1. Best Pose for Dashing Through The Snow: Utkatasana
Hop on the chair lift and put that chair pose to work, strengthening your largest muscle groups and creating a powerful foundation.
2. Best Pose for Making Sure The Tree is Straight: Vrksasana
The best way to see the tree is to BE the tree. Get your balance and you’ll be able to tell if the tree has its balance. Squinting helps too.
3. Best Pose for Decorating the Tree: Natarajasana
Reach your heart up and out and you’ll be able to place that ornament just right. Now Dancer, see if you can give Comet and Cupid a hand.
4. Best Pose for Peeking Under the Bed for Presents: Chaturanga
Taking a pause to work the arms, shake, and feel the core of gift giving. Your presence is the greatest present after all.
5. Best Pose For When Baby It’s Cold Outside: Partner Sukhasana
Feel the warmth in supported butterfly pose. Promise, you’ll sit a little taller with friends around.
6. Best Pose for Warming By The Fire: Prasarita Padottanasana
Get your buns nice and toasty and ask, which way to the north pole?
7. Best Pose for Finding the Ornaments Your Cat Knocked Off the Tree: Tiger Pose.
When our furry friends try to do their own decorating, engage your core and get on their level to find the decorations hiding beneath the tree.
8. Best Pose For Gift Overload: Shavasana
We tend to be a little indulgent this time of year. When your brain can’t possibly process another beautiful bow, rest.
Merry everything, Yoga Downloaders. Be sure to check out the Sanity Sanctuary for a curated collection of 15 classes to bring comfort and joy to your holidays.
Did you like this blog? You might also like: A Yogi’s Twas The Night Before Christmas
Check out this week's featured classes to find a way to decompress from the holiday madness:
1. Eric Paskel / Soulful Slow Flow
Soulful Slow flow is a slow moving vinyasa class without any sun salutations. The slower moving class provides more time to enter and exit positions while having some "quality" time in the pose. There is plenty to work on physically yet with no sun salutations and slower moving flows there is a steadiness that provides room to reflect and listen while moving. Turn it on now and you won't need to turn off all day.
2. Jackie Casal Mahrou / Busy Day Flow
Our busiest days are the most important days to squeeze in a yoga class! Do yourself a favor and make time for this short and sweet flowing class today. You will be thankful that you did. This class gives you a little bit of everything in just 30 minutes. Jackie begins by leading you through warming Sun Salutation A & B with variations, and then guides you into deeper postures such as Humble Warrior and Crow Pose (Bakasana). You will finish with a standing balancing posture to invigorate you, a few floor postures to ground you. Whether you are just starting your day, or taking a yoga break, you will be happier and more centered after having practiced yoga! Enjoy.
3. Elise Fabricant / Reset Refuge: Crazy Day Decompression
Crazy long day? Feeling harried and overwhelmed? Take refuge on your mat with Elise's restoring 30-minute class. In this session you will gently open your hips and spine, massage your forearms, invigorate your breath and soothe your mind! Elise recommends using the following playlist for this class: Reset Refuge
4. Tana Pittman / Kundalini: Be Radiant & Stress Free
Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, this set of exercises or Kyriya is known as The Pituitary Gland Series. The Pituitary Gland is the 'Master Gland' of the body regulating the Thyroid, Adrenals and Reproductive Glands. When the Pituitary is healthy and stimulated your metabolism works efficiently, your stress level is low and your intuition guides you. You will feel radiant, light and blessed. After Savasana you will practice a beautiful meditation 'For Blessings' to send blessings to yourself and everyone. Feel free to practice this meditation up to 11 minutes. Music for this class was provided by the lovely Dev Suroop Kaur.
It brings a distinct and delicate beauty to a plate. Be it through sprinkling lavender flowers atop a salad, steeping a sprig in your water glass, or pairing them with almond milk, chia seeds and vanilla beans - lavender simply makes this world a little bit more lovely.
What's more is that lavender does have health effects to sooth and calm body and mind.
