Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Nirvana is defined as complete freedom from pain, worry, and the external world. In yoga, it’s considered the highest spiritual state. Used in a broader sense, nirvana can be defined as a state of bliss or a release from all suffering. This week, we’re sharing four practices designed to give you that sweet feeling in your neck and shoulders. Whether you woke up with a stiff neck or spend hours daily in front of a screen, tension in the shoulders and neck can prevent you from feeling your best. These classes will help loosen tight muscles, balance your Visshuda (throat) chakra, and clear your mind.

Maximizing the strength of your glute muscles isn’t just about looking great in your yoga pants. Having a powerful backside is incredibly important for hip stability and proper posture. Sitting causes the glute muscles to turn off completely, so if you spend most of your day in front of a computer, it’s time to make sure you dedicate time activating your glutes! Most people have heard of the gluteus maximus, which is the largest muscle in the body. Two other gluteal muscles, the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, are deeper than the gluteus maximus and play an important role in building and maintaining a powerful posterior.

Whether you can slide right into Hanumanasana or Monkey Pose like an Olympic gymnast or if the idea of dropping into this pose strikes fear in your heart, we’re here to persuade you to approach the splits with a fresh perspective. Of course, there are modified versions to accommodate injuries or physical limitations, but some version can work for you. And dedicating time to master something seemingly impossible results in deeper lessons than the simply finding the posture’s full expression.

Feeling out of balance? Maybe it’s time to turn your focus inward and create alignment from the inside out. We are all composed of energy or life force or as we call it in yoga, prana. Our energy fluctuates from minute to minute and sometimes maintaining our equilibrium is challenging. Yoga helps us align our energy through Nadis, which are energetic passageways carrying prana through our subtle body. Keeping energy flowing is important to feeling our best because when our prana is stuck, our mind, our body, and our emotions suffer imbalances. By aligning the Chakras from the Muladhara (Root) at the base of our spine through the Sushumna Nadi to the Sahasrara (Crown) Chakra, we are creating balance in our system.

When your yoga teacher moves into backbends, does it spark excitement or anxiety? Backbends have so many benefits for our body, our mind, and our heart but sometimes they can stoke fear, especially if you’ve had back injuries or issues. No surprise as the Anahata or Heart Chakra is the seat of courage, love, and fear. Let’s break down the benefits and the cautions to these enlivening poses because there’s a version for you! Physically, bending backwards strengthens your back, shoulders, and hips. Backbends improve your posture and increase mobility of your entire spine, while opening the chest, abdominals, and front of your pelvis and legs. Emotionally, these poses open your heart for more compassion and aid in letting go of fear. Mentally, backbends energize and awaken your brain, helping impart a sense of clarity and alertness.

Stop what you’re doing for a moment––well, after you read this––and close your eyes. Place one hand over your heart and one hand on your belly. Exhale everything out and take the biggest inhale you’ve taken today. Inhale the possibility that you can change the way you’re feeling right now. Inhale and trust you can renew your spirit by tuning into your heart. We’re here with a gentle reminder that yoga is one of the most powerful tools for regenerating your body, your mind, and your spirit. No matter what style of yoga you love to practice, the emphasis on conscious breathing helps to uplift your spirit.

Every time your tablet, phone, or computer fails to function properly, experts will advise you to flip the switch off and wait. Most times, that momentary unplugging fixes the issue. When you slow down and shift your focus inward, even for a short time, you’re refilling your well and benefitting your nervous system. Yoga is an incredible way to reset your mind, body, and spirit. Simply by unrolling your mat for practice, you’re eliminating distractions and choosing self-care. All types of yoga will do the trick, but slower styles like Slow Flow, Yin, Gentle, and Restorative allow you to dive even deeper

Who is ready to boost endorphins and create a strong, balanced body? This week, we’re focusing on how asana can help you grow physically strong. Sure, building muscle strength and endurance will help you feel better in your yoga clothes but being as strong as you can be is about how you feel more than how you look. Prioritize feeling great in your skin! We’re taking out the guesswork for you. All you need to do is roll out your mat and join our global yoga community every day for two-weeks. Three different class options per day will provide something suitable for beginners to advanced yogis! Let’s get stronger together.

Pilates is an incredible exercise system which builds strength, stability, and flexibility in your core and spine while also developing mental focus and clarity. Before we dive into three reasons why you should consider incorporating Pilates into your fitness regime, we wanted to share the fascinating history behind the method originally called Contrology...

Here's a quick and easy recipe for a healthy and delicious vegan quinoa salad that can be made in just 20 minutes. It's perfect for a quick lunch or a light dinner. This quinoa salad is crisp, delicious, and refreshing. It’s made simply with fresh cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, chickpeas, fresh parsley and a honey-cumin olive oil and lemon dressing.

Pilates is an incredible exercise system that builds strength, stability, and flexibility in your core and spine while also developing mental focus and clarity. Before we dive into three reasons why you should consider incorporating Pilates into your fitness regime, we wanted to share the fascinating history behind the method originally called Contrology.

