkness of the new moon in Scorpio means that we cannot hide anymore, we must make friends with the darkness—our darkness—if we yearn for personal freedom.
A tight relationship to Uranus at this times suggests that we must listen carefully to any flashes of intuition or insight that come our way. Especially in terms of our spiritual progress, messages from our higher self hold the key to what steps must be taken. This may be counter to the steps you want to take, because the steps that are necessary are often the most challenging. Walking through our shadow requires tapas, the burning desire to know thyself. Your higher wisdom holds the key. Listen to its messages, and make sure that what you move toward at this time is in alignment with your soul’s purpose, as this is a new beginning for you that signals a great step toward it.
Chiron (the wounded healer) is also in the mix with this new moon, further encouraging us to do our shadow work as it may result not only in personal transformation, but also in change that inspires others to walk the shadow path. If you are destined to be a mentor, you can only lead people as far as you have gone yourself…make sure you do the work required to dig through your own darkness in order to bring to light the gold that is so valuable to you, and those around you. Alchemical Ritual for the Scorpio New Moon As a water sign, Scorpio often soaks in the watery depth of emotion. On the high side, Scorpio revels in deep transformation and shadow work and loves blending energy—whether through intimate partnerships, sacred sexuality or joint finances or business ventures. On the low side, Scorpio’s energy turns to moodiness, brooding, and a tendency to play the victim and lash out with others. This new moon ritual for Scorpio helps to accentuate the high side of Scorpio which transfigures our shadow into powerful healing energy.
Scorpio’s modern ruler is Pluto, the king of the underworld, who also respects those who can escape the darkness. Our work here is to get to know our own underworld so we can undergo a resurrection and once again see the light. Scorpio is not afraid of the challenge, so our challenge is to move toward what is uncomfortable in the ritual, in the hope of shedding some light on it.
Gather a black stone (onyx, lava, kyanite) or a red stone (malachite, red hematite, rhodochrosite) and place it in the center of your ritual space. If you have some ginger, you can place it in a bowl nearby, or sprinkle it around your space. Ginger essential oil also works, and you might anoint your solar plexus with it before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights. Place a pen and paper nearby and come to sit quietly inside the circle. Close the eyes and contemplate a current challenge in your life.
What is the belief system that this triggers? What negative thought patterns swirl around? Finally, what do you feel?
Do not immerse yourself in the emotion, simply observe and witness it like a silent bystander. Locate it in your body. Place your hands on the part of the body that you feel activated and simply watch. Breathe into that space, the emotion, and the body. Stay here, silently witnessing, until the emotion transforms, dissipates, changes shape, or shifts quality. Once it does, say the following invocation out loud:
Scorpio and Pluto, please allow me to feel what is necessary in order to invoke the source of empowerment and healing.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. Clear the mind of thoughts completely. Feel the sensation of healing in the body. Allow a new thought or belief to arise that replaced the old one that you started the ceremony with. When it arises, write it down on your piece of paper. When complete, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Place the piece of paper in prominent view and whenever you see it, feel the sense of empowerment in the body you discovered in this ritual.
This ritual catalyzes the unconscious into deep shift and transformation. In doing so, a part of you is resurrected and brought into the light where you shine for all to see.
By Alanna Kaivalya
Alanna believes Yoga is for everyone and each student can develop the self-empowerment needed to embark on a personal journey to meaningful transformation. On this principle she founded The Kaivalya Yoga Method, a fresh take on yoga emphasizing the individual path while honoring tradition. Teaching students since 2001, teachers since 2003, Alanna has written and developed teacher trainings worldwide for top studios and independently. In January she debuted a comprehensive 200hr-online teacher training with YogaDownload. She holds a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, has authored numerous articles and two books: Myths of the Asanas, an accessible practitioner’s guide to stories behind beloved poses; Sacred Sound, a yoga “hymnal,” illustrating the role of chant and mantra in modern practice. Look for her third book, Yoga Beyond the Mat. She lives in New York City with Roxy the Wonderdog.
Alanna is also the head teacher of Yoga Download's 200-hour Online Teacher Training Program. Learn more and enroll here!
If you're like me, your yoga practice and it's consistency move in waves. I practice yoga multiple times every week usually. That said, some weeks I make it to class and my mat five times, and on other weeks, it's closer to two. It is important to remember, on days when we don't create the time for a full hour-long practice, there are great benefits for fitting in even a single pose into your day, even for 1-minute or less.
So which poses will give you your best bang for your buck in terms of time investment and a return of benefits?
Here are the best five that will reset your being, body, and mood in a matter of moments if you're pressed for time:
1. Paschimotanasana 2. Seated Twist 3. Salabasana 4. Shoulderstand 5. Headstand (or handstand)
Poses in more detail & their benefits: 1. Paschimotanasana : The best of the best. This is the most grounding posture in all of yoga. It opens everything on the backside of your body, stimulates mulhdara charka, our energy center of groundedness, stability, and foundation. This energy center is similar to the foundation of your house. If it's not in balance, the rest of the house will not feel stable. 1-3 minutes holding and breathing in this powerful shape can also heal your spine, neck, hips, and legs. It's also an antidote to feelings of overhwhelm and anxiety, making it ideal for those who only have time for one particular pose in a given day. And it makes you look inwards.
2. Ardha Matsyendrana : Twisting is medicine for the inner organs and entire spine. This is especially great if you have time for one yoga pose because you've overindulged. The stimulation of fresh blood to the liver and organs make it particularly detoxifying. This posture is also grounding, rebalancing for the hips, and opening for the heart.
3. Salabasana : If you drive a car, text on a phone, or work at a computer, this is the best pose to find balance from the consistency of hunching forward that all three of the mentioned actions have. This shape brings a more confident posture to your shoulders, and the overall way we carry ourselves, opening our hearts in a proud, everyday shape, instead of a more closed and timid expression.