If you've never tried chia seed pudding, it is a simple and delicious snack or breakfast that is wonderful for your health. It supports the digestive health and gets rid of any unwanted toxins from the system for a happier and healthier belly.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
This chia seed pudding is my new favorite addition to brunches with friends or quiet mornings alone. Using homemade almond milk as a base, plus that curious viscosity unique only to chia seeds, makes this business delightfully creamy without the addition of dairy. Think tapioca pudding had a love child with afternoon tea and put it under the care of a hipster nanny and there you have it. Needless to say, this chia seed pudding is amazing.
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.
Even through those important lessons, there is one that has helped me in my every day life. It has managed to help me go from going crazy in my head, to being at peace with situations I can’t always have control over.
Have you ever been in a situation where you feel stuck or trapped? I am taking about both physical and mental. For example, waiting anxiously for that special someone to text you back. Or not being physically strong enough to move something heavy. It can feel like a frustrating moment. That’s because most of us like being in control. But, once a situation comes up in our life that is out of our control, most of us go crazy. Not the fun kind of crazy, more like a messy crazy.
I have found a way to feel peace during those situations that are out of our control. It’s not with medication or drugs. It’s with remembering to breathe.
Yes, that's it. Remember to breathe. Through out yoga, there’s one thing yoga teachers always say: “breathe” or “inhale.. exhale” Most of us forget to breathe because it’s not something we have to remember to do. Our bodies just naturally do it. By remembering that you’re breathing and focusing on your breath even just for 5 minutes, can have calming effects for both your mind and body. Every time you go to a yoga class, you might notice the difference techniques in ways that teachers teach. They all have one thing in common. They challenge you with certain poses that you do not enjoy. Sometimes you even have to hold that certain pose and it makes you feel anything but peace.
This is when you begin to breathe. I know it might be challenging to remember to breathe if you’re holding the pose of warrior 3. The more you focus on how badly you want to get out the pose, the more frustrating it’ll get. Focus on your breath in that moment, is when you begin to realize that your mind tends to give up much faster than your body.
But this is not just when you’re in your yoga mat. This is a lesson to practice anywhere you go.
I can’t promise you life will be filled with rainbows and unicorns. I’d be lying to you if that were true. I will promise, however, that life will get messy. Sometimes you’ll feel at the highest in the roller coaster in your life and sometimes you’ll feel at the lowest point. The good thing about this is knowing that there are tools you can use for not being stuck in certain parts of your life.
This is where you use the same tool of breathing. The same way you focus on your breath during your yoga practice is the same way you’ll use for any life situations.
The reason why yoga taught me this, is because when we are in a challenging pose all the teacher says is to focus on your breath and not on your thoughts. I have learned to take this practice with me wherever I go and it’s one of the greatest tools I’ve learned. This is because even when life throws at me challenging situations, besides stressing out what else can we do? Breathe.
It wasn’t too long ago that I went through a situation that really triggered anger in me. I flew to another country to spend some time with my close friend. For months we were planning on this. We talked about all the places we were going to go, all the activities we could do. We were both filled with excitement and joy. I could feel it. It wasn’t until I arrived that everything started to turn upside down. He planned to pick me up at the airport and I was depending on him for that. Here I am waiting at an airport I’ve never been before and he never showed up. I took a taxi to the hotel and I wasn’t at my best mood. I had no wi-fi, no idea what was located around me, I was depending all on him. He showed up to the hotel later on and apologized saying he couldn’t leave work.
We moved on and decided to take actions for what we planned. Until short hours later his boss called him saying he had to work full-time that entire week. The entire week I was there. We went from feeling pure excitement to feeling stressed and sorry. More downfalls happened along the way and I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed my yoga mat and decided to take out all my emotions on the mat. It wasn’t until I remembered something that changed the situation quickly. Something I am now teaching you.
I challenged myself to hold cobra pose for 3 minutes. I learned from my teacher how wonderful this was for your lower back. It felt like I was holding it for 10 minutes or so. When I look at my timer, it had only been one! I was trying to hold it and was about to go crazy. In this moment was when I realized to breathe through the moment that feel like life is falling on you. Even though it’s not, most of us like to pretend it is.
Your yoga practice and real life are no different. The same frustrating moment you can feel when you’re holding a challenging pose can feel the same as if a bad situation is happening to you. Both of these teachings remind us to just breath.
