Back to the point of this particular post, the dish itself. It was essentially a big plate of goodness (so good that I just had a very similar thing for lunch). It isn't particularly difficult to make, and you can really make your own version of it by changing a few things up.
What you need:
1 carrot, sliced. 1 carrot, grated Florets of 1 small broccoli 1/2 onion quartered 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon turmeric Tamari Chilli flakes Handful spinach Lemon Half an avocado Walnuts Pumpkin seeds 1 tablespoon nut butter of your choice
What To Do:
Begin by preheating oven to 200C. Coat the sliced carrots, onion and broccoli in coconut oil, paprika, turmeric, 2 teaspoons of tamari and a sprinkle of chilli flakes. Place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes or until softened.
Tear up the spinach roughly, and cover with hot water to wilt slightly. Massage with juice of half a lemon and 1 teaspoon of tamari. Assembly is pretty easy, simply place the roast veggies, spinach, avocado and grated carrot in piles around a plate. Add your nut butter to the centre, sprinkle with walnuts, pumpkin seeds. and tamari.
Corinne Marabel, creator of A Vegan Kitchen, never intended to follow a vegan diet, much less did she intend on creating what she has today. In July of 2013, feeling constantly run down and tired and after spending far too many months treating my body like a garbage bin, Corinne decided to turn from vegetarianism to veganism for a short detox. However, days turned in to weeks, and she began to find herself feeling not only better internally, but completely inspired to create beautiful and clean vegan dishes.
Check out @avegankitchen instagram page, and ebooks!
Choose the poses you love and need most – we do yoga so we can feel better physically, emotionally or mentally, depending on how we are feeling at the moment. If you are too busy to do a whole sequence, choose only a few poses that will serve the issue of the moment. You can focus on poses to ease your anxiety for instance, or simply choose to do poses that alleviate your back pain.
Yoga should never be a chore, no exercise should. We have too many things that we do because we have no other option but yoga should not be one of these things. If you do decide to do yoga, do it because you know it makes you feel better, only then will you make more time for this workout.
by Cassie Brewer
Cassie Brewer is a make up professional in Southern California. In her free time, she enjoys writing about her passion (make up of course!) and everything beauty related. Nothing makes her happier than helping other be the best version of themselves they can be. You can read more at cassiebrewer.weebly.comand follow her on twitter @Cassiembrewer
To gain optimum results, we need to adopt a detox regime that conforms to the challenges that our bodies will face during each particular season. For instance, in frosty weathers, your body will crave food more often to maintain a healthy body temperature. However, constant eating will put your body into a continual digesting mode which depletes the amount of energy available for core functions which can lead to making you more vulnerable to diseases.
It is for this reason that our detox plan keeps us healthy, energetic and warm. It works by harnessing energy and optimizing food intake. By detoxifying, we stop resisting and simply allow our bodies to flow with seasonal changes.
Here are a few crucial considerations that will help you get the most out of your winter detox:
1. Try to retain as much body heat as much as possible by wearing warm clothes and socks both inside and outside your home. Try to opt for woollen garments as they keep you snugly warm while allowing your skin to sweat and breathe freely.
2. Take frequent warm baths or showers.
3. Drink lots of hot herbal teas packed with antioxidants, nutrients and a healthy proportion of caffeine.
4. Your skin excretes major toxins and contaminants by sweating, and since you don't sweat much in winters, you face the risk of these toxins building up in your skin. To do so, spend an hour in an infrared sauna now and then to help your skin filter out these toxins.
5. Opt for healthy soups instead of juices and smoothies.
6. Sit in front of a fireplace to relax.
7. Eat liver as it will nourish your overall immune system and cleanse your body from toxins.
8. Use activated bamboo charcoal to pull out impurities and toxins from your body. Several skincare products contain activated charcoal or you can consume it orally via capsules.
During winters we need large amounts of energy, and hence it is better to consume nutrient dense meals as opposed to raw vegetables and juices to keep you energetic all day long. Here are some warm foods that can provide you with sufficient amounts of energy to feel active.
Breakfast:
As you wake up, go for these filling options that will jump start your metabolism and will provide you with enough energy to take on a hectic work day.
1. Vegan smoothie with banana, flax/ chia seeds, frozen blueberries, coconut water, protein powder and probiotics.
2. Chia Gingerbread shake
3. Peppermint hot chocolate
Lunch:
Following are delicious nutrient-packed options that are perfect for mid-day replenishment:
1. Savory Shake
2. Chickpea soup
3. Balsamic Miso root salad
4. Clean and roasted carrot soup.
5. You can choose between half a cup of cooked quinoa, brown rice or millet and a choice of 4 oz. Boiled or steamed fish, tofu or chicken or 1/4 cup of toasted walnuts and sunflower seeds or 2 tbsp. of Tahini.
*Add 1-2 cups of steamed veggies like broccoli, kale, onion and carrots seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil, grated ginger and fresh basil.
Dinner:
These dinner recipes are light on the stomach and will ensure that you have plenty of energy until morning. However, it is recommended that you have your dinner at 7 pm and refrain from eating anything afterwards so that you don't pack on pounds as you sleep.
1. Quinoa stuffed kabocha
2. Coconut poached salmon
3. Pan-steamed Chicken and Broccoli.
4. Choose between 1/2 a cup of boiled or steamed chicken, tofu or fish or 1/4 cup of toasted sunflower seeds or 2 tbsp. Tahini along with lightly sautéed or steamed vegetables like bok choy, kale, broccoli, onion, napa cabbage and carrots. You can also add half of a sweet potato or 1/2 cup steamed winter squash to this platter.
Snack:
1. 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries that served at room temperature.
2. Winter veggie juice with carrots, spinach, celery, apple, lemon and ginger root.
3. Potassium broth
4. 1 cup miso broth with dulse.
5. A handful of nuts including walnuts and raw almonds.
6. Warm walnut lentil pate.
Daily Supplements:
Amidst a demanding lifestyle filled with toxins, your bodies can use a little help now and then to sustain its vitality. Therefore, you can use these daily supplements to keep you up and running in frosty weathers.
1. 500-1000 mg of vitamin C (buffered ascorbic acid) and 400 mg magnesium citrate in the morning and afternoon for a healthy digestive system.
2. Probiotic in the morning.
3. B complex that will restore your nervous system allowing you to stay calm.
The key here is an intelligent use of food energetics to identify food options that provide you with nutrition without adding unhealthy carbohydrates, fats and calories. You should mix and match the options above to fit your mood so that you stay motivated to follow this re-inventive detox plan throughout the winter season.
By Audrey Throne
Audrey Throne is a mother and a professional blogger. She has completed her masters in English literature from university of Birmingham. As a blogger, she writes on health, technology as well as management. Find her on Twitter: @audrey_throne.
Bieler’s Broth, was created by Dr. Henry Bieler, a clinical nutritionist and author of the book Food Is Your Best Medicine. This soup is a Purification staple. It’s bright green and very bland by nature, and as you may have guessed, therein lies its healing properties. The soup is rich in minerals and is very alkalizing. You may be tempted to spice it up with sea salt or other spices, but keeping it bland actually helps you to recalibrate your taste buds. It’s nourishing, restorative, comforting, and fulfilling.
Enjoy it frequently throughout your Purification, if you’re under the weather, or whenever you need a reset. And then leave us a comment below. What do you think of this lawn mower pulp supersoup?
Happy Purifying,
Bieler’s Broth
Yield: 2 large bowls
Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 large handful frozen or fresh green beans 1 large handful spinach (optional) 2 cups water 1 handful fresh parsley
Instructions: In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, steam zucchini, celery, and green beans in water for about 10 minutes or until they’re very soft. Add spinach (if using) at the end and steam for only about 2 minutes.
Place veggies, remaining steaming water from the stockpot, and uncooked parsley into a blender and blend for 1 or 2 minutes until smooth. Eat this broth fresh from the blender for the best taste.
Variation: You can substitute with more spinach if green beans are unavailable. When you’re not fasting, Bieler’s Broth makes a rich, wholesome base you can add other ingredients and flavors to. You also can flavor it to your liking by adding oil, sautéed onions, garlic, and other vegetables such as broccoli, additional chopped zucchini and celery, and snow peas. Or flavor with sea salt and black pepper or cayenne.
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.
Conscious Cleanse Detox Flow - Jo Schaalman
Heart Opening Forrest Yoga Flow - Jo Schaalman
Traditional Hot Yoga - Julie Peláez
What I've noticed over the years is that students don't usually know what to look for in a teacher training. I have re-qualified many students who had already attended a 200 hour training with different teachers around the world, but had left feeling that they weren't remotely ready to teach. Even those who had beautiful personal experiences in their previous trainings, often still did not have the confidence to teach. Moreover, even those who did teach, often knew very little about technique, pedagogical tools, or - that dreaded subject that so many trainings brush under the table or outsource to non-yogis: human anatomy.
As I have been circling the globe on my personal journey, I have had the pleasure of attending classes with many graduates of my past trainings, and I have been consistently moved to tears. Each and every one of them was more than proficient - they were outright inspiring, and their knowledge and understanding never failed to challenge and enlighten me. Far be it from me to claim credit for that, though; ultimately it is the result of their own inner knowledge, diligence and inspiration. Yet, it has given me the lasting desire for quite some time now to share what I've learned about training the best yoga teachers - that is, how to prepare students to harvest their inner knowing and access their inspiration. While I humbly hope that these lessons will help other trainers, my deepest wish is that those of you looking for a teacher training will have a clearer idea of what to ask when you question your teachers - which you always, ALWAYS should!