4. Shoulderstand : Putting your legs above your head, hips, and heart hold tremendous benefits physcially, mentally, and emotionally. Shoulderstand boosts cognitive functions such as memory. It is also an effective a mood booster and remedy for anxiety or depression, a stimulation of the circulatory system, and a flush to the thyroid, and immune system strengthener. It also promotes youthfulness, balances the body's hormone system, and is strengthening to the shoulder region. And I could keep going. If you're going to do one pose, inversions are golden in terms of maximizing benefits for a short time investment.
Shoulderstand in particular is unique in that it's cooling to the nervous system, which makes it even better in the evening before bed. It's also connected to visshudha chakra, the throat evenrgy center in the body. A balanced throat chakra makes us more confident to be honest, powerful in our words, and creative.
5. Headstand (or handstand) : The inversion benefits listed in Shoulderstand apply to these postures as well. These two poses are largely interchangeable in their benefits, although more shoulder and upper body strength come from handstand over time. Since I didn't get to all of them in detail for Shoulderstand, I'll add more benefits of inverting. Perhaps the most vain and important benefit, they reduce wrinkles in the face. These shapes are the yogic fountain of youth. These shapes are also a blessing on our organs. The kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs all receive considerable amounts of love from having the flow of gravity reversed on them and giving them a flush or sorts. On an energetic level, headstand and handstand open sahasrara chakra, at the crown of the head. This is our most spiritual energy center in the body. The place where we connect to the magic that connects us all.
Of course, our bodies love change. I recommend making it to your mat as often as feels ideal for you. That said, do not underestimate the power of taking a moment to find time for one of these postures with some wonderful, healthy, breaths to accompany them on days you cannot fit a full practice in. These five have the power to from a stressful day to a happy one. Give them a try, mix them up, and make them work for your body, mind, and heart.
By Keith Allen
Keith Allen is a teacher on YogaDownload.com For Keith, yoga is about connecting deeper to who we truly are and using the practice to enjoy our lives more. His classes balance a meditative focus with safe alignment. Breath, presence, and leaving space to let the practice feel good in our bodies, is a priority for Keith. 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 and is a co-author of The Yoga Fix book, which is a resource of healthy movement patterns. In addition to yoga, Keith is passionate about traveling the world, producing videos, skiing, making art, and enjoying music. Enjoy his classes on YogaDownload.com
Practice this efficient, short class to experience the benefits of some of these five poses!
Turn Your Day Around with Keith Allen
Today's recipe comes to us in collaboration with Elana Amsterdam. Elana is the author of the New York Times Best Selling cookbook Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry. She gave up grains over a decade ago and has been tempting foodies everywhere with her incredibly simple, yet flavorful recipes for dynamic, vibrantly healthy food.
We got to sit down with Elana and know you will love her (if you don’t already!), but for now, read on and enjoy Elana’s Matzo Ball Soup recipe, which falls into our 80:20 category (because of the eggs). Enjoy!
This gluten-free Matzo Ball Soup is a healthy twist on a Passover classic. My secret to making this dish gluten-free is to use almond flour in place of matzo meal. Yes, it’s a grain-free Paleo Matzo Ball Soup, as a good as any your Bubby ever made. Matzo Ball Soup is perfect for the change of seasons, which are also perfect times for a cleanse.
Matzo Ball Soup Yields: 6 servings
By Elana Amsterdam
Ingredients: 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons celtic sea salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal), sifted 6 cups chicken stock or Kettle & Fire Bone Broth
Instructions: In a medium bowl, beat eggs, (1 teaspoon) salt and pepper for 2 minutes Stir in the almond flour Refrigerate the mixture 2-4 hours Remove from refrigerator Heat a large pot of water (with 1 teaspoon salt) and bring to a boil Roll the batter into 1-inch balls then drop into the pot of boiling water Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes Heat 6 cups chicken stock in a separate pot When the matzo balls are finished, remove from simmering water with a slotted spoon and add to chicken stock Ladle stock, plus 2-3 matzo balls into individual bowls and serve Looking for more delicious soup recipes? Try our: Chicken Bone Broth Curried Carrot Soup Green Goddess Soup
Check out this collection Yoga Download classes that support detoxing whether you're on a cleanse, or feeling inspired to support your health.
Do you need a change of pace? Are you ready to tap into your inner child and become more playful in your yoga practice, yet desire to shift your physical, mental, and emotional viewpoint too? This week, we’re thrilled to offer four new classes focused on how inversions and going upside down benefits you.
Technically, an inversion in yoga is anything that brings your hips above your heart and your heart above your head. Downward-facing dog and standing forward bends can be considered inversions. Some inversions build heat and energy, like handstands and forearm stands. Others like headstands and shoulder stand act to calm the nervous system. Assuming you are physically healthy and aren’t dealing with injuries to your neck or shoulders, low blood pressure, or glaucoma, there’s an inversion to benefit you.
If you already love turning your world upside down and are a master at handstand or Scorpion pose, you’ll enjoy some fresh flows from some of your favorite teachers. If, however, you avoid inversions because you believe they aren’t accessible, give us a moment to share why we think you should give them a try.
Physical
Inversions build upper body strength, core strength, and provide a powerful boost to your circulatory system. Yogis believe by going upside down, you can stimulate digestion and lymphatic flow, encouraging a healthier immune system. Having your head below your heart reverses the flow of gravity and it floods your skin with oxygen and blood flow, so you appear younger. Who doesn’t enjoy glowing skin?
Mental
Shifting gravity can help increase memory, concentration, and awareness by providing more oxygen and blood flow to the brain. This increased blood flow can stimulate endorphins and release “feel good” chemicals to help combat depression and mood swings as well as boosting the health of your brain.
Emotional
Inversions also stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which produces feelings of relaxation and calmness and can aid you in achieving more restful sleep. Spending some time in an inverted position can encourage a more positive outlook each day. A regular yoga practice helps us shed old habits, which may no longer be serving us and jumpstart change and new beginnings. Trying something new like balancing on your hands can generate fear, but mastering a new skill can create confidence.
Proponents of going upside down believe you truly see the world from a new perspective and the benefits can be taken off the mat with you for the rest of your day and life. Inversions are fun and remind us to continue to feed our inner child and never stop playing.