Stressing more about the problems, won’t help them disappear. It won’t change people around you or the situations. But, it will change the way you react to them and it’ll change yourself.
I started to remember to breath and soon begin to practice my meditation again. Everything shifted with my friend. Sure, he still had to work full time and we couldn’t see all the places we were planning to see. But, what changed was my reaction to this. Instead of acting with frustration to something I couldn’t control, I started to feel peace and accepting the uncontrollable.
They say your yoga practice is never ending. Well let that be a reminder next time you roll out your yoga mat. Just like your life, there’s going to be moments when you feel like giving up. Don’t give up. In neither your yoga mat or in life. Just remember to breath.
The reason why this can be so important is because breathing takes you to the only moment life exists. The now. When you’re not focusing on your breath, your focusing on your thoughts. They take you to anywhere but the present moment.
Just remember to breathe.
Tara is an elementary school teacher, presently taking a much-needed break from teaching, and in turn dabbling in and out of different job roles. Her travels have taken her all over the world, previously living in Thailand, Taiwan and Cambodia. When she’s not travelling, or writing, you can find her doing what she loves, which is included but not limited to: lazing about in hammocks, eating salads, watching sunsets and reading.
My yoga practice has provided me with an exceptional tool for managing my back and minimizing flare-ups. At the same time, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for using yoga to manage back discomfort. Postures that soothe some students, agitate others. Yoga is for everybody, but not all postures are for everybody. With this in mind, the goal of this sequence is to provide you with some general principles and a simple sequence that may help you with general, overall lower-back maintenance. I’m hopeful that many of these postures–if not the entire sequence–will help you keep back discomfort at bay if you practice them regularly.
Of course, this sequence is not for acute pain, nor does it account for (or provide) specific diagnoses. If you’re in acute pain, please find a medical provider. Also, please omit all postures that are contrary to your medical provider’s suggestions.
One more thought: A detailed examination of yoga for back health is beyond the scope of this blog post. But, before you launch into this sequence, there are a few important principles to pay attention to:
1. Focus on maintaining the natural curves of your spine, especially the lordotic curve of your lower back. 2. Focus on hip and leg flexibility. Yes, some students need more stability in these regions. But, generally speaking, excessive tension in the hips and legs needs to be addressed so that the pelvis can be in it’s proper position in daily life and in yoga postures. 3. Breathe slowly, smoothly, and deeply. Breathing settles the inclination for the nervous system to overreact and helps facilitate spinal motion. 4. Remember that there’s going to be a little trial and error. Some things will work for you and some things won’t. 5. Back off when something hurts. Period. 6. Lastly, all hygiene requires consistency. Consider this sequence good hygiene for your lower back. Got it?
WHY THIS SEQUENCE WORKS
POSES 1-5
Reclined hip, hamstring, and inner leg (adductor) openers should be the bread and butter of lower back maintenance strategies. Yes, a strong and stable core is essential for lower back comfort. But, if excessive hip, hamstring, or adductor tension is keeping your pelvis out of proper alignment, no amount of core strength is going to protect your lower back.
These first three poses are so valuable that you can practice them on their own — especially if you’re not comfortable with the following postures. The first four postures of this sequence don’t require your lower back or pelvis to move. Instead, you keep your lower back and pelvis stationary and move your leg. Most of you will need to hold a yoga strap instead of holding your foot. The 5th posture introduces a mild reclined twist in order to help you create more mobility in your thoracic spine (the part of your spine that your ribs connect to).
POSES 6-8
In addition to mobilizing your hips, hamstrings, and adductors, strengthening your core is essential for lower back comfort. Two of the most effective core strengtheners in yoga are what I call “Core Connector” (pose 6) and Forearm Plank (pose 8). These poses require very little spinal flexion (anterior spinal rounding) to execute correctly. If the minor rounding of your spine in the “Core Connector” is uncomfortable, do a few rounds of Forearm Plank instead. In this sequence, I threw in Down Dog between the two core postures to help you focus on lengthening your spine, which can help alleviate back discomfort.