1. Never Stop Practicing Asana AND Meditation This may seem obvious, but you might be surprised how many high-profile teachers consider their teaching to be their yoga practice. This is a dis-service to both self and others, as it is only through committed daily practice at our own edge that we can maintain a high level of teaching. It allows us to stay connected with beginner's mind, and hence with our students. If you are a teacher, ask yourself if you sincerely and always walk your talk. If you are interviewing a potential training director (which, again, you always should, even if you know them very well as a classroom or private teacher), respectfully and casually ask them what they do for their personal practice. Get as much specific details as you can, and then ask yourself honestly - do they genuinely have what you want?
Now, many yoga students are not sincerely interested in or committed to meditation. This is of course a historical and practical aberration, but to each her own. Nonetheless, it is my experience that when I became uncompromisingly devoted to daily meditation practice (even during teacher training retreats, waking up hours before sunrise to get my practice in before teaching), my trainings simply produced much better teachers. My heart just felt bigger and more open, making me so much more effective as a teacher. So I feel obliged to add here: if you are training teachers, meditate extensively and daily, and see how everyone benefits from your generous investment. And if you are interviewing a potential training director, ask them what part meditation studies play in their trainings, and what will be expected of you in term of meditation before as well as during training. It is a surprisingly good gauge of training quality. That said, however...
2. Study Anatomy - as well as Pedagogy Many trainings are wonderful personal retreats with sincere asana and meditation practitioners, yet still do not properly prepare their graduates to teach. One of the most common complaints I hear from graduates of such trainings is that they weren't really taught how to teach, or given enough time to actively practice what they were learning DURING the training. This is due to a misunderstanding of a simple educational principle: most of us, especially if we are attracted to yoga, are kinesthetic learners, meaning that we learn best by doing things with our bodies. I have had the good fortune of studying and teaching education and pedagogy to graduate student instructors at the University of California at Berkeley, and I credit that experience with much of my success as a yoga teacher training director. I strongly believe that yoga trainings should take into account different learning styles - teach everything orally, visually and physically, encourage students to articulate verbally, put in writing, read about every lesson, and so on. Moreover, we should teach our trainees about learning styles, for the sake of their own future students. Ask your potential training directors how lessons are conducted during their trainings, and what kinds of in- and out-of-classroom activities are used to facilitate learning.
Now to an unnecessarily dreaded subject: human anatomy. With most trainers avoiding anatomy or outsourcing those required hours to non-yogis, no wonder most of us think of anatomy as a boring or scary topic. This needn't be the case. With a good understanding of pedagogy and learning styles, it is easy to see how many of us need anatomy lessons to be fun, dynamic, physically active experiences for them to make sense. The vast majority of us need to feel and see the muscles, connective tissues and bones in question in our own bodies and on each other BEFORE we read about them in a book or hear a lecture about them. Ask your potential training directors how anatomy is taught in their trainings and by whom.
3. Require Preparatory Reading: Especially in Philosophy & Communication In almost every training I have offered, students have asked how in the world did we manage to put together a group of exclusively amazingly kind and loving people. By reason and statistics, we should really have at least one or two really difficult characters around. For one, calling every applicant that you don't already know (which is another super important tip for training directors!) is crucial for both sides to know if it is the best possible fit. Even more, requiring the right preparatory reading sets the tone for the best ways to relate to ourselves and each other during a training. This is doubly true for the personally and emotionally challenging format of an immersion retreat. I usually require that students read Non Violent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg and The Places that Scare You by Pema Chodron, as these are amazing guidelines for every challenge in life, but whatever moves you to become a better human being can do the same for your trainees. This will have tremendously positive results to the way they treat themselves and each other during training, and thus enhance the amount and the depth of knowledge that you can pass on. What are the required readings for the trainings that you are considering attending? What do they tell you about what you can expect?
4. Teach Principles, Not Poses In the first 200 hour teacher training that I offered, I must have actively addressed over a hundred poses. In the last one? Hardly two dozen. This is partly because I have learned to teach less content more slowly, so that students retain more of the knowledge they are given. Even more so, it is due to the fact that it is simply unnecessary to address every kind of pose. With a little good understanding of anatomy, it becomes clear that there are a few universal principles of posture and movement, dictated by the simple facts of human anatomy, that are hence helpful for everyone, all the time. This is not to discount individual differences; in fact, these principles are often checks and balances to one another - such as drawing the top of the thigh bones back and lifting the lower belly: they are both important in every asana, but different bodies require more emphasis on one or the other in order to come to balance. Still, once teachers in the making understand these fundamental, anatomy-based principles, they can figure out for themselves how to teach any pose to any student. Are we putting words in our students' mouths, or wisdom in their hearts? Are we giving them fish-poses or teaching them how to fish knowledge from the depths of their understanding? Ask your potential training directors about their particular methods of teaching asana - will these give you mere information, or actual wisdom?
5. Go with Your Heart and Gut Ultimately, all that I've written so far amounts to mere guidelines: listen to your heart and go with your gut. You might be surprised how many students let conveniences sway them from their heart's desire. While dates, location and price are important practical considerations, having to take another 200 hour training because the more convenient first one did not serve you is even less convenient. I have always been committed to keeping training prices low and offering payment plans and scholarships to those who could not otherwise attend - lest we end up sharing yoga only with the financially privileged. Yet, if your chosen training does not - borrow, start a fundraiser or get a second job. It is probably the most important decision of your yoga life.
Shy Sayar is a teacher and therapist with over 5000 hours of experience bringing yoga to students of all levels, treating patients, and training yoga teachers around the globe. Shy believes in Teaching People – Not Poses, since the practices of yoga are infinitely adaptable to fit the practitioner’s stages of development, and there is no need to push the body into arbitrary shapes. Instead, his Tantravaya yoga method integrates the classical Eight Limbs of Yoga, equally cultivating the body, breath and mind to bring each practitioner to optimal, holistic health.
CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF SHY'S YOGADOWNLOAD CLASSES!
Ayurveda teaches that everyone is born with a certain constitution or dominant dosha. The three Doshas are: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. They represent the primary life force or Prana flowing through your body. This internal energy syncs with the external world and is reflected in nature’s four seasons.
Everybody has a combination of the three doshas and if we’re unaware of our own nature, it’s easy to fall out of balance. Our diet, our physical activity, our careers, where we live, and how we sleep impacts the balance. When they are aggravated, we are in a state of dis-ease. Utilize this ancient knowledge to achieve your optimum health.
True diagnoses requires an Ayurvedic practitioner, but for a general Dosha quiz, visit Banyan Botanicals.
First, Vata means wind and is associated with the air element, dryness, cold, and the nervous system. Positive elements of Vata are: quick thinking, mobility, and creativity. Vata is considered the “boss” Dosha—it drives Pitta and Kapha. Located primarily in the large intestine and colon, Vata also settles into the thighs, hips, and lower back.
If you’re unable to sleep, anxious, depressed, or constipated, you may be suffering from Vata imbalance. Living in a cold, dry climate can exacerbate Vata. When out of balance, focus on resting, staying warm, meditating, eating soothing warm foods, and avoiding raw, cold, or stringent foods. Slow down your yoga practice.
Next, Pitta manifests as our digestive fire and often corresponds to tapas or heat in the belly. A Pitta disposition is often passionate, fiery, courageous, and perceptive.
On the flip side, excessive Pitta shows up as anger, impatience, and judgment. All types of inflammation are associated with Pitta. To balance Pitta energy or time of year, limit hot or spicy foods, excessive heat and humidity, oils, and salt. Eat cooling foods. Try a more passive asana or meditation practice.
Finally, Kapha, or the water element, means phlegm or that which binds. Positive qualities of Kapha are patience, compassion, and stability. This energy helps ground Vata and Pitta. It is primarily located in the stomach and chest and throat.
Too much Kapha manifests as heaviness: literally gaining weight, feeling drowsy or lacking energy, and also issues with the lungs and sinuses. To balance too much Kapha, implement a vigorous heat-building asana practice, avoid heavy, cold foods like ice cream.
YogaDownload.com wants to help you feel more balanced, so we’ve got several new classes for you with an Ayurvedic twist.
If you’re feeling weighed down, try Claire Petretti Marti’s Lighten Up: Kapha Balancing Flow and two new classes from one of our latest teacher’s Maria Garre: FREE - Beat the Winter Blues Pranayama and Beat the Winter Blues Namaskar
Learn more about Ayurveda’s ties to the gunas or elements of nature with Alanna Kaivalya - Discovering the Dynamic Qualities of the Universe: Practicing with the Gunas.
Balance it all out with Les Leventhal’s Guidelines for a Balanced Life: Caring for Others, Caring for Self and Shy Sayar’s Transcending Emotionality.
Using regular detoxification techniques for overall health and wellness is a great way to cleanse the body for optimum function, no matter the time of year. However, there are certain techniques specifically for the body during winter to gently detoxify without losing any vital energy.
Golden Milk Tea
Golden milk tea is an ancient recipe that has been passed down generations for its cleansing properties. The main ingredients of this Ayurvedic drink are warm coconut milk in combination with turmeric. Turmeric has long been hailed as anti-inflammatory and boosts immunity against colds and flu. The active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, is also beneficial for the digestive system as it increases the production of bile, which the liver uses to push toxins out of the body.
Hot Yoga
When the body is craving warmth… give it what it wants! However there is more than meets the eye when practicing hot yoga… the benefits go beyond it just feeling good when it’s below freezing outside. The cleansing experienced during hot yoga is more than just the sweat pouring out of your skin- sweating itself actually stimulates movement of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for the transportation of white blood cells in the body to fight infections. If the lymphatic system is not getting rid of toxins quick enough, it can slow your ability to get well again after sickness and make you feel sluggish.
If hot yoga sounds like a little too much for you, try sitting in a sauna or taking a hot Epsom bath instead.
Leafy Greens
Eating green is essential during the winter months. Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, and collards are chock full of phytonutrients such as vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as B-vitamins and iron in some cases. These essential nutrients stimulate the immune system and promote detoxification. They provide support for your liver to eliminate toxins while also supporting the body to keep it strong and healthy. Next time you feel down, whip up a detox salad to lift your spirits!