Take your time to learn proper alignment for postures new to you and also work up to the final pose. Practice at the wall, use props, and modify if necessary. Remember the benefits of Legs up the Wall are the same as a full shoulder stand. Find the version that makes you happy and is appropriate for where you are today.
Press play and have fun with one or all of these new practices:
1. Keith Allen - Turn Your Day Around
2. Shy Sayar - The Safe Path to Headstand
3. Jill Pedroza - Flow and Flight
4. Jack Cuneo - Once More Into Handstand, Dear Friends
We all think it’s going to be easier than it is. We imagine that maternity leave will be like a long holiday in which we can get to enjoy life, see friends, and read books. Because of course we’ll know our baby and of course we’ll be better at it than everybody else! It turns out it’s a bit different than that. Babies don’t keep to our schedules. That’s probably because they don’t know what schedules are. For that reason, if you don’t plan ahead you will find those weeks turn into a constant struggle to catch up to the baby situation. Like desperately trying to figure out where there is a changing room when the little one is wailing like a fire alarm.
Here are some things that you’ll definitely want to take care of before the little one arrives to enjoy your maternity leave instead of struggle through it.
Get Help You might think you don’t need it. But you will. So ask for it before you’re near the verge of tears. Find out who is willing to help and then play to their strengths. Mom might be a good babysitter for a few hours. Perhaps your brother or friend could help you with the shopping. And so on. By getting people you're close to to chip in for a few hours here and there, you’ll free up time to learn the skills that a new baby requires. In fact, it will be these moments where you get the help that will turn into those little vacations you were hoping for. And we need those.
Adjust Expectations When I’m talking about expectations, of course, I’m talking about your own. But not just those. You also have to adjust the expectations of the people around you. A lot of people will assume that things will continue as they used to be. That’s just not possible. Nor is it smart. Instead, set things to your schedule and what you can cope with. A friend might want to meet at that little café you always go to, but if it isn’t baby friendly you should put a fork in that. Others might want your undivided attention to help them with something, like you'd normally be happy to before the baby. But sometimes, that’s just not possible.
Do what you want to do. Be selfish. At least for those first few weeks. Because that baby is already going to be claiming much of your attention.
Get New Friends Being a new mother can be lonely. That’s because the friends you used to hang out with are going to be on entirely different wavelengths. They’ll be cool with hearing about what your kid got up to and how cute he burps for a little while, but after that, they’ll want to get onto the stuff you used to care about that. But right now you don’t care about that. It’s because you don’t have the attention or the energy to do so. For that reason, find people that will understand what you’re talking about and share the same interest. Join a new mommy group in your area. Talk to people with babies. Share experiences.
Whatever you do, don’t be down on yourself. Be happy with the little things you do and keep doing more. Celebrate your achievements and don’t get too upset with yourself when you fall short. That’s life. And things will change again soon enough when you get into the swing of things.
The goal here is to focus on doing the things that will give you a bit of joy. For having a new baby is a huge system shock. They need a lot of attention and they don’t time when they will need it. That means you’ll have some adjusting to do. So adjust your social life to that. Find new friends and use the resources at your disposal.
When you do that, you’ll find there is actually time for more than simply sitting at home and you can enjoy your maternity leave!
By Angela Baker
Angela Baker is a freelance writer who is discovering new ways for personal and professional growth. Currently she`s working in the top essay service, Best Essay Education and improving herself in the blogging career. Angela is an experienced and self-driven specialist who cannot imagine her life without writing.
Yoga Download's Yoga for New Mom's Package is 10-class journey for those wanting to stay active and vibrant during their maternity leave!
Temperatures have started to dip in the northern hemisphere the past few weeks, causing us to crave warm soups and other fall favorites. Today we have a recipe that is the epitome of comfort food. It’s the perfect meal that the entire family will enjoy. But it’s also a labor of love and tends to be one those childhood favorites that just don’t work in our Conscious Cleanse lifestyle. That is until today! Our Vegetable Lasagna with non-dairy ricotta “cheese” is a simple, gluten free, vegan lasagna. And it tastes delicious.
Now your Italian granny might turn over in her grave but believe us our vegan cashew “cheese” is so tasty you will never miss the real stuff. As for the noodles? Gluten be gone. These “noodles” are made from veggies sliced thinly and roasted until caramelized and sweet. A real excellent substitution in the flavor department. Layer it all up with a high quality can of organic crushed tomatoes and you have a healthy and warming dinner. Bubbly, delicious, heartwarming, and heart healthy – just the way granny intended! Did we mention the leftovers are great for breakfast?! Not a bad way to usher in the cooler months and level up your 80:20. With lasagna love, Vegetable Lasagna with Ricotta “Cheese” Yield: 6 servings Ingredients: Ricotta “Cheese” 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for an hour ¼ cup water 2 TB. extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp. sea salt Lasagna 1 small eggplant, very thinly sliced lengthwise 3 zucchini, very thinly sliced lengthwise 2 fennel bulbs, very thinly sliced ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. dried oregano pinch of freshly ground black pepper 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes Instructions: Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor, along with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and water. Process the ingredients until a smooth paste forms; you may need to add a bit more water. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, and fennel with the oil and salt and toss well. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on two baking sheets and roast until they start to brown and caramelize around the edges about 20-25 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. While the vegetables are cooling, whisk together the “cheese,” oregano and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spread one-fourth of the mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch square glass baking dish, then spoon 1⁄2 cup of the crushed tomatoes on top. Cover the tomatoes with a layer of the eggplant. Continue to layer the remaining “cheese,” tomatoes and vegetables until everything is used up, topping off with the tomatoes. Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Jo Schaalman and Jules Peláez are co-founders and authors of the program 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. To learn more about “Jo and Jules”, the Conscious Cleanse and their new 80:20 Lifestyle Plan please visit consciouscleanse.com.
Check out more delicious, healthy, and easy recipes from Jo & Jules here!