POSES 9-10
Most people love to alternate between Cat Pose and Cow Pose. I don’t. Honestly, I just don’t find Cow Pose to be comfortable or effective in my body. Cat, I like. Cow, I can live without. So, I selected Sphinx Pose to pair with Cat Pose instead. Sphinx is the first pose in these sequence where you’re taking your back into extension. As you do this pose, don’t let your belly sink heavily into the floor since this may arch your lower back too intensely. Instead, gently press your pubic bone into the floor and draw your lower belly toward your spine. Notice how this pose feels in your lower back. Some of you will crave more, some of you will want to get out sooner rather than later.
POSES 11-14
Hip openers should be a staple in your back care routine. Pigeon Pose is most notable for the stretch it delivers to the outer and posterior hips — especially gluteus maximus and the six external rotators that live under glute max. But, Pigeon Pose — like the two postures that follow it in this sequence — also lengthens the hip flexors that lay on the front of the pelvis. This is particularly true for those you with exceptionally tight hip flexors. Posture 13 adds the hip flexor lengthening by also stretching the quadriceps. This group is rounded out with a lunging twist since mild twists feel so good for many people with muscular tension in their back.
POSES 15-16
Closing a sequence with a mild twist and a mild forward bend like Child’s Pose is soothing for nearly everyone who struggles with lower back discomfort. You can make Child’s Pose even more effective by directing your inhalations toward your lower back.
Want to practice this sequence at home? When you sign up for our newsletter, we’ll send you free printer-friendly PDF of the sequence above!
{illustration by MCKIBILLO}
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
Perhaps most importantly with this moon are its important aspects to both Saturn and Chiron. Saturn, as the great father and bearer of karma, and Chiron, as the wounded healer, are both engaged by the light of this moon. This moon is no doubt shining light on the areas of our deepest core wounds, and it is likely that we will be most triggered in our committed partnership. Please be aware of your actions and behavior at this time. Those who are unconscious will believe that “it’s not you, it’s me,” when really, it is our deepest shadow that is at play right now, wreaking havoc in our life.
When emotions run high, when we are angry or when the mental chatter begins, we can be sure that it is our deep wounds that are speaking to us. Remember, we are never angry for the reasons we think we are, and self reflection is critical at this time in order for us to take personal responsibility for our actions and healing. With Chiron in the mix, we have the opportunity to heal ourselves from the inside out using our spiritual practice and shadow work. Now is the time to get clear on the inside, so that everything on the outside reflects our true, luminous nature.
Alchemical Ritual for the Gemini Full Moon
As an air sign, Gemini enjoys all the things that allow us to communicate and share with the world, including teaching, technology, media, journalism and conversation. On the low side, this mercurial sign tends toward nervousness, idle chatter, anxiety and trickiness. This full moon ritual for Gemini helps to accentuate the high side of this energy and clears up our mental chatter so that when communication flows (in all its various forms), it flows clearly.
Gemini's ruler is Mercury, the messenger god who is able to travel into the underworld as easily as the real world. It is a slippery slope: to communicate in an elevated way, or slip down into the shadow, harming ourself or others with our words. To keep our energy on the high side in this ritual, gather blue stones such as lace agate or chalcedony and place them in the center of your ritual space. Bring in the air element in some way, perhaps by diffusing essential oils (eucalyptus, lavender and vetiver work well with Gemini), or by sitting in front of an open window or gentle fan for a cool breeze. Lavender, frankincense or myrrh essential oil can be used to anoint your throat chakra before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times.
Light a few candles and dim the lights. Sit in the center of your space and bring the hands together at the heart center. Connect to the throat center, the location of communication and the planet Mercury in our bodies. Feel the energy moving into the throat by engaging in a gentle ujayi style breathing, constricting the back of the throat ever so slightly to produce an oceanic sound of the breath. When you establish a consistent attention on the throat area, consider the question: What is my truth? Your answer will likely come quietly and simply, not as a diatribe, and perhaps only as a feeling. Listen closely to the answer from the heart. Once you receive your answer, choose one stone, hold it firmly in your right hand and say the following invocation out loud:
Mercury, please give me the strength to speak the truth about what is most important to me.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. Clear the mind of thoughts completely. Feel the sensation within the throat, and allow for the invocation to sink in and begin to show you your path. Allow any symbols, sensations, emotions or energy to arise and continue to quietly witness all that happens without judgement or thought.
