Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

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.

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.

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.

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.

You just had a baby - congratulations! Does your body feel like a total stranger? Your amazing body spent nearly a year growing a new human, and longer for nourishing and nurturing this new life. For new moms, sometimes your body doesn’t feel like yours anymore. We can 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), we put together a special 10-class Yoga For New Moms package with exactly you in mind. We also have 3 key tips to practice any time:

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.

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.

Week 3: Finish Strong! You’re almost to the finish line, challengers! 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 blast you to the stars and accomplish your Pre-Holiday Challenge (and life) goals.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

I'm intrigued by people who've been able to reduce their yearly waste to just a bag or two of trash. Even though our circumstances have had us without a garden for a couple of years, I've composted for more than two decades. But the idea of being so completely aware of every single thing I touch in a day and determining how much to reduce, reuse, recycle is astounding to me. The three Rs of environmentalism have become a mantra of sorts for me. I figure if I can keep it on repeat in my brain the actions will become second nature. Where to start? Let's take them in reverse order...

Detox tea. It sounds so scary! Like the tea is going to taste terrible and leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. And do a number on your digestive system. But this one won't. It's a gentle detoxifier - great for counteracting a late night out, food splurges, detox cleanses, or upset tummies. Or even just drink it because it's tasty and good for you.

Do you love the holidays? The extra time to spend with family and friends? The opportunity to relax and spend a little extra time on the couch in your pajamas? Or, the time when you travel the world and explore? If you know you won’t be following your usual routine, we’ve got the perfect no-guilt solution. Welcome to our Pre-Holiday 21-Day Feel Good Challenge. Just before the holidays is the perfect time to implement changes, to align with nature and adjust to different schedules. Beginning a new program requires discipline, commitment and willpower, all key elements to a strong personal practice. Cultivate the principle of Tapas and jump in with us.

Whether it’s from concern for the environment, their health, or both, shoppers are choosing organic foods and foods made without using genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The upsurge in popularity of these two categories has helped organic foods become one of the quickest-growing sectors of food production in the United States. For anyone who has an interest in what goes into the food they eat, walking up and down the aisles of the grocery store today reveals a rising number of options. Not only do foods carry the familiar nutritional facts labels mandated by the FDA, but they also bear the symbols of organizations that certify organic food products as well as non-GMO food products. Even if these foods are distinctively labeled, there still may be some misconception about what those labels mean.

The mechanics of the knee is imposing! Its hinge structure and the performance it delivers will forever be difficult replicating. The knee joint is a typical synovial joint with the accompanying fluid for improved lubrication and protection of the adjoining parts. Here are 4 poses to also help strengthen your knees.

When someone completely new to yoga looks at Instagram photos, they might get confused. Is yoga all about handstands and backbends? There should be something more to it. When they do a brief research, they get even more confused. There are too many types of yoga, and all of them are quite different from one another. According to the Eastern approach to understanding human nature, each one of us has a unique personality and temperament. It’s no wonder why yoga has taken so many forms. It constantly evolves, and that’s a good thing. Since there are so many types of yoga, everyone can find a method that suits them. We’ll list few important types of yoga, so you’ll distinguish them and decide: which one suits you best?

“Stack your spine”, “Square your hips”, “Rotate your shoulder blades”, “Engage your core” - Do these sounds familiar but hard to comprehend? You are definitely not alone. Go deeper into this article to demystify and decode alignment cues used during your practice.

One of the greatest lessons of yoga is discovering the profound connection between your physical and emotional bodies. The physical benefits like looser hamstrings and stronger shoulders appear more quickly, but the benefits to your subtle body and emotional health are more profound. Shift your focus inside to attain the full benefits of yoga.

We have a confession. Sometimes we get into a monotonous rut with our yoga practice. Sometimes, with our daily habits. Heck, sometimes we eat the same breakfast every day for, well, forever. That’s all well and good to establish healthy habits, but sometimes repeating the same routines day after day can become rote, automatic, and even a little boring. Do you gravitate to the same classes day after day? Avoid postures you don’t like?

This salad definitely packs its own nutrient-rich punch. First, let's talk bacteria. Don't worry. It's the good kind! Over the past couple of years, I have been reading up on benefits of gut health. Though I've long known that probiotics are beneficial to the gut, I figured that yogurt and expensive probiotic pills were the only way to go. Soon, I became hip to additional foods that can improve gut health.

In the post-lineage void of the current yoga scene, conversations around safety and improving the quality of yoga teacher-training often turn to biomechanics for solutions. However, replacing one arbitrary imposition on our bodies with another does not address the real issues. Fostering safer spaces for practice, or creating any sort of positive change in our bodies, will likely require new understanding based on a broader range of possibilities and ideas.

The Virgo new moon on September 20, 2017, brings with it the opportunity for us to resolve the thing that most holds us back: our core wounds. Each of us has buried within the shadow of our psyche a core wound that holds us back, keeps us playing small, and prevents us from realizing our full potential.