Kids love yoga! It’s true. They don’t perceive it as the challenging practice that makes you bend your body in all directions or need to focus on staying calm while doing it. That’s you. For kids, yoga is a fun experience. They get to explore new movements and imitate nature, animals, and warriors.
Of course, yoga is not just a game. It’s a practice that sets the foundation for a resilient, strong character. Researchers found that yoga helps children cope with symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and impulsiveness. Yoga helps them focus and boost their performance in physical and intellectual activities.
Yoga is great for moms, too! It makes them happier, stronger, more focused, and more immune to stress. Mary Lawrence, editor-in-chief at Proessaywriting, agrees: “I’ve been practicing yoga for over ten years. When I gave birth to my daughter, I was worried I wouldn’t have time for yoga. As it turns out, you can always find time for the things you love. Moreover, you can do them together with your kids. Yoga helps me stay balanced and focused on my job. It also helps me develop a bond with my daughter. We always have good times when we practice together.”
So yoga is good for you, and it’s good for your kids, too. Why don’t you practice it together? We’ll suggest great poses that you and your little ones can try together.
Tree Pose
This pose is all about achieving stillness of the body and calmness of the mind. It looks pretty simple. You stand with a straight and tall spine. You raise one leg, and bring the foot above the knee of the other foot. You bring your hands together and you find the balance. Stay calm. Slowly come out of the pose and do it with the other leg.
If you let your mind wander for a second, you’ll lose balance. That’s the lesson this pose teaches us. It’s great for making us calmer, and it’s awesome for practicing control ofthe mind. Kids love acting like trees, and you’ll love the peace and quiet you’ll find in tree pose.
One-Legged Pigeon Pose
You might find One-Legged Pigeon pose challenging if your back is stiff. Try simpler variations until you reach your back foot with your hand. Your kid,on the other side,will find it easier. They will puff out the chest, trying to resemble a pigeon as much as possible.
This pose is great because it opens the chest and improves your breathing capacity. It also stimulates the abdominal organs and improves the flexibility of your back.
Dancer’s Pose
Elegance, grace, strength! Those are the thoughts that come to mind when you see someone doing a beautiful Dancer’s pose. You don’t have to worry about being really flexible and catching the foot in an overhead grip. Take it slowly. Teach your kid to take it slowly too. This pose is great for seeing progress, so you can take pictures every month to see how far you’re getting. Both you and your kids will love seeing the before and after pictures.
The pose improves your balance, stretches the thighs and the shoulders, and it makes you feel graceful.
Cat Pose
Cats are funny creatures. Your kid probably thinks so too! They also have impressive flexibility, so we might as well learn something from them.
In cat pose, you’re activating the spine and neck. This movement improves the coordination and makes you feel calm. Plus, you move like a cat, and cats are some of the most interesting creatures on Earth.
Cobra Pose
Cobra activates your shoulders, chest, abdominals, and spine. It alleviates the stiffness of the lower back, so it’s great for a mom who’s spends theentire day in a seated position at work. It’s also great for the kids, since it improves and maintains the natural flexibility of the spine.
It also elevates the mood and stimulates the function of the organs in the abdomen. It improves digestion and helps to ease symptoms of asthma. All those benefits with a single pose! The best part is that kids are naturally good at doing cobra and can have fun pretending they’re a snake.
Practice Carefully and Keep It Fun!
Yoga will make both you and your kid happier. It’s a great practice that teaches us how to stay calm and cope with stressful situations. The important thing is to keep it safe! If your kid has sciatica, asthma, or any other health concern, you should get their doctor’s advice. It’s also best for you to search for a certified yoga teacher, who will know how to approach those issues. Yoga has unlimited benefits only when practiced properly.
Most of all, keep this fun! The above-listed poses are great for storytelling. When you’re teaching them how to get into Cobra pose, tell a story about the friendly and curious snake, who was making this movement to see what’s going on behind the neighbor’s fence. Be creative! Both you and your kid will enjoy the practice more that way.
By Lucy Benton
Lucy Benton is an editor, an assignment writer who finds her passion in expressing own thoughts as a blogger. She is constantly looking for the ways to improve her skills and expertise. Also Lucy has her own blog ProWritingPartner where you can check her last publications.
Want more yoga classes for your children to try? Click the photo below to chek out our diverse collection of 15 classes specifically for kid's on YogaDownload.com.
You just had a baby - congratulations! But now...does your body feel like a total stranger? Your amazing body spent nine months growing a new human, and will spend even longer nourishing and nurturing this new life. For some new moms, sometimes your body doesn’t feel like yours anymore. We're here to help!
Whether you’re looking to reconnect with your sense of self, rebuild your core or just start moving and toning your muscles again (with your doctor’s blessing of course), we put together a special 10-class Yoga For New Moms package with precisely YOU in mind.
We also have 3 key tips to practice any time:
Be Kind to Yourself:
Who needs your love as much as your baby? You do. While you are learning to care for the new arrival, you also need to recognize your vulnerable self. As you take your first steps towards the mat, promise to be kind to yourself. Do not set unrealistic expectations for your practice. In the beginning, a half-hour or even 15 minutes of Yoga is beneficial to get rid of the aches and pains associated with childbirth and caregiving. Try out our instructor Liza Janda’s 30-minute Postnatal Recharge class; the perfect remedy for new moms.
Heal Inside Out:
Your bundle of joy has transformed your life in more ways than you expected. You will soon realize what you want to do is not always what you end up doing. Hence it is important to take stock of the moment. Maybe your first concern is to get your body back in shape. But let’s get your head and heart to process the change and then progress with your body. Yoga can help you get the desired results but it happens over time. In the initial few months, it’s best to start slow and concentrate on a restorative practice that allows you to journey inside while working on the outside. Understand the needs of a new mom. Trust your Yoga practice to move you into stillness and calm the sleep deprived mind. Liza Janda’s Time Out for New Moms class focuses on just that and heats you up and tones you without wearing you out.