Trataka Meditation
Keep your mind sharp and focused with this traditional yoga meditation. Winter itself does a good job of forcing us to turn inward, but if you find yourself hibernating too much, you may feel unmotivated and mentally sluggish. Trataka meditation can help you get back on track and cleanse the mind of negative thoughts.
It is performed by lighting a candle and staring at the flame as a meditation. It promotes mental focus and cleanses the third eye, which is the seat of intuitive knowledge. It also helps to still the mind of mental chatter and will strengthen your eyes.
Kapala Bhati
If you’re looking to internally heat the body through breathwork, the yogic pranayama technique kapala bhati is an excellent choice. Sometimes also called bellows breath, this breathing technique uses forceful, percussive breath while pumping the abdomen. It is cleansing for the digestive system and the third eye as well. Not only does it work to gently stimulate the movement of breath through the body, it also keeps mental chatter at bay. If you feel lightheaded at all performing this technique, stop immediately.
Lindsay Nova often calls herself “a one woman spiritual circus”. She is a firm believer in the wisdom of the body, the strength of the heart, and the power of the breath. After studying dance, yoga, and movement throughout the United States, she has dedicated her life to being an international creative fitness educator and multidimensional performance artist, inspiring and empowering others to take charge of their lives and live their own dreams. Currently she has been traveling through Central and South America with hula hoops and a yoga mat, teaching yoga, hiking volcanoes and ancient ruins, and trying shamanic medicines among other various adventures!
Yoga is not about escaping.
Yoga is
Yoga is about feeling all of your anger and allowing yourself to express it and get rid of it in a safe space.
Yoga is about taking action, not repressing emotion, not conveniently forgetting, not consciously ignoring.
Yoga is about being present. If you are not present to the current state of the world you can’t even begin to become part of the change you so desperately wish to see.
First, you have to admit there’s a problem.
Yoga is not about sweeping the bad under the rug. Yoga is about having a conversation about all of it and letting yourself be uncomfortable with all of the parts of it that you’re uncomfortable with.
Yoga is about not knowing what to think, what you’re feeling, what’s going on, what’s right. We’re allowed to not know. We come to yoga to look inside ourselves for those answers. To hear those answers we have to purify the body, the mind, and the soul.
Purify
The practice of yoga offers us the tools to purify. From a purified place we can start to listen for those answers we’ve been seeking.
Ignoring what is going on is only going to add more layers to purify in the future.
Seek
If you’re in a yoga class, you’re a seeker.
If you just wanted a great workout, there are plenty of places you can go for those workouts that will give you better workouts and faster results. You show up in the yoga classroom because you’re curious about that mind-body connection. You’re curious about the magic and the mystery even though you don’t know what it all means, how it works, and you’re not even sure you want to know.
Home
I was raised in a place where you don’t talk about politics. I went home this weekend and got to see my fair share of Trump and “Hillary for Prison” signs.
I had shouting matches with my parents, which were productive because even though we were yelling due to our own respective passion and anger, we knew that we could have a safe conversation because we’re family and we love each other no matter who we all vote for and no matter who wins.
Fear
At the end of the day everyone is just afraid. It all boils down to fear, even if we don’t consciously recognize it. People are afraid that more money will be taken away from them that they’ve worked hard to earn. People are afraid that a crazy person or a corrupt person will be ruling the United States. The world is afraid that the United States will no longer offer aid or support.
We’re afraid that we will lose our status, our money, our power. That fear turns into irritation and anger and anxiety and depression.
It’s all around us. My neighbors scream at each other every night so loud I know all the intimate details of their life even though I’ve never met them. The woman feels disrespected. The man claims he’s done nothing wrong. My other neighbor just got a visit from police officers about an alleged assault. I got screamed at by a police officer for getting into the wrong lane of traffic. All of that anger is rooted in fear.
Take care of yourself
The best thing you can do on any day of the year is to take care of yourself.
When we take care of ourselves we’ll better be able to purify our body, mind, and soul so that we can find within us the root of our fears and the answers to our problems.
Once we take care of ourselves, we’ll get a clearer picture on how to move forward. Hopefully, that picture will involve helping and being of service to others, even in the smallest way possible. I grew up in a relatively small town and was touched by a local newspaper article about a man who donated coats for the homeless. He was able to raise a couple hundred dollars and donate three or four coats. It’s not a huge number but he was so proud and he keeps working to donate as much as he can. It’s about helping one person at a time.
This is how we solve our own problems, our country’s problems, and our world’s problems.
We start with ourselves. We take care of ourselves. Then we take care of others. We smile when we pass a stranger on the street. We say hello to our neighbors, no matter where we live, no matter how much they scream at each other every night. We hold the door. We be kind like we were taught to be when we were young.
When we take care of ourselves and we help one another, the world will start to change one person at a time.
Love, compassion, connection, and clarity are the only things that will save humanity.
It doesn’t matter who wins or who you vote for or what your politics are.
What matters is that you’re a human being and you care.
By Ashley Josephine
I started practicing yoga to stay in shape and release stress. What I learned was how to love my life. How to have faith. How to find your community of people who support you and love you unconditionally. How to get back control. Today, it is my mission to help busy Type-A overachiever women like me gain back control of their lives, live pain-free, and love the life they want to live through yoga lifestyle practices. Visit www.ashleyjosephine.com to get free yoga lifestyle tips to help live healthier, happier, and pain-free.
Click here to download or stream one of our Office YogaDownload classes!
I did not even have to ask what he meant or where he got that information, because I knew I have always been in some kind of cell or another.
According to Vedantic philosophy, freedom is defined by one’s happiness not being connected to any external agencies, i.e., people, places, and things (the world). Bondage (prison) is defined by one’s happiness being dependent on people, places, and things.
Consider Your Own Prison I have never once, not even for a split second, felt happiness that was not connected to something in some way. Check it out: ask yourself if you are happy. If you said yes, there is most likely a reason linked to it. Hence, your happiness is because of something, someone, somehow. Believe it or not, that is not happiness. Why, you ask? Because whatever is making you happy has a shelf life! It may go away, or the pleasure you get from it will fade. But one way or another, everything in this world has a shelf life, even you! Ask your friends and family the same question, and if they respond, “I’m great,” ask them why they are happy. They will have a reason which will not be, “I Am.”
I do not care how big your prison is or what amenities you have. I do not care if you have a television and a nice kitchen in your cell. I care about getting out of jail! Sure, it may be easier gaining the grace I am looking for in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I live, than it is in San Quentin State Prison. But every day, Beverly Hills folks imprison themselves and in San Quentin, inmates are finding freedom.
Finding Freedom in San Quentin I visited San Quentin in March after having lunch in Marin County, California, with my yoga agent and friend, Elana Maggal, and photographer, Robert Sturman, who made this visit/yoga class happen. The irony of pulling into San Quentin five minutes after dining in one of the most expensive suburbs in the country was astounding. Yet knowing what I know about freedom, I smiled and said to myself, “You are just leaving one prison for another.” I prepared nothing and had zero information about what was expected of me, not even how long the class was going to be. I quickly discussed with James Fox, the head of the Prison Yoga Project, what I could expect from the inmates. Before I could take it in, we were standing in the yard of the infamous prison, without an armed guard. Our only armor was two yoga mats!
The students entered class on time, participated in setting up the room (there were tables and chairs everywhere), introduced themselves, and then sat peacefully on their mats. The mats had to be set up in a semicircle, because the students are on high alert when someone is behind them. I was not allowed to walk around the class or adjust anyone. “Doing that could trigger a PTSD or fight-or-flight response, ending in harm,” I was told. I was, as were the students, completely at ease. The students were fully engaged throughout the entire class. The level of commitment on their mat was second to none. They listened to every word I said, and I could see them processing the philosophy in every breath. Yoga was being practiced! It was not in the poses. They understood all too well that yoga is not about posing. It’s about getting out of jail! We created a prison break without ever leaving the prison. I could feel their deep hunger for personal freedom, and that was their gift to me. Teaching yoga to anyone, anywhere, is a joy for me, but it’s not always easy. Teaching at San Quentin was effortless.
Finding Freedom Everywhere Else In suburbia, there is a different kind of prison. It’s one where there are no bars, yet many are stuck in a box. The difference is awareness. The student in jail knows he is there. If he wants out, there is an attitude and energy that drives him. As for the rest of us, we do not see ourselves in prison, so there is no sense of urgency. There is a lackadaisical approach to life, to our yoga practice. Even those reading this are reading it for the most part for their entertainment, not their enlightenment. Therefore, teaching yoga to those who are unaware that they are not free is like prying gum off the bottom of a shoe. It’s a tough job and being a yoga teacher does not in any way place you above the people you are teaching. I see it the way the yoga scriptures lay it out: We are all in the same boat, until we are completely out of the boat.
I know one person who is free. But because I am not, I cannot really be sure of it. I just know he is different, and everyone else I have ever come across is the same. A conditioned person cannot know what being unconditioned is like until they are unconditioned. It’s like sobriety. An alcoholic cannot possibly understand sobriety, until he is sober. I am not sober, so to speak, and that brings me back to the beginning of this story … our only job in life is to break out of jail, to know our infinite self, to reach our ultimate state of pure peace, bliss, and wholeness.
I want to be free and by God, it’s difficult. I feel the bars even though I cannot see them. They come up when I lose what I love, or get something I do not want. The walls cave in when I feel threatened that something of “mine” will be taken away. I throw myself into solitary when I covet the careers of others or cast stones at those I do not approve of.
There is much to do in order for me to gain my freedom. The good news is I have the key: it’s me!