When complete, place a hand on the throat and chant Ham (the mantra for the throat) three times before bringing both hands together at the heart to chant Om three times. Hold the stone talisman that you have now charged with the energy of your heart’s desire. Snuff the candles and place the talisman somewhere prominently enough that you are reminded daily of the path to your heart’s fullest expression. This ritual creates a clear pathway of communication for your highest truth, so that whenever you speak, you speak your truth clearly to power. 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
TAKE YOUR FREEDOM BACK
Most people are completely oblivious to the all that the digital world steals from them. Imagine how much more time you would be spending on yourself or with your family and friends if you weren’t glued to a screen. Most people wish they had more time on their hands, yet don’t think twice about how long they spend on their phones.
Have we forgotten that there’s a life out there waiting to be enjoyed and experienced? Come on, put that phone down and see how your life, your schedule, and your relationships transform.
No, you don’t have to ditch the digital world forever, but it would be an interesting self-experiment if we all stepped back from our little pocket-sized worlds and paid attention to the real one. At the very least, I’m sure you would realize just how much more time, and freedom, you will gain.
It’s time to take a digital detox & move from an artificial life into a real one.
1. YOUR DIGITAL LIFE IS NOT YOUR REAL ONE
It always feels strange to stop doing something you’ve been doing for years, but when you step out of your comfort zone, you will surely be awakened to what you’ve been missing the whole time. Believe it or not, the way we see the world right now largely has to do with the way we are impacted by social media. All those feeds fill our brain spaces and become our realities. Being suddenly aware of what everyone’s doing all the time amps up the comparison game and lessens our ability to make decisions based off of what we truly want–- and not what everyone else is doing. Don’t let social media and technology dictate the life you live; go live your real life, the way YOU want.
2. TIME TO LOVE YOURSELF
With so much comparison going around, it’s no wonder that self-love is strange to understand. Every picture on social media gives a new meaning to the word “perfect,” and “beautiful.” When our reflection in the mirror doesn’t add up to the images we see on social media, our self-esteem goes down. When we’re constantly comparing, there’s no way we live the life we were always meant to be. It’s time to put down that smart phone and invest time in developing self-love.
3. MOMENTS WON’T JUST PASS YOU BY
Memories are always being created and if we are constantly checking our phones, we’re bound to miss something. It’s the simple pleasures that make life more fulfilling. Stop letting life pass us by. Instead of looking for it in a television show series or an Instagram account, start experiencing all that the real world, the present moment has to offer.
4. GETTING BACK TO CREATIVITY
With all the energy the digital world drains from us, there’s less time to feel motivated to create, to complete our goals, and to chase our dreams. By taking time back for yourself, inspiration has room to rise again. It’s time to remember what it feels like to accomplish something, to dream outside of the box, and to chase the life you actually get to live.
5. GAIN YOUR CONTROL BACK
When was the last time you completed your tasks and to-do lists on time, without procrastinating? The digital world is a distraction that easily gets in the way of managing our time. We are wasting too much time on something that doesn’t matter in the long run. Gain back control of your sleep patterns, work schedule and free time.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU DETOX?
A week is typically a good time for a digital detox. However, if you’re enjoying the process-- why not extend it? Pick what works best for you, but be sure to keep challenging yourself.
Moments are passing us by, and there’s a life out there that’s waiting for you to explore!
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH A DIGITAL DETOX
I personally did this experiment for two weeks. I was flying to Costa Rica and would be gone for a month. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to connect with myself and disconnect from the digital world. It was one of the best choices I’ve made. I had a phone with me in Costa Rica, but with no wi-fi and no T.V. I had no choice but to simply let go. A digital detox served as clear guidance back to my true, authentic self. My time in nature taught me that I had ultimatley made the right choice to digitally detox.