Remind Yourself it’s Yoga O’Clock:
Carving out time for Yoga could be challenging when faced with the joys and pressures of motherhood. We understand how tough it could be to bring yourself to look beyond your new role as a mother. But we encourage you to do so and do so without guilt. In the larger scheme of things you will be better at caring for your child if you care for yourself first.
Want to take it further? In addition to the two above, our Yoga for New Moms package offers eight additional classes, which will help you breathe, stretch deeper, find your core and find your balance.
Liza Janda’s Postnatal Flow Kristen Boyle’s IndieFlow Postnatal Yoga Kristen Boyle’s IndieFlow Talk: Restoring your Core After Baby Casey Feicht’s Yoga for New Moms Elise Fabricant’s Yoga for a Good Night's Sleep (AUDIO class) Elise Fabricant’s Quick and Easy Yoga for a Busy You Maria Garre’s Pranayama for Better Sleep Dave Farmar’s Baptiste Power Yoga After Pregnancy
Look at Yoga as a quick retreat, where you can drop everything else and concentrate on the present moment. Follow your practice and get a boost of energy that will last you days and weeks to come. Answer the call of the mat, set an intention, listen to your body and practice the asanas to give your mind and body the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate.
Wild rice is technically not a grain! Who knew? It’s actually the seed of a marsh grass grown in the Great Lakes region (my hometown’s neck of the woods). Wild rice has a rich nutty flavor that pairs well with leafy greens and autumn veggies. As we approach Thanksgiving time, we’ve been on the lookout for recipes that could fit into the holiday season, but wouldn’t leave us feeling the usual “Thanksgiving hangover.” The reason we might feel so good eating this robust “grain” is because it’s chock full of B vitamins and contains essential minerals like zinc, folate and phosphorus. It also has more protein than the almighty brown rice. And, because of it’s high fiber content it will keep your digestive system running smooth as silk. Not too shabby! This Autumn Wild Rice Salad can be a healthy side on turkey day or hold it’s own as an entrée on a brisk fall night. Are you starting to plan your Thanksgiving meal and want some ideas of how to make your old favorites into a healthy AND delicious treat? Make sure to stay tuned this month for more recipes we’ve given the Conscious Cleanse makeover plus a peek at our Conscious Thanksgiving feast! With wild warmhearted smooches,
P.S. – This recipe contains fennel, which can be a bit confusing when it comes to slicing and dicing, so check out this video to help you chop your fennel like a pro. Autumn Wild Rice Salad Yield: 8-10 servings Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked organic wild rice 1 bunch kale, chopped ½ bunch chard, chopped 1 bunch green onions, chopped ½ cup parsley, chopped ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced ½ cup fresh lemon juice ½ cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp black pepper Directions: In a medium pot over high heat bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add wild rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60 to 65 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt and pepper. Pour dressing over rice and toss until fully coated. Remove stems and ribs from kale and chard and cut into ribbons or tear into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine kale, chard, fennel, green onions and parsley. Before serving, toss veggies with dressed rice. Enjoy!
Check out these Yoga Download classes with Jo & Jules!
Conscious Cleanse Detox Flow with Jo Schaalman
Traditional Hot Yoga with Julie Pelaez
Full Moon in Taurus: Stepping Into Abundant Flow
The full moon in Taurus on November 4, 2017 encourages us to do the work necessary to step into the flow of abundance. For Taurus, abundance comes not just with monetary gain, but with sensual pleasures, and physical sensation, as well. Whether we revel in the gifts of family, the earth, life itself, or the ability to purchase fine goods, Taurus energy excels when we are enjoying all that life has to offer. This lunation is no exception, and powerful influences by Pluto, Neptune, and Jupiter, give us a magical, expansive energy to work with at this time.
For those of us who do yoga or other spiritual practices, the best use of this moon’s influence (with spiritual Neptune in the mix) is to do the spiritual and psychological work necessary to overcome our money blocks and old beliefs around our value. If you’ve had a difficult time asking for what you are worth, placing value on your time or services, or if you suffer from unworthiness, use this time to dig more deeply into the shadow and transmute the source of these core complexes. Thoughts around deficiency and lack putrefy every element of our life, and believing we are not worthy of grace prevents us from stepping into the flow of abundance in any regard.
We are all worthy of grace.
Grace is the moment we know that source is working through us. Getting out of our own way, and dropping our old stories around unworthiness, lack, and poverty are key to letting abundance prevail. We all seek abundance. We all desire grace. We are all capable of it when we open ourselves up to it. It really is that simple, but the old patterns die hard.
Luckily, Pluto is here to help. As the planet of death and resurrection, Pluto either mires us deeper in the suffering, or if we work with it, will allow the old patterns to die to give us new life. Pluto’s complimentary influence on our collective finances also supports the abundance surrounding this full moon….but, remember, full moon energy is about dropping what we no longer need so that we can start afresh. Let Pluto assist with this, and Jupiter’s expansive energy will catapult you into the flow of abundance and grace you deserve. Alchemical Ritual for the Taurus Full Moon As an earth sign, Taurus loves to feel the sensual beauty all around and manifest earthly abundance and pleasures whenever possible. On the low side, however, this grounded energy makes us stuck and stagnant, disallowing growth and flow states. This full moon ritual for Taurus helps to accentuate the high side of this energy which uses the power of the earth to create beauty and abundance inside and out.
Taurus’ ruler is Venus, the great goddess of love and beauty. In her we see the energy of attraction, sensuality and connectedness. To enhance this energy in your ritual, gather green stones such as jade, tourmaline or peridot and place them in the center of your ritual space. Bring in the earth element in some way, either with a small bowl of dirt, a plant, or do the ritual outside. Rose and Sandalwood essential oil can be used to anoint your heart chakra before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights. Sit in the center of your space and place the hands on the ground. Connect deeply to earth energy and call forth the sensual wisdom it offers. Feel the energy moving into your seat, your legs, your hands and up through your body into your heart. Coordinate the breath with the flow of energy. When you establish a consistent current, meditate on the question: What does abundance mean to me? Your answer is not trivial, and it will likely come quietly and simply. Any running dialogue is not from the heart, but from the ego, so listen closely to the answer from the heart. Once you receive your answer, choose one stone, hold it firmly in your right hand and say the following invocation out loud:
Venus, please show me the path to grace and abundance.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. Clear the mind of thoughts completely. Feel the sensation within the heart, and allow for the invocation to sink in and begin to show you your path to grace. Allow any symbols, sensations, emotions or energy to arise and continue to quietly witness all that happens without judgement or thought.