When we consider asana (postures), we often think first about creating flexibility in the muscles. But yoga also positively impacts connective tissue. Think about when you peel an orange and there’s all that spongy, stringy white stuff between the peel and the fruit. Yes, that’s what our bodies’ network of ligaments and tendons a.k.a. fascia can be compared to––or maybe even a spider web–– supporting our bones, joints, organs, muscles and nerve fibers.

Whether you’re in the thick of winter, trying to keep warm until the leaves re-emerge on the trees, or if you’re in the other half of the world where the summer sun is heating your skin, it’s important to keep your inner fire burning. Our lives are created from the inside first, so join us this week for some classes designed to stoke your inner flame and boost your energy and confidence.

Loving yourself means embracing and accepting who you are, including all of your strengths, weaknesses, and imperfections. It means recognizing your worth and valuing yourself as a person. Feeling self-love is essential to our overall well-being and happiness, as it provides a positive foundation for our relationships with ourselves and others.

To truly love yourself takes a lot of work! We all have ingrained emotional wounds and patterns developed over a lifetime which can mire us in patterns of self-doubt, self-criticism, and lack of self-love. Yoga is one path to release what’s holding you back from what is preventing from loving and respecting yourself. No matter who you are and where you are on your journey, you are worthy, valuable, and lovable.

What do you think first when you hear about learning to go deeper in your yoga practice? Mastering an advanced asana or standing on your head for five minutes or “fill in the physical achievement here?” Sure, working consistently toward your edge in yoga is valuable and for many is as deep as they care to go in their practice. That’s fine! But this week, we’re delving beneath the surface of the physical body and connecting to something deeper.

Whether you slept wrong, overdid your workout, or are under major stress, pain and tension often manifest in your neck and upper back. In an ideal world, you’d have your massage therapist at your beck and call to knead out the knots. Most of us aren’t in the position to afford daily massages but we can manage or eliminate tension with yoga.

How is your inner dialogue? Would you talk to your best friend or a stranger the way you speak to yourself? Often, we are more critical, judgmental, and hard on ourselves than we are with others. If this sounds familiar, it may be time to work on developing a deeper sense of self-compassion. Yoga can help.

Do you have a mantra that guides your thoughts and actions? If you do, great! If you’ve heard the term but weren’t quite sure what it meant or how to utilize mantras, we’re here to break it down. The concept isn’t complicated but like most traditions, some guidance and explanation can help you personalize and integrate mantra into your daily life.

Morning rituals set the tone for the rest of the day. How do you begin yours? Do you bury your head under your pillow and hit the snooze button a few times? Automatically pick up your phone and start scrolling? Or do you have a morning routine designed to help you feel your best? Practicing yoga in the morning is one of the greatest ways––yes, we’re biased––to start the day how you intend to live the day. No matter what happens after you’ve stepped off your mat, you’ve done something positive for your well-being.

Who is ready for a boost of energy into the new year? It’s time to wipe the slate clean and inject all your enthusiasm for life and growth potential into moving forward with a positive mindset. A new year is a milestone for all of us to not simply pause and reflect on the past but to commit to living our best life. It doesn’t matter if you’re starting from Square One or you just need some simple tweaks to feel your best, yoga can help!

Who is ready to kiss 2022 goodbye and welcome 2023 feeling your best? The end of the year is a great time to sit down and review the last twelve months and decide what to keep and what to let go. It’s an opportune time to release all that’s no longer working for you, like stagnant energy, unhealthy relationships, and negative behavior patterns. A strong, dynamic yoga practice can free emotions trapped in your physical body and help you feel lighter and brighter.

As the pace of modern life continues to accelerate, it can be difficult for busy people to find the time to take care of themselves properly. One way to prioritize self-care is by incorporating yoga into your routine, even if you're short on time. Here are some tips for practicing yoga on the go...

Can you believe we’re closing in on the end of 2022? December is a time where we’re managing the holidays on top of tying up loose ends at work or school, traveling…doing all the things. With the added busy-ness of the season, some days it’s tough to find time for your yoga practice. If you feel overwhelmed and are tempted to throw in the towel on your yoga or fitness until January 2023––don’t! It's more important than ever during this stressful time of year to carve out time to step onto your yoga mat. No matter if you’re away from home or juggling life’s demands, squeeze in a quick class––quality over quantity is what matters. In as little as ten minutes, like in Claire Petretti Marti’s new Quick Yoga Break, you can feel more clear, flexible, and calm. It only takes a few minutes to shift your mood and quiet your mind.

“The holiday season is a perfect time to reflect on our blessings and seek out ways to make life better for those around us.” –Anonymous No matter what holiday(s) you’re celebrating this December, this time of year can stir up mixed feelings and create stress and tension. It’s the perfect time to step back and reflect on all you appreciate in your life and spread some joy to the people around you. We know it’s busy, busy, busy, but it’s even more important to refill your well to manage the hectic pace. If you love this time of year, perhaps you’re going to parties and indulging in tons of sugar and cocktails. If you’re not a big fan of the holidays, perhaps heavy emotions are weighing you down. Either way, you may miss your regular sessions on the mat.