“Do it now! can affect every phase of your life. It can help you do the things you should do but don’t feel like doing. It can keep you from procrastinating when an unpleasant duty faces you. But it can also help you do those things that you want to do. It helps you seize those precious moments that, if lost, may never be retrieved.” ~Napoleon Hill
Nicole was born in Colombia and grew in Florida, with a deep curiosity on how the mind and body connected, she found yoga at the age of 15 and her love for it only grew since then. In 2015, she decided to expand her passion and desire to help others and later she became a certified holistic health coach and yoga teacher. Nicole now teaches yoga internationally and hosts yoga and wellness retreats. Now, she is getting ready to share her journey with her expecting daughter. You can follow her on instagram to see her weekly posts.
Designate a special space
The key to any home yoga practice is to designate a special space just for you and your mat. Keep this space clear of anything else. You can decorate your space to make it comfortable and inviting. Within your space, add inspirational items that may motivate your practice including inspirational quotes, meditation books or even photos of your loved ones. Read: Why You Should Start a Home Practice
Amp up the scents
Aromatherapy is the perfect way to bring some magic into your environment! Aromatherapy uses natural oils that have been extracted from parts of a plant to heal or enhance the practitioners’ physical well-being. Using oils during yoga will help you focus better and uplift your mood. Use a scented candle or a diffuser at your designated yoga space during practice. Don’t know which oil to try? Eucalyptus is a great one to start with as it helps you breathe better!
Add music
While it’s generally better to practice in a quiet environment, you can also achieve a quiet state of mind through music! Certain music or sounds help reduce anxiety and stress, therefore enabling your mind to reach a more meditative state. Good music will also help slow down your breathing, allowing you to inhale and exhale deeply. The kind of music you play will largely depend on your personality and the type of yoga you are practicing. For a more high-powered yoga, try upbeat tunes. If you’re practicing Yin yoga, slow and soothing tunes might be more beneficial.
Join an online class
Change things around in your usual practice by participating in an online yoga class! There are many websites offering free yoga classes online that you can join. You have the option to choose a teacher, a style of yoga and even the duration of the class!
An online yoga class will give you a different perspective of the practice and perhaps even inspiring your own practice. You might find good alignment cues on a yoga video that you can then incorporate to your own practice.
Include meditation
Ending your practice with meditation is sure to help you feel energized and rejuvenated to start the day! Just a few short minutes to clear your mind can do wonders both mentally and physically. Meditation can lower your stress levels and help you with depression. It also aids weight loss! Take at least 10 minutes at the end of your day to sit on your mat, relax and meditate.
The great news is that there are many different types of meditation that you can try out, from mindfulness, and vipassana to tantra and zazen. If you are just getting started, guided meditation may be the best for you. There are plenty of practical meditation apps available on the web to guide you through!
Elaine is a contributing writer for BookYogaTeacherTraining.com. She is a big fan of Harry Potter and dreams of organizing a Harry Potter-themed yoga class one day. To keep the Dementors at bay, she recommends meditation.
We here at Yogadownload.com believe yoga can provide even more—yoga can change your life. And, not just because you can touch your toes or stand on your head for twenty minutes. We’re talking a true transformation with pranayama and meditation from the inside out, and asana as the tool to transform from the outside in.
Here are five life-changing rewards of yoga to rock your world:
1. Intuition/self-awareness: Yoga is about becoming the best version of yourself, not becoming somebody different. It’s a process of learning to tune in and trust your thoughts and feelings and pay attention to what makes your heart sing. Each time you step onto the mat, you have the chance to hone your gut instincts and your sense of intuition.
2. Increased confidence and self-esteem: Practicing yoga helps you get in tune with your deeper self. A good teacher will encourage you to shed the layers of self-protection and fear. When you start to accept and love yourself for who you are at your deepest level, without conditions, your confidence shines from within.
3. Connection: As you evolve in your yoga practice, you become more connected to your own heart and mind. Then, you are able to foster connection with other people, with nature, and ultimately with the universe.
4. Healing: Utilizing all these principles, yoga can be a way to heal yourself—physically, emotionally, and mentally. So, whether you suffer from illness, injuries or addiction issues, use yoga to move toward more vibrant health. Whether that means making healthier choices or doing all you can in your power to stay healthy, yoga can change your life. Use your practice to empower yourself.