Eric Paskel is known for his rock ’n roll personality in the normally quiet world of yoga. He is an international yoga teacher, marriage-family and child counselor, and motivational speaker. He has been a teacher of teachers for over 16 years, presenting at Yoga Journal Conferences, Kripalu Center, Bhakti Yoga Fest, Wanderlust, Telluride Yoga Festival and the Southeast Yoga Festival. Eric has also taken his brand of yoga around the globe, conducting workshops in Russia, Mexico, Costa Rica, India and Belize.
Already known as a trendsetter in the yoga world, Eric has added record breaker to his list of accomplishments. Using Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions as his backdrop, he hosted the event, Yoga Rocks Ford Field, breaking the record for the largest indoor yoga class. He also led the longest yoga chain in Estes Park, CO at a Yoga Journal conference in 2012.
Eric Paskel founded, owned and operated a family of nine yoga studios in Michigan and California. His latest and greatest masterpiece is Electric Soul Yoga. Yoga Rocks, Yoga Rocks Bootcamp, and Vindalini were just some of his signature classes.
But my favorite foods of hers were the ones that she just created on her own - no recipe book at all. She'd take a bunch of ingredients, whip them together and voila - something delicious was sure to be served.
The other day, she blew me away again with another one of her creations. I'd given her Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides and she said: "Oh! Let's see what I can do with this!" She's kind of a health nut like me, so she took out the following ingredients and set out to make peppermint chia bites:
ingredients
1 cup oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3T coconut oil
2T honey
2T chia seeds
1t vital proteins collagen peptides
2 drops peppermint essential oil
Directions:
First, you heat the coconut oil and honey over low heat and stir.
Then, when everything is melted together, removed from heat and add the collagen peptides and allow to cool.
Then, add everything else, form into meatball sized bites with wet hands, and put in the fridge for two hours.
My mom would like you to know she isn't crazy about them. They're not sweet enough for her, but I think they're perfect. If you like sweeter things, add some more honey.
Candace Cabrera Moore is an entrepreneur who believes nothing is impossible. She is an international yoga instructor who runs luxury yoga retreats, healthy living blogger, and author of Namaslay. She is passionate about modern yoga, delicious food, and living your absolute best life. After a very long battle with Lyme disease, she is so grateful to have her health back, and that was the inspiration behind founding YogaByCandace, a modern yoga lifestyle company that creates weekly yoga and hiit workouts, and curates Mantra Box, a seasonal discovery box program that supports small business.
When we tend to our own self-care, our confidence and independence increases, while the drama that we create in our relationships (romantic or otherwise) decreases dramatically. Instead of expecting somebody else to give us happiness, peace, or fulfillment, we are liberated knowing we can obtain it ourselves. Then, through the practice of self-love, gratitude, and physically breaking through the emotions weighing us down, we become ready for the relationships that will lift us up. Take care of your self, explore your passions– you are fully resourced and have everything you need.
Let today’s practice unblock your heart and make way for love.
Elise Fabricant - Reset Refuge: Thrive & Shine! Refresh and renew with this 30-minute, all-levels practice, to awaken your spine and core, open your hips, unlock your neck, and finally chill your nervous system.
Pradeep Teotia - Core Passion Use your yoga to get in touch with your passion, on and off that mat. This core class will fuel your fire.
Eric Paskel - The Sweetest Thing It's all in the name... This gentle yoga class that will ease you out of stress and into relaxation through encouraging dialogue and juicy asana, taught by this month's featured teacher.
Jeanie Manchester - Lakshmi Love This deep hip opening hatha class begins with the story of Lakshmi, the radiant Goddess who finds her beauty by churning in the shadow and light. By accepting our shadow, our pain, we can choose to make more beauty, more light, opening our ability to create more of ourselves and our gifts becomes possible.
I use these lessons on an almost daily basis to manage small flair ups or issues that make me feel like I’m spiraling. Here are ways to help you manage and understand your anxiety or any moment you feel out of sorts.
Not Everything is Black and White
A significant cause of my anxiety was the idea that not everything is black and white. For example, even if I ate healthy all day, one slice of pie would tip the scales, or so I feared, causing a frenzy of unbearable anxiety.
This often occurs for people who have a perfectionist mindset: “Perfectionism creates a steady state of discontent fueled by a stream of negative emotions like fear, frustration, and disappointment, “ says Christine Carter, PhD, Berkeley.edu.
This mindset forced me to deal with a heavy load of pressure. Whenever I found myself in one of these situations, it suddenly felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. A small bite of pie will not tip the scales on my entire healthy lifestyle. One piece of criticism doesn’t mean that I’m terrible at what I do. Not everything is one way or the other; in most cases, I learned that there’s a lot of wiggle room to work with.
The Problem Is Rarely What You Think It Is
Therapy teaches you to dig deeper into a problem. We have a habit of shielding ourselves from what’s really bothering us. While on the surface it may seem like “work stress,” underneath it all could really be a lack of self-confidence, or a fear that we’re not doing well enough at our job.
If we accept what’s at the surface, we’ll never be able to dig into the real problem, fix them, and move on. In digging deeper I discovered long-buried issues that were causing severe anxiety now. What’s more, it was manifesting it in completely different ways. I would have never guessed that family problems from my teen years were driving my body image struggles now. As it turns out, that was a huge part of it.
Without knowing what these problems were, I could never have taken the right steps toward healing. While it may be scary to dig down into what’s really going on— who knows what you’ll find down there, I certainly didn’t— if you live on the surface your anxiety will continue to be a problem.
My anxiety taught me that digging deeper to find the real problem allows me to affect change, within my environment and myself. In most cases, we don’t even realize what the real problem is until we actively ask ourselves: “What’s really going on here?”
Fear is Good
A lot of people are scared— about work, their health, their love life and more. I actually just read that in a poll of 2,000 people, the biggest fear was of failure, including financial loss, being alone and unemployment. Anxiety is almost always intertwined with some sort of fear; of rejection, social situations, etc.
I wrote about my personal experience while being scared because I recently realized something— fear can either propel us forward or hold us back. If you acknowledge and embrace it, it will propel you forward.
Many people, especially those of us with anxiety, let it tear us apart. We overanalyze every decision, we’re critical of the choices we make, and we let it drag us down. Yet knowing these fears allows you to control them, so you don’t miss out on your dream job or aren’t afraid to ask your future soul mate to dinner.
I found this to be valuable in many areas of life. Fear is good, but it will only lift you up if you let it.
Everything Will Pass—Sooner Than You Think
When I’m having an anxious moment it feels like it will never pass. As I slowly spiral into the start of a panic attack, I can’t think of anything else and it seems like that one “problem” will be the end of me.
Sooner than later, however, I start to breathe and think again. Before I know it, the problem has passed and I’m onto the next thing. In so many ways, this is applicable to life, and the stress that comes with it. Sometimes, when we’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to see the way out. In these moments, remind yourself of struggles you’ve endured before. If you made it through those, you’ll do the same again and the problem will pass—likely much sooner than you think.
By Jessica Thiefels
Jessica has been writing for more than 10 years and is currently a lifestyle blogger, small business owner and personal trainer. She’s been featured on Forbes and has written for Reader’s Digest, AARP, Lifehack and more. Follow her on Twitter @Jlsander07 for lifestyle tips, fitness advice and more.
Sankalpa, the yogic practice of setting intentions, is something you do whether you mean to or not. Unconsciously we always set goals for ourselves, but these desires were probably a lot closer to the surface when you first began practicing. After a few weeks or months on the mat, it can be easy to settle into routine. You may not take time now to consciously acknowledge what it is you came here looking for. The guide below will help you adapt that practice to draw out your intentions and honor your highest self.
Want What You Want
A lot of the research on fitness these days is focused on motivation: internal versus external rewards. One reason it can be so difficult to acknowledge what you really want from your practice is that it’s often driven by outward expectations, which, while important, and not particularly great at getting you on the mat every day.
It can be hard to admit to yourself that what you really want is time for quiet reflection, especially when you think you should want to lose weight or get fit. Yoga can satisfy many different needs at once, though, so there’s room to integrate different aspects into your practice.
If you’ve been focused on fast practices, try including some slower, meditative poses into your routine, like bends and twists. I also like to end each practice with a 10 to 15 minute session of yoga nidra, known as “the meditative heart of yoga.” It doesn’t involve any muscle work at all—instead you slowly relax each body part, and then focus on evoking various emotions, sadness, warmth, boredom, excitement, fear, joy. It’s kind of like stretching for your soul.
Live Your Intentions as Though They Were Accomplished Fact
Maybe you’ve heard the old saying “if wishes and buts were candy and nuts, oh what a party we’d have?” Constantly focusing on what we wish we had is one of the seeds of dissatisfaction. It ensures that you’d constantly in a state of almost arriving, instead of being exactly where you are, in your body and your current emotional framework.
When you find an intention, practice living it as an already-accomplished fact. Say to yourself, “I am strong,” or “I am at peace.” This is a small change linguistically, but it has a huge psychological impact. It opens up room to explore how it really feels to be at peace, to be strong, or whatever it is your heart most desires.
Don’t Be Afraid to Change
The beauty of life is that we grow and change. In yoga, we watch our bodies get stronger and more flexible. Meanwhile, our personalities are changing. It doesn’t make sense to repeat the same mantra to yourself every day. Over time, what you need from your practice may change. In fact, if you’re experiencing a lot of transitions in your daily life, your wants and needs could shift as frequently as every few hours.
When you integrate mindfulness into your practice, you begin to recognize and accept your needs just as they are. Maybe today’s intention is to shake off stress and do some self care, rather than performing the perfect wheelbarrow. It’s okay to change your intention throughout the days or even in the course of a single practice. For this reason, it’s good to check in with yourself both when you start and end a practice. In fact, it’s pretty exciting to see how a good stint on the mat can change your perceptions. It’s truly one of the greatest gifts of yoga.