When complete, place your hand on your heart and chant Om three times. Place your hands in prayer at the heart with the stone inside and recognize this talisman that you have now charged with the energy of abundance. Snuff the candles and place the talisman somewhere prominently enough that you are reminded daily of the path to your heart’s fullest expression. This ritual creates a connection between you and your heart, and allows you to walk forward on a clear path of manifesting abundance for yourself and all around you.
21-Day Pre-Holiday Feel Good Challenge. Week 3: Finish Strong!
You’re almost to the finish line! We hope you’re feeling stronger, lighter, and more radiant. We know it isn’t easy to create a new habit, especially when it means committing to practice every single day. Whether you are fired up and roaring to the finish line or if you’re stumbling a bit in your resolve, we’re here to help you finish strong.
YogaDownload offers these four tips to accomplish your Pre-Holiday Challenge (and life) goals.
1. Day by Day: One of the biggest lessons in yoga is to live in the present moment- the here and now. Focus on today’s practice today. Don’t worry about tomorrow’s class or the next day’s. Look at the challenge as 21 separate achievements that add up to one beautiful new habit. Before you know it, you’ll cross the finish line.
2. Keep your eye on the finish line and revisit your initial intention for starting this challenge. Remind yourself WHY you initially embarked upon this challenge. What were you seeking? Acknowledge some days are tougher than others, know you might encounter obstacles that could sideline you…and remember why you are doing it in the first place. Choose a special reward for yourself to celebrate the accomplishment on Day 21.
3. Stay flexible. Adapt. If for example you did several intense classes with a huge focus on strength and you feel depleted, try a relaxing yin or Nidra or restorative class to balance it all out. Variety is good! Know you might need to be creative and reaching the finish line might not look like what you initially envisioned, but you’ll get there if you are willing to adjust to adversity and keep going!
4. It’s called a challenge because it isn’t easy. Like everything in yoga and in life, even if it sounds simple, it doesn’t mean it won’t require you to dig deep and renew your resilience. It’s in the tougher times when you have to tap into your inner strength and fight for what you want. Often, our biggest periods of growth develop out of adversity.
Part of committing to anything is seeing it through to conclusion. Mastery has been described as doing something you've committed to, even on days you don't feel like it. Finish strong with this challenge and let this be the beginning of a new dedicated personal practice. Then, take this experience off of your yoga mat and into your daily life. The sky’s the limit!
Finish off strong with four new classes we know you’ll love, from some of your favorite YogaDownload.com instructors.
1. Claire Petretti Marti - Yummy Yoga Flow 3
2. Jackie Casal Mahrou - Ready, Set, Flow!
3. Erin Wimert - Meet me at the Barre
4. Christen Bakken - Work the Magic on the Inside
But first, why pumpkin? Well aside from the fact that pumpkins are fun to carve and make scary faces out of, pumpkins signal the start of the holiday season! Fall sweaters, warm soups, new boots, pumpkin spice – these things just go together. But perhaps more importantly, pumpkin is a health foodies dream. Filled with fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins, the flesh of the pumpkin is a delicious sweet treat that has transformed many of our favorite food groups. Be sure to try our Pumpkin Spiced Waffles and leave us a comment below. Are you pumped for pumpkin season like we are? Any pumpkin recipe requests? And for more great pumpkin recipes, check out our: Pumpkin Fudge Pumpkin Turkey Crockpot Chili Creamy Pumpkin Sage Soup Coco Nutty Pumpkin Pie With pumpkin spice and everything nice,
P.S. – While pumpkin is not cleanse friendly, it’s still a ridiculously healthy food and one of our 80:20 favorites – especially this time of year! Pumpkin Spice Waffles Yield: 8-10 waffles Ingredients: ¾ cup pumpkin puree 2 ripe bananas, mashed 5 large eggs ¼ cup coconut oil, melted, plus 2 TB for waffle iron 1 tsp. vanilla extract ¼ cup almond flour ½ cup coconut flour 1 ½ TB. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp. nutmeg Pinch of cloves 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. sea salt Instructions: Preheat your waffle iron. In a high speed blender or food processor fitted with the s-blade, combine pumpkin puree, bananas, eggs, ¼ cup coconut oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and blend until smooth. Mixture will be thick (use your blender’s damper if necessary). Brush the waffle iron with the remaining 2 TB. melted coconut oil and place approximately ¼ cup of the mixture onto the waffle iron. Let cook until browned. Keep the waffles warm in the oven while you finish cooking all of the batter. *Optional: You can make a great topping out of almond butter and maple syrup to pack in some more protein! Place ¼ cup almond butter and 2 TB. maple syrup in a small bowl and stir together. Add water to thin to your desired consistency. Drizzle over waffles when serving!