Jesse Silkoff is an avid runner and tennis player. He currently resides in Austin, TX where he works as the President and Co-Founder of FitnessTrainer, the leading online marketplace to find a local personal trainer that can help you achieve your health and wellness goals.
The potent archetypal energies surrounding this moon illuminate dynamics within the sign of Leo, including home and family, relishing the spotlight, finding and expressing humor in any situation and, loyal partnerships. With Jupiter and Uranus in the mix, you may find relationships getting a shakeup, or something within you will shift and give rise to the need to break away from the old paradigm. With Saturn watching carefully over this Mystic Rectangle (between Sun, Moon, Uranus and Jupiter), we have the pressure to respond, and yet the commitment to make magic from the mess. You find the serenity and strength to handle emotions that arise at this time, or you provide the stability and support for others who come to you seeking advice.
Take the opportunity at this time of transition to revel in the loyalty and laughter that is the hallmark of Leo, while rejoicing in the push and pull of Jupiter and Saturn that assists you in manifesting your wildest flashes of intuition.
Alchemical Ritual for the Leo Full Moon
As a fire sign, Leo is passionately driven toward an exuberant expression of self and reveling in the company and attention of others. On the low side, Leo becomes aggressive or arrogant, or the opposite: shy with a lack of self-confidence. This full moon ritual for Leo emphasizes the high side of Leo so that we step out of the shadow, into our own light and present it to the world with joy and love.
Leo's ruler is the sun, which represents the light of full consciousness. However, if the sun burns to brightly, it singes all those who touch it. And, without the sun, it leaves others cold and unfeeling. Leo’s inherent warmth must be generous, and humble; the perfect combination to allow Leo’s energy to shine appropriately. To keep Leo’s energy elevated in this ritual, gather yellow stones such as citrine, topaz or jasper, and place them in the center of your ritual space. You may also place your sacred items in a gold (or gold-colored) bowl or chalice, as gold compliments the sun.
Bring in the fire element in some way, by surrounding your ritual space with candles. Fire, being the inherent energy of the sun. Frankincense oil may be used to anoint your third eye and solar plexus chakra before and after the 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 your candles and dim the lights. Sit in the center of your space and bring the hands together at the heart center. Close the eyes, and turn the inner gaze to the third eye and say the following invocation aloud:
Sun, light my way so that I may shine brightly for the benefit of all.
Do one round of a yogic breath called skull-shining (kapalabhati) to ignite the inner flame and fan it toward the third eye, allowing you to clearly see how to bring the fullest expression of yourself into the world. Place one hand on the abdomen as you sharply exhale through the nose. Repeat this rapidly for 10 - 20 repetitions. The sensation is the same as blowing the nose, or coughing as you use the abdominal muscles to push the air to the top of the nasal passages, and then out the nose. Allow the inhale to be passive, as the shoulders stay relaxed and the mouth stays closed.
After the skull-shining breath, resume normal breathing and notice the energy shift in the body. Ask yourself silently: “How may I best be of service to others?” Allow time for a subtle answer. It may be one you expect, or not! Whatever answer comes is the right one for you at this time. Hold your hand over your upper belly as you breathe into the answer you receive and feel it take hold of you, inside and out.
When complete, turn the internal gaze to the third eye and chant Om three times. Snuff the candles and write down the answer that you received (either on paper or as a reminder on your phone), so that you place your attention on it daily until sharing your gift becomes a natural extension of your daily life. This ritual allows you to know your purpose, understanding that the fullest expression of yourself is the greatest gift you give to the world.
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, in Autumn 2016.She lives in New York City with Roxy the Wonderdog.
Click Here to learn more about Alanna's 200hr Online Teacher Training with YogaDownload.com
Our new Cauliflower “Buffalo” Hummus below is perfect for the big game! Serve it with veggies like sliced cucumbers, carrot and celery sticks.
If you want to go all out, try our Green Pea or our Beet Hummus. All three together would make a beautiful spread.
No Super Bowl spread would be complete without our all-time favorite Spinach Artichoke Dip. We made this when the Broncos were in the Super Bowl last year, and it’s now a regular at most of our potlucks and parties.
Pair any of these healthy alternatives with one of our Conscious Cocktails and make your 80:20 splurge like a rockstar would.
For more healthy alternatives that will keep you feeling on top of your game, be sure to check our our 80:20 Plan.
What’s on your game day menu? Be sure to leave us a comment below.
Cheers,
Cauliflower “Buffalo” Hummus
Yield: 8-10 servings
1 cup cauliflower, steamed for 8-10 minutes 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained ¼ cup plus 2 TB hot sauce (make sure to use a high quality hot sauce with no preservatives!) 2 TB apple cider vinegar ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper 3 cloves garlic ⅓ cup tahini ½ tsp. sea salt ¼ cup olive oil 1 tsp. fresh parsley, basil, or chives Carrot and celery sticks, for dipping
Instructions: In a food processor fitted with an S-blade place cauliflower, garbanzo beans, hot sauce, vinegar, cayenne pepper, garlic, tahini, and sea salt. Puree until smooth (it can take a few minutes due to the cauliflower). Once smooth slowly add the olive oil and continue to puree until creamy. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with additional hot sauce and fresh herbs if desired. Serve with carrot and celery sticks.
You’ll notice that the sequence ends with Lotus Pose. Lotus is a beautiful pose and one that many of us pine for. But I promise you that doing Lotus does not make you a better person or a better yogi and, if you force your way into the pose, you will feel physically terrible afterward. Surely this is not your goal after asana practice! My point is, if you are naturally very open or are familiar with the pose, feel free to finish with Lotus. If not, then it’s just as valuable to end in Ardha Padmasana (Half Lotus) or with your legs crossed in Sukhasana (Easy Pose) and your attention drawn inward. (And for more hip opening, here’s a full sequence that specifically focuses on building up to Lotus.)
By Jason Crandell
Jason Crandell and Andrea Ferretti are a husband and wife team who have been teaching, writing about, and living their yoga for nearly two decades. Andrea is the former executive editor of Yoga Journal and is now creative director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method. Jason is an internationally recognized teacher known for his precise, empowering, down-to-earth approach to vinyasa yoga. They live together in San Francisco with their full-time boss, Sofia-Rose Crandell, age 3. To read their blog or to learn more about Jason's upcoming teacher trainings, please visit their web site www.jasonyoga.com
In certain situations, running on autopilot works. Cleaning the house, washing your car, chopping vegetables—no need to analyze a thing. In the rest of our lives, learning to pay exquisite attention to the guidance from our minds and hearts can only elevate our experience. Developing this consciousness on our yoga mats, then living it off our yoga mats can lead to a powerful shift.
Yoga and other creative, brain-stimulating activities help us break 'autopilot' consciousness by moving in new, challenging ways and creating a mind-body relationship. In fact, they actually help you hone your ability to focus and then perform better when you engage in activities with more repetitive motions, like skiing and snowboarding.
Two new classes from Claire Petretti Marti, Sharpen Your Edge: Skier Flow and Power Up for Powder Days: Snowboarder Flow were developed to enhance every level of your performance. Concentrating on creating strength and flexibility both inside and out for these specific sports allows you to find your flow on the slopes.
Ben Davis’ new Fitness 'n' Yoga + Weights: Boxing Class is an excellent class when you want to gain strength and dexterity with a mind-body twist. This isn’t just a workout, it’s an exercise in sharpening both your physical and your mental agility.
For an overall practice with a bhakti twist, try Christen Bakken's Flow Out of Autopilot. Emerge from any rut you might be stuck in with her creative and conscious instruction.
Take the opportunity this week to shine the light of your awareness on your habits. Mindfulness is the first step in creating a shift. Practice on the mat with us and then share your awareness with the world.
“So how do I become a drama-free person you ask?”
Well first, you have to understand what drama is. If you are overreacting, getting agitated at everything and talking about it way too much then and you’re caught in the drama zone. If people around you are doing the same and you happen to be on the other end, listening, having to intervene and even participating actively, you have also made it to the drama zone. And generally speaking you feel yourself getting tense, anxious, bothered and resentful? Only to realize that the whole situation is pointless and could have easily been avoided?? That’s drama right there.
Drama can be caused by ourselves directly or by people we choose to let into our lives.
And now ask yourself: Are you going to fuel that surge of drama, or are you going to let it plummet onto its death bed?
if you choose the second, or at lest know deep inside yourself that it was the right answer, you are ready for this blog post.
Here are some basic tips on how to live a drama free life, rather filled with quality time, solid people, self worth, peace of mind and zen-like sleep.
1. Don’t gossip
For as much as discussing other people’s lives can be gratifying in the short term, you know you always feel crappy after you said it. And it didn’t do any good. Actually you might have just spread a rumor. And it’s going to be twisted, taken out of context, and before you know it you’re talking sh** about someone you actually consider a friend.
Instead, when you hold back the “Oh my gosh you know what so-and-so did???!!” you are going to feel so much better about yourself, so much more mature and yes, even superior, because you are not lowering yourself to the standards of someone who needs to talk about others to enrich their own lives.
2. Don’t make it a big deal
It’s the half-empty or half full glass attitude. It you tell yourself it’s not a big deal, it won’t be. But if you make a big fuss, then I guarantee you it will be. For example, today you got a parking ticket. Yes, it could potentially be enough to put you in a bad mood and start an avalanche of negative self-predicament. Which in turn will give you license to say you had “a bad day” and lick your wounds in sorrow at home. Instead, just say, “It’s not a big deal, it’s only a parking ticket” and pay it right away (or contest it 😉 and move on, drama free. After all, it could have been worse! Remember: you have the power to DECIDE that that parking ticket isn’t ruining your day. You just won’t let it, because it’s mind over matter situation.
3. Be reliable
As far as I’ve known, reliability never causes drama. Flakiness on the other hand does because it’s direspecuful and causes misunderstandings. There’s nothing more annoying than the person who can never commit to making plans. (Many of those in California by the way) “Let’s play it by ear. I might see you there, but not sure yet, let’s talk as that date gets closer and see how we feel, let’s go with the flow”
What flow? I’m busy, so are you, and unless we actually make plans we’re never going to get together, and I will eventually stop making time for you. So commit, be bold once in a while and pencil me into your calendar please. The friend who is never available to hang out except for when it’s convenient for them is lousy, so you owe it to yourself to get that person out of your life STAT.
Keep in mind that friendship is based on mutual efforts which include values such as reliability. If someone can’t be reliable enough to make time for you and stick to the plans then they are not your friend but are bound to bring a whole lot of drama.
4. Tell it like it is
When you are faking it, everyone knows it. And eventually someone is going to call you out on it and it’s going to lead to a whole lot of drama. Don’t pretend you like my dress if you don’t. Just be smart and don’t say anything, or work up a little personality to say it in funny way that will make me not care. If something bothers you, say something right away. I know it’s hard, but the longer you wait, the more complicated it will become. And when issues aren’t discussed resentment builds and someone will blow up. So talk it out. Say it with a smile if you can. Do it kindly. You will feel so much lighter afterwards.
5. Avoid drama people
And lastly, you could be sitting here reading this post and thinking: ”I’m good, I don’t do any of this stuff! I am a totally drama free person! But but… there is such a thing as not being drama yourself but making the fatal mistake of letting drama people into your life. (Been there, done that) Which, you guessed it, causes more unnecessary drama.
You know that friend of yours who is permanently jobless, still crying over her ex who treated her like shit, and emotionally unstable, somewhat mysterious about parts of her life, but at the time kind of needy? She screams drama! And guess what? Drama attracts more drama. So you will invevitably be dragged into it. Because some people thrive in drama. But you hopefully don’t.
So stay away. Don’t let them crash at your house. Don’t lend them stuff with the assumption that one day they will return the favor. Don’t listen to them for hours on the phone late at night while you should be going to sleep instead. Don’t even bother. Some people just don’t get it, will never fully appreciate it and one day, when you need something from them, they won’t show up for the occasion. Because if they were sensible people in the first place they would know better than rely on someone else so heavily.
It’s always better to be alone and drama free than to hang around a bunch of drama queens.
By: Valentina Rose
Born and raised in Italy, Valentina is a full time yoga instructor who divides her time between Marin County, California and Matapalo, Costa Rica. When she isn’t hosting yoga retreats or blogging Valentina can be found trail running and baking quiche.
The Obstacle Course
Sticking with yoga day after day through the ups and downs of life can be like navigating an obstacle course. Often, teachers will tell us that in times of change and difficulty we should listen to our bodies and give ourselves what we need. But sometimes our bodies and minds are damn liars and want us to wallow on the sofa in Netflix binges and avoid practice. This can be our ego’s way of avoiding working with challenge. Unchecked, at least for me, this can spiral into feeling a lot shittier over time as the self-care routines I try to keep in place with discipline get stymied by whatever obstacle is in my face. Flashback to me in a phys-ed class staring at a rope I’ve been told to climb up and wondering if I can just go back to listening to Ethel Merman on my Walkman happily hidden in the bleachers.
There are numerous obstacles to practice, which I have become intimately acquainted with over the years. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali details these distractions and obstacles in the path of yoga. As Desikachar summarises, the “nine obstacles listed by Patanjali are illness, lethargy, doubt, haste or impatience, resignation or fatigue, distraction, ignorance or arrogance, inability to take a new step, and loss of confidence. They are manifested in symptoms like feeling sorry for oneself, a negative attitude, physical problems, and breathing difficulties.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about these obstacles lately, particularly illness and lethargy, as I feel my practice has been diminishing and plateauing. Not out of lack of care, but because I’ve been sick on and off for the last few months (nothing too serious – but enough to be inconvenient). I haven’t found much reassurance about working with this obstacle in the classic texts. BKS Iyengar, in Light on Yoga, explains more:
[The] first obstacle is ill-health or sickness. To the yogi his body is the prime instrument of attainment. If his vehicle breaks down, the traveller cannot go far. If the body is broken by ill-health, the aspirant can achieve little… When the body is sick or the nervous system is affected, the mind becomes restless or dull and inert and concentration or meditation becomes impossible… A person suffering from languor has no goal, no path to follow, and no enthusiasm. His mind and intellect become dull due to inactivity and their faculties rust. Constant flow keeps a mountain stream pure, but water in a ditch stagnates and nothing good can flourish in it…
This feels like a polite way of saying ‘Tough titty. You’ll have to wait it out.’ But I guess there is no rush when you have a lifetime, or even lifetimes, to seek liberation.
What is your priority?
To lay it out on the table and then get past it, of course yoga is in some ways exercise and contributes to health, fitness, and a more positive experience of embodiment. But most of that work is very simple, can be achieved with relatively simple and low impact sequences, and is not to be confused with body sculpting you might do for an entirely different rationale in a gym environment.
We have to remember that the fitness of the body is of course a priority, but it is not the only priority. When we over-emphasise the physical and fetishise asana we then equate discipline with relentless and unyielding execution of physically demanding daily asana no matter what is going on in our lives. Asana through its challenge can reveal much in our psyches, but we shouldn’t bully ourselves into only one way of executing it all the time.
When you’re sick or unwell and you can’t be physical, and your priority is fitness, you can get super discouraged and pissed off. Discipline of daily practice can be redefined into simply getting on our mat and working with asana to contribute towellness of body, mind, and heart. This can liberate you to be a bit more free in what you end up doing on your mat. Maybe instead of your normal rigourous sun-salutations you just enjoy some stillness and release.
Let yoga bend to you. Do not force yourself to bend to yoga.
Finding the cheerleader
To avoid feeling too sorry for ourselves when we cannot do what we think we need to or want to do, we need to find an inner cheerleader. Iyengar, avoiding my cheerleader simplification, more elegantly explains:
To remove the obstacle of laziness, unflagging enthusiasm is needed. The attitude of the aspirant is lie that of a lover ever yearning to meet the beloved but never giving way to despair. Hope should be his shield and courage his sword. He should be free from hate and sorrow. With faith and enthusiasm he should overcome the inertia of the body and the mind.
This inner cheerleader is compassionate, kind, and patient. This cheerleader has hope that no matter what we can work with these obstacles, get through them, and continue on our path. No need for bullying, shaming, or beating ourselves up in any way for not meeting some arbitrarily decided goal.
Riding the Waves
While thinking about this blog I had in my mind a quote I had once read about the ups and down of practice and discipline. I could see its outlines perfectly formed on a page I once read but couldn’t quite make out the actual words. I rummaged through my Iyengar, my Erich Schiffmann, and left myself reminders to look through that Stephen Cope book when I got home after dinner. Tellingly, I didn’t quite trust my own intuition on the subject. But I think I found what I was looking for in a couple of Donna Farhi’s books.
First:
There will inevitably be times when progress is slow, when injury or illness or life circumstances limit our ability to do the outward forms. But this doesn’t limit our ability to plumb the depths of our inner life.
Second:
Throughout our lives, we cycle through times of expansion, times of contraction, and times of being suspended in a pause or plateau where we are assimilating and integrating our experience. These rhythmic changes are as natural to us as is our breath. As the internal metronome of rhythm, our breath mirrors this life process of taking in and absorbing, letting go and relinquishing, and resting in the moments in between. When we suppress any one of these rhythms in our Yoga practice, our time on the mat will serve to freeze our way of being rather than afford us a way of adapting and changing in response to our deepest needs.
So there will be waves, seasons, u-turns, and detours in your practice, but that is part of the wonderful chaos of life.
You will get sick. You will get tired. You will age. You will lose flexibility and strength. You will gain some of it back. You will get emotional. You will get depressed. You will get tired. You will get over it. Or you won’t. But that has no bearing on your ability to practice.
Redefining Discipline
In a moment I’m going to stop writing and whining and actually get on to my mat and do something to make me feel good. But, I will leave you with a refined approach to discipline from Judith Lasater:
To me, discipline is not something that I force upon myself. It is something that I cultivate and which arises in me as a result of two things: my clarity of intention and my commitment…To lessen your resistance to practice, spend some time with this question of clarity. For just a few moments before you step onto the mat, ask yourself what your yoga practice is about today. Let your first focus be on clarity, not action. Whether your answer leads you to choose a physically challenging practice or a restful one, you will be more present with it if you are acting from a place of clarity. When you practice from clarity, you diminish the time you spend caught up in doubt and questioning. With your energy more focused, I predict you will enjoy your practice more-and thus, over time your resistance will decrease.
By Adam Hocke
Adam has been practicing vinyasa flow yoga since 1999 and has trained extensively with Jason Crandell. He offers precise, strong, and accessible classes to physically awaken the body and develop mindfulness both on and off the mat. His teaching is down-to-earth and direct, exploring traditional practices from a modern perspective. A native of South Florida, Adam spent ten years in New York City before becoming a Londoner. He teaches studio classes, workshops and courses throughout London, and retreats across the globe. As a writer, Adam contributes regularly to magazines and web publications on yoga. Visit Adam at www.adamhocke.com
Laziness is not defined as a mental disorder but rather as a habit. The causes of sedentary behavior may be due to a lack or low self esteem, lack of discipline, a lack of motivation or interest in being active or a lack of recognition. Laziness can manifest as indecisiveness or procrastination which can be caused by the lack of motivation. The lack of motivation increases the release of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for pleasure and reward.
In order to lead a healthy lifestyle, we need to spend less time sitting down and spend at least 150 minutes a week being active. Couch potato syndrome is common in all age groups and has been linked to certain types of cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and early death. Sitting for lengthy periods affects our body's ability to regulate blood pressure, break down fat due to slowing down of the metabolic rate and regulating blood sugars.