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With the advent of different forms of yoga, different Sun Salutations have also been born that resonate with the essence of each particular type of yoga. For example, Hatha Yoga, the oldest form of practice, has a simple Sun Salutation, while Ashtanga Yoga adds a few more advanced steps, keeping the tradition and making it slightly more challenging. These are just two examples. Emerging from a long history, Sun Salutations or Surya Namaskars (Sanskrit word) involve the whole body from head to toe and work on almost all parts of the body. Sun Salutations are about worshipping the sun and activating the solar energy in the body. Consisting of 12 yoga poses (Hatha Yoga) requiring the practitioner to move from one pose to another in a rhythmic fashion in order to reap the benefits. Although this series can be practiced at any time of the day, the benefits of Sun Salutations increase when practiced in the morning in front of the sun. Mentioned below are some strong benefits of Sun Salutations: Weight loss This sequence of poses is designed with great precision by the sages to allow the practitioner to reap maximum benefit. With the dynamic movement, one of the outright benefits of Sun Salutations is weight loss. This is one reason for it becoming popular among the masses. Irrespective of age or gender, people indulge in this practice because of the heating factor, which ultimately leads to melting fat. Strength and Stability Bending, lunging, and stretching poses, elongate the spine and alleviate the detriments from sitting long hours at work. This helps in strengthening the body, relieving in stress, improving flexibility and ultimately benefits the skeletal system by providing it with much needed robustness. Surya Namaskar benefits the body in more than one way as it corrects overall postures also. A Beautiful Exterior The heat generating tendency paves way for glowing skin and women have accepted this benefit of Sun Salutation with open arms. Toxins of body are refluxed out and the skin becomes clear by banishing pimples and boils. All the clogged pores open up with sweat and one can even achieve fairer complexion. Peaceful Sleep Many of us are taking drugs for sleeping to overcome the difficulties of everyday life. Yet another benefit of Sun Salutation is saying no to drugs. Teachers practice 20 to 108 Surya namaskars in a go, which tires the body and exhausts us to keep the unwanted thoughts and worries away. This results in restful sleep, which allows us to wake up fresh in the morning. Menstrual Cycle Ease Surya Namsakars benefits those battling with problems related to the uterus or ovaries. It simulates glands and leads to restoration, which ultimately works perfectly in the long run. Tones the Nervous system From stretching to elongation, the practice of Surya Namaskars benefits the nervous system as well. It helps to gently massage the nerves and increases the flow of blood in the body. This undoubtedly helps in proper functioning and movement of the body. With all these exercises possible, the Surya Namaskar benefits are innumerable. While some of them might be outrightly oblivious to our eyes, there are so many internal changes that are taking place without our awareness, which help the body to stay healthy and whole. Start practicing Sun Salutations immediately to reap the aforementioned positive outcomes and much more, which are unique to everybody.
By Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveler in India. He provides yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India. He loves writing and reading the books related to yoga, health, nature and the Himalayas. His strong connection with Yoga and the Himalayas has made him organize yoga, meditation and Ayurveda tours, and retreats in the Himalayas. To connect with him visit here.
Here is a YogaDownload.com class to practice Sun Salutations and enjoy their benefits right now!
Anytime Sun Salutations with Jackie Casal Mahrou
Long gone are the days when yoga was considered more as a hobby. Now, it is a wonder drug that helps millions to relieve the symptoms of daily stress. The advantages of yoga – low cost, great calming ability, and improvement of mental health – make it a natural anti-depressant that can help men and women, young and old, regardless of the fitness level. While for the past decade the science has explored many of both physical and mental benefits of doing yoga, today we focus our attention on one fresh study that has a lot of recommendations for yoga devotees and those struggling with depression.
The Study To identify the poses recommended by science, we are going to use a study titled Treating Major Depression With Yoga: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial published in PLOS ONE Journal earlier this year. It was completed by a group of scientists from the University of California, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University. The main purpose of the study was to examine how an 8-week hatha yoga intervention impacted people with mild to major depression. To achieve this purpose, the researchers recruited 38 adults who were diagnosed with depression.
According to the results, the group who practiced yoga during the study period exhibited a considerable decline in depression scores than the group who did not. The decline was statistically and clinically significant, so the study concluded that the yoga intervention can serve as a tool for reducing depression severity.
Recommendations on Yoga Poses: Below is the specific hatha yoga sequence used by the researchers in the study.
Breath Regulation
Mindful Poses & Movement
Final Deep Relaxation
Now that we know what poses were effective for battling depression, we can turn our attention to them and learn how they help. The following section reviews some of the poses used in the study.
Breath Regulation Poses “These poses improve your ability to focus, settle stress, rejuvenate the nervous system, restore the balance in the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and support respiratory functions,” says Matt Curry, an in-house yoga teacher from Assignmenthelper.com.au. “They are a perfect tool to calm a worrying or overactive mind.”
Ujjayi (Victorious Breath)
Bhastrika (Bellows Breath)
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Mindful poses teach to focus on present, dissolve tensions, build strength, and increase mobility.
Bhujungasana (Cobra Pose)
Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
Final Deep Relaxation Pose Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
Time for Yoga! If you are experiencing depression or just want some relaxation, hatha yoga is the easy and proven tool that offers a wide range of benefits.
By Lucy Benton Lucy Benton is a writing coach, an editor who finds her passion in expressing own thoughts as a blogger. She is constantly looking for the ways to improve her skills and expertise. Also Lucy has her own blog ProWritingPartner where you can check her last publications. If you’re interested in working with Lucy , you can find her on FaceBook and Twitter.