Leading a sedentary lifestyle can contribute and become a risk factor for:
* weakening and shrinking of the muscles - muscle atrophy is caused by lack of exercise which increases the risk of physical injury
* weak immune system – lack of physical fitness is more often than not accompanied by a weak immune system
* non-adaptive stress and metabolic related responses – can lead to chronic diseases
* Mental health issues – a sedentary lifestyle can lead to apathy, anger, substance abuse, depression, freeloading, and anxiety
Studies have revealed that the longer we sit the greater the risk of developing anxiety symptoms. However, these studies did not include mental health illnesses and the diagnosis of anxiety. The studies conducted were symptomatic with the aim of finding a link between anxiety levels and sedentary behavior. A couch potato displaying anxiety symptoms does not necessarily mean they have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
What Causes Stress and How Can We Control It
An overload of life's demands, emotional and mental pressure can turn into stress and when we feel we can no longer cope this can lead to depression. We all have different ways in which we react to stress, particularly money problems, relationships and work. When we are stressed it can affect our everyday lives.
Stress can lead to anxiety and affects how we behave, think and feel. Common signs of stress can include excessive sweating, concentration difficulties, irritability, low self esteem, poor appetite and difficulty sleeping. We may experience muscle tension, dizziness, pain and headaches when stressed.
There is no quick fix cure and no single method for stress that works for everyone. However, there are some simple things we can do to change our common everyday life problems that cause stress and anxiety. These include yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, diet, exercise and talking these issue through with a qualified person.
Age Specific Suggestions to Reduce Sitting Time and the Onset of Anxiety
* Children under 5 – studies have shown that sedentary behavior in young children has been associated with lower cognitive development and obesity. Children that sit for extended periods have shown signs of agitation, anxiety and hyperactivity. Parents need to reduce the time their child spends in baby bouncers, carriers, highchairs, car seats, buggies and reduce time spent watching TV. Provide more indoor and out door activities that will stimulate the child and enhance their cognitive development.
* Ages 5 to 18 – If children learn from a young age to become active, the chances of them becoming a couch potato is limited. Studies have shown that children in this age group that have already developed the “couch potato syndrome” are more prone to ADD, anxiety, depression and other illnesses . Parents can reduce sitting time by making bedrooms a computer and TV free zone. Buy your children gifts that will encourage active play such as kites, balls, skateboards etc. Parents should also set an example by reducing their sitting based tasks and TV time. Get your children involved in outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming or surfing.
* Ages 19 to 64 – people in this age group commonly display anxiety symptoms, depression, poor blood circulation, heart disease and other chronic illnesses cause by sitting for extended periods. Throughout the day one should make an effort to cut down on sitting time be it at home or at work. Instead of taking the escalator take the stairs, while on your cell phone walk around or stand, when having a coffee break or walk around. If you are working on a computer, make sure you get up and stand or walk around every 30 minutes. Participate in active hobbies and cut down on TV and sitting time.
* Ages 65 and Over – studies have revealed that this age group is the most sedentary and are known to spend around ten hours or more a day lying or sitting. Cardiovascular disease is common in this age group as is diabetes type 2 and depression. Many in this age group present with mental illnesses as well as anxiety symptoms. This age group should spend more time on their feet and avoid extended TV or reading time. One can take up hobbies such as light sport activities, gardening or DIY projects.
When life becomes very stressful, we tend to alienate ourselves from family and friends. Behavior of this nature can lead us to becoming couch potato's of which can spiral into depression, obesity, low self esteem, procrastination and other chronic illnesses. However, there are practices such as yoga and meditation that can help alleviate stress and anxiety.
How Yoga and Meditation Can Help
Yoga is a mind body practice that helps us to relax, lower the heart rate and blood pressure, control breathing and reduce stress. Yoga offers several potential health benefits which include:
* Stress relief – studies have shown that yoga helps reduce anxiety and stress and the practice enhances your overall sense of well being and mood.
* Improves fitness – yoga can help improve flexibility, strength, balance and range of motion.
* Management of chronic conditions - yoga helps to reduce high blood pressure, heart disease, and helps to alleviate pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression.
Meditation done on a regular basis can help your brain develop new pathways as the mind begins to experience itself. The structure and function of the brain changes making it work better and become healthier. Meditation in conjunction with daily exercises and a well balanced diet helps avoid anxiety, depression and other chronic conditions. Meditation is easy, effective and there is no need for any special training. Meditation reduces overall stress and minimizes post traumatic stress disorder as well as improves performance of mind and body.
Conclusion
Research has shown that if we have contact with supportive active people along with practicing yoga and meditation we can drastically reduce the risk of life threatening illnesses and anxiety symptoms brought on by sitting for extended periods. Positive support can change the brain chemistry and prevent poor mental health and anxiety.
By Sarah Biel
Sarah Biel is a popular well recognized health and lifestyle expert. Sarah is well qualified in her field and is passionate about the well being, and mental state of her clients. Sarah works at Sukhavati Ayurvedic Retreat and Spa which offers life changing treatments based on ancient healing practices.
YDL has the answer to your “I want to be a yogi” prayers. Beginner Yoga 101 is an incredible new series designed for the true beginner: YOU! This program is for everyone. Every body. Even yours. We’re releasing the entire program at once so you can progress at your own pace.
Yoga 101 is a five class series that progressively teaches the basics of Hatha yoga, a combination of physical postures, deep breathing, and meditation (relaxation). This series is perfectly paced for true beginners. No matter what your body type, age, or level of flexibility & strength, this series will help you understand yoga, feel comfortable on your yoga mat, and release tension in your mind and body.
One of YogaDownload’s most seasoned and talented teachers, Jackie Casal Marou, created this program to make yoga accessible, fun, and non-threatening. You’ll start with basic building blocks and design your yoga foundation at your own pace. Modifications for every contingency are an integral part of each class.
Who is Jackie? She’s a warm, encouraging teacher with more than a decade of teaching experience. She’s taught everyone from toddlers to seniors, in schools to nursing homes, as well as online. Her background as a massage therapist aids her deep comprehension of how the body works and she utilizes it to create a safe, impeccably designed series that’s fun too. You’ll love her warmth, her clear cueing, and her ability to help you live up to your potential.
Here’s a Quick Summary of the Series:
Yoga 101: Start Here, Start Now (Class 1 of 5 - Basics & Essentials) This first class will teach you the nuts and bolts of yoga. You will get a feel for yoga, as well as learn the basics, allowing you to build a strong foundation.
Yoga 101: Align & Define (Class 2 of 5 - Form & Awareness) In this class you will dive deeper into postural alignment and deep breathing while practicing focus, presence and body awareness.
Yoga 101: Loosen Up (Class 3 of 5 - Flexibility, Mobility & Breath) Don't worry if you cannot touch your toes or if you are tight and inflexible, this beginner class is designed for all different body types. In this class, we specifically work to create a
healthy level of flexibility and mobility, and use deep breathing as a tool to help your body and mind release tension.
Yoga 101 Build Strength (Class 4 of 5 - Inner Strength & Stability) Many think that yoga is just stretching, but yoga is SO much more than that. In this class we will dive deeper into what yoga is all about while working to strengthen our bodies from the inside out.
Yoga 101: You've Got This (Class 5 of 5 - Presence & Practice) This class will weave together all the principals that you have learned in the first 4 classes in the series, as well as explore several new postures, Sun Salutations, and a short and simple meditation at the end. This class will leave you feeling inspired, accomplished, and balanced.
What have you got to lose? Embark on your journey today.
I’ve recently been playing around with adding in and diversifying my carb intake a bit. Yes, I am Paleo, and yes I am still allowed to and do eat carbohydrates. I know. Crazy. But seriously, a lot of people get stuck with the notion that we can only get carbs from the bottom of the traditional food pyramid – aka: grains, grains, and more grains. Nope. False. Let me introduce you to the vegetable, the fruit, the squash, the sweet potato (I recognize the last two are covered previously, but work with me here…) There are so many other, arguably much, much better ways for your gut and thus yourself to get quality carbohydrates than from the bottom of the food pyramid, which is totally whacked out anyways in my opinion.
I love sweet potatoes perhaps more than one should – at the beginning of my Paleo experience my hands actually turned orange from the amount of sweet potatoes I was consuming – no joke. My hands have returned to their normal hue, but I have decided that this week is the week of the butternut squash. I usually make this recipe with olive oil, but I think the trick this time was using coconut oil instead. It ended up caramelizing the squash = sheer awesomeness. You can always stop at the roasting step and have some kick ass, roasted butternut squash, or you can keep going to the food processor and have versatile, pureed goodness. I felt like something a little sweet, adorable, and dessert-like so I put mine in a mug, heated it up, and topped it with coconut milk, coconut flakes, and cinnamon. Loved it! (I failed to capture the cinnamon version with photographic evidence because I consumed it too quickly, so add the aesthetically pleasing touch of cinnamon to the pic below and you've got it.)
How it’s Done:
1 butternut squash coconut oil salt pepper 1/2 cup coconut milk
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Peel your squash – watch yourself as it’s sort of a tricky endeavor – and scrape out all of the seeds. Cut your squash into smallish cubes and throw them on a baking tray. Somewhere between drizzle and a pour your coconut oil over your squash, making sure you have enough for each piece to be generously coated. Top with salt and pepper and then mix the whole experience up with your hands to makes sure every piece gets an equal amount of oil and spice love. Put your squash in the over for 20-25 minutes – or until the pieces are tender, cooked through, and attaining a marvelous brown color around the edges.
Throw all of your squash into the food processor with your coconut milk and press on. Done.
You can totally rock this mash savory style too with steak and greens or any other combination of dinner counterparts you see fit. Feeling adventurous? You could also make said mash into a breakfast experience by having some fried eggs, perhaps pecans, coconut flakes, and a drizzle of real maple syrup on top. Make it your own!