Try these YogaDownload.com classes to combat depression:
Yoga for Depression: Flow into Happiness with Maria Garre
Yoga for Depression & Anxiety with Ira Israel
“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself… Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” ― Nelson Mandela I’ll admit to you that the journey into producing online courses, and the resulting crazy learning curve of internet marketing, has not been easy for me. It’s taken much grit and tenacity, and the risk involved has caused me some anxiety and worry over the past few months. Until this past weekend, I had let the stress build up so much that I hardly remembered my fun-loving and joyful self. (And, yep, the irony of becoming stressed while building a course on stress-relief is not lost on me.) I managed the stress fairly well through my meditation practice and my morning and evening rituals. However, it was the workshop I took this past weekend that truly disappeared my suffering. If you had met me on Friday evening, you would have seen a woman trying manically to manage a hectic schedule – fretting, worrying and complaining. It’s Monday morning as I write this and I feel like a new person, or at least returned to my original self, no longer masked by stress, fear and worry. Because the teachings of this weekend were so invaluable for me, I’m inspired to share some of the core “ah-ha” moments with you here. This brief piece just barely scratches the surface of the vast topic, though, so I’ll include a reference list of supplementary materials, too. The concepts I’ll present below are very simple, and you’ve probably heard them before. They are not at all easy in practice, though, so please remember to reach out for help from an accountability buddy or coach when starting to play with them. (As a side note, I’ll be starting a coaching practice this Fall. Stay tuned!) So, I bet you have some person in your life who has a blessed, abundant life but still runs around like a worry-wort victim, right? You also have inspiring examples of people in the worst situations who maintain grace and love and gratitude despite their circumstances. What’s the difference between the two types of people? The second type of person – let’s use Nelson Mandela as an example – gets that our stress and suffering levels correspond to our attitudes around our external circumstances, rather than the circumstances themselves. They take responsibility for their peace of mind, knowing that it can never be controlled by other people or external situations. Stress and suffering come from the stories we create from our circumstances. We dwell on the past with regret and shame. We project into the future with anxiety and worry. We are disconnected from the present moment, which, in reality, most likely holds much to be grateful and joyful about. When we are triggered by something that brings up fear or disappointment or hurt – even something tiny – our minds make up a “truth” about it. This truth becomes the story we continue to run in our minds of what the world means; after all, we are meaning-making machines. For example: Your neighbor doesn’t say hello when passing in the hall – you make it mean that she is angry with you. Your car blows a tire on the freeway – you make it mean that you’re inept at everything. Your husband groans when looking at that balance of your joint checking account – you make it mean he disapproves you. It’s critical that we can identify the stories in our minds and then start to unlearn them. We remember that the stories are not the universal truth, that the past is finished and through and we cannot predict the future. When our awareness is no longer blocked by these stories we are more able to experience what truly is in the present moment, and open to gratitude and joy. In the practice of Buddhism, the word dukkha means suffering (anxiety, stress, frustration). Buddhist teachers say that dukkha happens because there is a gap between the reality what is (everything being impermanent) and the way we humans tend to operate in the world (with clinging and attachment). Dukkha could also be said to happen when we believe our stories as Truth. I am so clear that when I believe my thoughts and stories, I suffer. When I don’t believe, attach or cling to them, I don’t suffer. I’d like you to try on this concept for yourself. Play with it. Experiment. Discuss. The first step is getting some perspective into your own mind to that you can identify when you are fabricating a story. Meditation is key. Meditation helps us get enough perspective on ourselves so that we can recognize our stories. It can allows to label our stories as stories, and even recognize them with a sense of humor (“here I go again with that oldie but goodie”). In this way we can recognize the story without buying into it and allowing it to run our lives. Here are your practices to liberate yourself from stressful thinking when you find yourself stressed or triggered: Start to identify the story that you’re telling yourself. Dig deeper into the story. What is fueling the story? In what way has this story served you? Has it protected you from taking responsibility, or being vulnerable? What would happen if you dropped this story? What would you need to give up to cut the ties to this story? What possibilities could be open to you without this story? This inquiry creates freedom of mind. Suffering is now optional. I’ll leave you here with one more quote by Nelson Mandela, who, to me, exemplifies the ability for us as humans to find freedom of mind even when the body is imprisoned. “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
Here are supoprting materials to relieving your life of worry:
Loving What Is by Byron Katie Joy No Matter What by Carolyn Hobbs No Time Like The Present by Jack Kornfield
Elise Fabricant is passionate about helping and healing the body, mind and spirit through yoga and massage. She is also a top teacher on YogaDownload.com.
These practices with Elise will supoprt you in living stress free!
Stress Less, Shine More
Yin Yoga for Flexibility & Relaxation
Transitions are part of life and the change of seasons is a perfect time to focus on transitions and transform your life. When we tap into the essence of the season and align ourselves with nature, we can create lasting change. Now that you’re in week two of the YogaDownload.com Pre-Holiday Challenge, we hope you’re feeling stronger and determined to stay the course.
Accessing the wisdom of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and applying it to your own patterns is a powerful way to intensify your commitment. One way we tend to get stuck is through settling into negative thought patterns and daily habits. Recognizing your tendency to become mired in the “I can’t” or “if only I didn’t” type mentality is the first step to rewire your brain for the positive and create space to manifest the life you desire.
Yoga Sutra II: 33 states: vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam
If you don’t know Sanskrit, here is a popular translation: “When negative thoughts present themselves, cultivate and think the opposite thoughts with feeling.” Pratipaksha means “opposite” and bhavana means “cultivation.” Implementing this philosophy into your yoga practice and your daily life will alter your outlook and help turn a pessimistic viewpoint into a more optimistic one.
It sounds simple, right? Just replace those negative thoughts with positive ones and boom—transformation. Well…not exactly. Like all worthy pursuits, this practice takes time and effort. We discussed tapas or discipline last week and you’ll need to tap into your inner fire here too. The first step to change is recognizing when these unkind or negative thoughts arise. Pause, acknowledge where your mind went and then purposefully replace or reframe.
Here’s an example: You’re taking a yoga class and the teacher introduces the one yoga pose you despise. You know the one, where you sit back on your heels and take a drink of water and avoid trying? Thought number one: I’ll never be able to do this pose, my body just can’t because my hamstrings are too tight or my arms are too short. Can you reframe that negative concept into something more positive? Perhaps if I use a block or a strap, I can perform the modified pose and if I’m persistent, I’ll create the right amount of change for me. Or, maybe this pose isn’t inherently evil because I dislike it; maybe it’s exactly what I need today. I’m doing the best I can.
Pratipaksha bhavana also works especially well in a meditation practice to help you retrain your thought patterns. If you automatically assume you can’t meditate because you feel distracted, give yourself a break and try again. Just like the 21-day challenge, experts claim it takes three weeks to cement a new habit. Try replacing the negative with the positive, starting now. Use the power of the changing seasons to boost your efforts: change is good!
To help you in your road to transformation, we’ve got four inspiring new classes this week.
1. Christen Bakken - Slower & Deeper : A Gentle Vinyasa Flow
2. Maria Garre - Balancing the Winds : Grounding Vata Dosha
3. Denelle Numis - Lunar Flow : Easing into Evening
4. Pradeep Teotia - Practice with Grace