By: Maddie Berky
Maddie is a writer, blogger, storyteller & holistic nutritionist. She is not a purveyor of answers, but an asker of questions. And she seeks not to construct the most perfect plate, but rather uncover the human siting down to that plate who is worthy and nourished and alive. Our relationship with food creates this beautiful opportunity to explore who we are and train who we want to become. It asks us to engage with these multifaceted drives of hunger and nourishment and pleasure. Can we receive? Can we trust ourselves? Can we connect - to our plate, to our body, to our partner? It is the answer to those questions that not only affects what is on our plate, but more importantly, the space we take up in this world.
And so. I am making this commitment to myself and to ALL OF YOU(!) that this year I am NOT completely tossing my practice aside during those times when my schedule becomes excessively wacko or “I don’t have enough time.” I’m gonna try to be a self-care ninja and craftily fit it in where I can.
Lately, I have been surviving on pranayama. When things are going well in my life, a standalone breathing practice is the first thing I toss out the window. It’s not conscious — it’s simply that I’m breathing mindfully during asana and calming my mind during my meditations. So, it seems like it’s all covered.
But when things get exceptionally busy (and I won’t bore you with the details but I’ll just say that a kitchen leak has kept us out of our house for SEVEN WEEKS), pranayama is a godsend. It feels like the perfect bridge between asana and meditation. It channels the prana through my body (like asana) and it settles my energy and thoughts (like meditation). It feels so familiar — because after all, we breathe all day long! But it also feels so special to just take a few minutes to witness this simple act that keeps us alive and ticking.
Here’s the other thing: It’s so portable. I have done pranayama practice during long meetings! Alone in my cubicle! During tense dinners with family! On boring dates! But, admittedly, if you’re just starting out, it’s best to set aside 5 minutes of ideally quiet, alone time to practice.
Lately, pranayama has given me an energy buzz when I need it, a sense of warmth in my heart when I feel cold and paralyzed, or space between thoughts when I’m anxious. There are SO MANY pranayama practices – some are more energizing (like kapalabhati) and others more soothing (nadi shodana). For me Viloma, aka Stop-Action Breath is my go-to to cultivate evenness and balance.
When you do Viloma, you either inhale in three parts and exhale completely. Or do the opposite: You inhale completely and exhale in three parts. (You can also inhale and exhale in three parts.) It might sound confusing, but in practice it’s incredibly simple and soothing. I prefer to start with the latter approach because it’s easier to access and it tends to be more grounding. Here’s how:
1. Set a timer (that’s not too loud) for 5-6 minutes.
2. Find a comfortable seat – either cross-legged on the floor or on a chair with both feet touching the ground. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart.
3. Take a minute to deepen your inhalations and exhalations and to just “warm up” your breath.
4. Then inhale completely, feeling your belly, diaphragm, and ribs expand.
5. Now exhale one third of your breath. Pause. Exhale two-thirds. Pause. Exhale completely.
6. Repeat this cycle until your timer rings.
THE APPROACH As you inhale, try not to force the breath. Make each part of the exercise light and easy. Feel the beauty and simplicity of the life force in your body. As you exhale, imagine a sense of grounding and rooting through your tailbone into the earth. If you feel strain at any point, return to simply watching your breath.
For some people, it helps to retain the breath for just a few seconds before the exhalation. I tend to do this in the last few minutes, when I’ve warmed up a bit. It’s definitely not something to force. Ideally, when your alarm sounds at five minutes you’re breathing a little more deeply and feeling more clear, grounded, and energized.
Hope this makes your day a little better. And I’d love to hear what your go-to pranayama practice is in the comments below!
By Andrea Ferretti
Andrea Ferretti and Jason Crandell are a husband and wife team who have been teaching, writing about, and living their yoga for nearly two decades. Andrea is the former executive editor of Yoga Journal and is now creative director for Jason Crandell Yoga Method. Jason is an internationally recognized teacher known for his precise, empowering, down-to-earth approach to vinyasa yoga. They live together in San Francisco with their full-time boss, Sofia-Rose Crandell, age 3. To read their blog or to learn more about Jason's upcoming teacher trainings, please visit their web site www.jasonyoga.com
Not all of us will be crusaders, but we all have dreams. What’s yours? Not just the version you feel comfortable sharing, but that secret aspiration lurking in the deepest corner of your heart. The big, enormous terrifying one that if realized will fulfill you beyond your wildest imaginings.
Can you look in the mirror right now, yes, right now, and say to your reflection: I’m living to my highest potential. I’m true to my heart. I’m living my dreams. If not, two things may be holding you back.
One: You haven’t reflected enough to unearth your deepest desire. Desires are intertwined with our gifts and talents. When we bury them and dismiss them as too lofty, we aren’t sharing our unique contribution to the world. Why not shoot for the stars?
Two: If you’ve identified your dreams and still aren’t pursuing them, samskaras or old patterns and habits could be suppressing your progress. Literally, the prefix sam means well planned, well thought out, and kara means “the action under-taken.” Thus, “samskara” translates to, “the impression of, the impact of, the action we perform with full awareness of its goals.”
During our lifetime, each time we act, we create subtle impressions or imprints in our mind and body—think of them as habits. The more frequent the action, the more ingrained the habit. The longer we’ve had the habit, the tougher it is to change because these patterns get imbedded in our souls.
One of the private samskaras many of us have is fear of failure. This fear can choke our dreams, kill our aspirations, and leave us unfulfilled. Recognition of your samskaras and efforts to disengage from them creates shifts and ultimately forward progress. Practice yoga and meditation, cultivate more compassion toward yourself and release fear. What’s the worst that could happen?
Remind yourself, we are all unique individuals and together, we comprise a community. Our willingness to shine our brightest contributes to the world. When we are fulfilling our destinies, working toward our own greatest good, it lifts the vibration globally.
All of our new classes this week address following your dreams, digging deep and releasing the bonds preventing you from soaring to the moon! Try one and shine on.
1. Mark Morford - Yoga Alchemy: The Fear
This question comes up a lot these days: In periods of deep dismay and anxiety, of dread existential, sociopolitical and/or personal, how can we use our yoga to successfully transmute these low, acidic energies into useful action, into something a bit more healing and constructive? And where, exactly, does this fiery transformation take place? What are the tools? This much we know: Such transformations do not happen merely in the mind, by merely thinking (or wishing) events to be different. What’s more, yoga teaches us not to race through or forcibly redefine uncomfortable or painful situations – or grip the positive ones too tightly - let we miss their true power and teachings. Here’s a fiery, nicely demanding class focusing on the Muladhara chakra, on essential grounding poses (goddess, warriors, malasanas galore) and balanced breathing to help relocate and strengthen your core stability and sense of innate calm when all feels poisonous and manic and OMGWTF.
2. Kristen Boyle - A Dream, A Voice
This all-levels class takes inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speech, "I Have a Dream". Dr. King had a dream, and through his dream he found his voice. Since that time, many voices are raising up exclaiming their own dreams. What yoga teaches us is, to become quiet - to listen. And when we do, we hear that all voices and all dreams are crying out for essentially the same thing: shelter, nourishment, warmth. And once those basic needs are taken care of, the cry is for the freedom to live life with joy.
3. Kristin Gibowicz - Flow for Unity, Not Uniformity
Join Kristin for this fun, full-body power yoga class leading to open hamstrings, hips and shoulders. Kristin will challenge you with a balancing flow and intelligently move you into a final peak posture, eight limb staff pose. Come to be challenged physically and inspired to bring the intention of unity, not uniformity. This shift has to begin with you!
Also read: Unity, Not Uniformity by Kristen Gibowicz
4. Shy Sayar - Therapeutic Yoga for Stress, Anxiety and Insomnia
Join Yoga Therapist Shy Sayar for a delicious sequence of practices for body, breath and mind with the aim of relaxing, restoring and rejuvenating - a wonderful counterbalance to daily stress and anxiety, and an antidote to sleeplessness that will help you get some ZZZs through the night!
Since Shoulderstand helps the whole body, it is cure to all from the common cold to constipation, insomnia and thyroid imbalance. Moreover, it is considered an inversion which helps to energize and bring blood to the heart, thereby relieving sinus congestion and stress, not to mention strengthen the immune functions of the hormonal system.
Finally, Shoulderstand helps to balance the sympathetic, or “fight or flight” response and parasympathetic, or rest and relaxation systems. Anything that affects this balance, whether internal (hunger, the need for oxygen, fear) or external (temperature change, movement, watching a movie), asks us to change from one state of balance, such as hunger, to another, such as digestion. This pose supports these changes and can be therapeutic to any tensions that may arise from these transitions.
- Come to a seated position. You can place a folded up blanket behind you for more support. Lie on your back. If you are using a blankets be sure both shoulders are on the blanket and that your head is flat on the floor. - Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Bring your arms by your side and press them into the floor as you curl your spine and bring your thighs toward your chest. - Lift your pelvis and back off the floor. Bend your elbows and bring your your palms to your lower back. Curl your pelvis towards your shoulders and slowly walk your hands up your back. Keep your elbows drawing inward and your fingers pointed upward. - Slowly straighten your legs and bring your feet up towards the ceiling. Continue to walk your hands up your back until your upper spine lifts away from the floor and your torso is vertical. - Keep your hands on your back for support and press your upper arms into the floor or blanket. With each inhale, expand your chest towards your chin. - Hold for 30 seconds to several minutes. To release, walk your hands down your back and gently curl your spine back to the floor and lower your legs
As the weather shifts to chillier or even frigid temperatures, many of us are finding ourselves with the sniffles or sore throats. Beat the symptoms of a common cold all year long with Shoulderstand. Reap all of the benefits of this pose and restore from the winter chill.