5. Be Present: Finally, yoga can change your life by reminding you each day that yesterday is gone, tomorrow is another day and today is an opportunity to be present. Live for now and attune to the rhythm of life.
Try one of our newest releases today and let yoga rock your world and change your life!
Eric Paskel / EP's Yoga Rocks Bootcamp
Yoga Rocks Bootcamp is unlike any yoga class you have taken. It is a symphony of movement and messaging. From vinyasa flow to cardio, YRB takes you on a full body journey. The class is for those who want to sweat, play, and get out of the "box". The best part is that it's an "As is " class. This means the way you are right now will be all you need to enjoy it! All the videos produced in this series are part of Eric Paskel's "As is" Yoga. A style of yoga that loves you and has you loving yourself as you are.
Guru Jagat / Kundalini Yoga for Everybody: Emotional Balance
Kundalini Yoga and Meditation is a fast acting technology for dramatic transformation. Kundalini Yoga works directly with the glandular and endocrine systems to impact brain chemistry and create lasting physiological change. This short but profound set will work up sweat, jumpstart your metabolism and digestion, tone your internal organ system, and leave you feeling revved up and fabulous!
Becca Riopelle / HardCORE Yoga with Weights 3
Prepare for another full body workout party! You will sweat, tone, and burn in all the right places and utilize a variety of strengthening and plyometric routines. You're going to love it!
Celest Pereira / Fast and Furious
This class is a tough one. Lots of fun tricks so you can play, work up a sweat and enjoy the intensity. If you're working towards these crazy poses then take it at your own pace and remember, the more you practice the easier it becomes.
Symptoms of heavy metal toxicity include chronic fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, migraine headaches, joint pain, and insomnia, just to name a few. They can also make us more susceptible to infections and lead to serious neurological disorders if left untreated.
The good news here is that you can start cleansing your body of heavy metals starting today simply by incorporating a few prized superfoods into your diet.
Spirulina: Having a small dose of this superfood a few times a week can help to rid your system, specifically your nervous system, brain, and liver, of heavy metals. Look for organic if possible.
Cilantro: A handful of cilantro is a superstar to help rid your body of mercury and is easy to add to a few meals a day.
Wild Blueberries: Wild Blueberries help to draw heavy metals out of your brain tissue. Their potent antioxidants help reverse any damage caused by heavy metal poisoning.
Atlantic Dulse: Dulse helps remove heavy metals from the digestive tract and gut (we all know gut health is imperative to overall health!) including lead, nickel, copper, cadmium, and aluminum. It binds to these metals with a strong grip and does not let go until it frees from the body.
Below is one of our new favorite smoothie recipes whose ingredients will bind to the heavy metals in our bodies and make sure that they’re flushed out of the body smoothly.
If you would like to dive deeper into cleansing your body, join us for our next live cleanse HERE.
With love and air guitars!
Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients:
2 cups wild blueberries, frozen ½ small lemon, peeled 1 large handful cilantro 1 pear 1 tsp. spirulina powder 1 ½ cups coconut water Dulse flakes for garnish (optional)
Instructions: In a high speed blender combine wild blueberries, lemon, cilantro, pear, spirulina powder, and coconut water. Blend until smooth. Sprinkle the top of the smoothie with a few dulse flakes if desired! Enjoy.
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
However, as my teachers have taught me, we should also remember that if we need energy we are also probably tired and need rest. Therefore, my essential energizing poses include, maybe as a surprise, savasana. You can use the following poses as a sequence on their own or combine them with your favourite postures.
My energizing practice
1. Savasana
Begin or end with savasana as if you are tired, you need rest. Named ‘corpse pose’ in a spiritual system that believes in rebirth, this pose in some ways is about the act of full surrender into rest and the rebirth that comes when you exit the pose. Go through the journey of savasana and surrender to however you are feeling, even if it’s dead tired, and then observe how you feel when you come out on the other side. If it happens you just fall asleep, then you probably needed it. I find that most of the time, accepting and temporarily giving into my tiredness instead of revolting against it is the most important step in finding a way to summon the energy I need for whatever is next on my plate.
2. Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana)
Standing tall and reaching my arms up into the air, especially at the beginning of a sun-salutation, signals to me that I have begun practicing and that I’m waking myself up. I feel the root of my feet into the ground and the length of my body upward. Because of the simplicity of the shape, I feel the subtle energetics of the pose and the sense that something deep inside me is beginning to be summoned. The lift of my chest and ribs stimulates an empowering breath that invigorates my body and within it my nervous system. Stay here for a few breaths or let this move into a mindful sun-salutation set to a slow and rhythmic breath.
3. High Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyasa Variation)
The high crescent lunge cranks up the transmission of energy from the ground through the back leg, up through the pelvis, across the chest, and up through the fingers. I feel as if I’ve become a vessel for prana, and the flow has now been supercharged. The pose can be static or move up and down with the legs or the arms or both. This pose is accessible for most and easily scaled up by lengthening and deepening the stance, or scaled back by making it as short and stable as needed. Additionally, this pose can be relatively neutral through the spine, or a pretty big backbend. For an extra boost, I ensure the hip of the back leg is facing forward and the front rim of the pelvis is lifted upward so energy is directed in and up through the lower belly and spine.
4. Upward-facing Bow Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
Backbends are usually crowd favourites for uplift and invigoration. The symmetrical clarity and the potential rebound from the floor through both arms and legs makes upward-facing bow pose essential for me. It is a full body pranic explosion as energy is transmitted not only through the back-bending spine, but across the front of the hips and chest, and along the long line of back, shoulders, and arms. I enjoy raising my heels up to allow even more lift of my hips and chest and more energetic reach through my arms. If you cannot practice the full upward-facing bow, then happily do a bridge pose, even with support like a yoga brick underneath your sacrum, and send breath upwards through the chest.
5. Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana)
Yogis usually don’t need much convincing that inversions are energizing. The mere act of changing one’s orientation to gravity, and with it the muscular tone of the body and breath, along with the fear-defying journey to get upside-down can definitely awaken the senses. The active inversions of handstand, forearm stand, and headstand can all fit in here. I’ve selfishly chosen forearm stand as it is my easiest balance, and for me feels a bit more stable with a reasonable amount of support on the ground. You can take your pick of active inversions and scale it up to handstand (adho mukha vrksasana) or down to headstand (sirsasana). If you can’t get up on your own feel free to use a wall or a friend. If all else fails, just hop up to wherever you can go. The act of going up and down a few times will invigorate on its own.
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
Are you traveling more? Is your social calendar crammed with holiday parties and family obligations? Or, is this time of year a tough one for you?
Many of us aren’t necessarily filled with cheer depending upon our personal circumstances. Happy or sad, emotions tend to intensify this time of year and we all crave some balance inside and out.
Wherever you fall on the spectrum, we all have one thing in common: we all could use a daily dose of yoga and meditation to keep us centered, clear, and calm during December and through 2017. Taking the time to nurture your mental, emotional, and physical well-being is vital to staying sane this time of year.
YogaDownload to the rescue! We’ve compiled a special collection of fifteen of our top classes with your favorite instructors to help you find relief and refuge during this season - a Sanity Sanctuary. Maintain your sanity with daily doses of yoga and/or meditation to combat fatigue and stress.
This sanctuary isn’t just for the holidays—feel free to continue with these practices anytime you need.
Check out this week's newest and featured classes:
Jill Pedroza / Move Your Asana
In this invigorating and flowing class you will move your body through warming flow and open your hips, shoulders & hamstrings! Jill will guide you through creative Sun Salutations A & B, linking your breath to movement, and then lead you through deeper heart opening & balancing postures to prepare you for a challenging hold of Revolved Birds of Paradise.
Shabadpreet / Kundalini Yoga Therapeutics: Release and Restore
This restorative Kundalini Yoga Set systematically takes you through the entire body to soothe, balance, and restore both your physical and energetic bodies. Coupled with deep breathing, this set will nourish your nervous system and leave you feeling rested and de-stressed. Dia Draper / A Moment For You (Feeling Anxious)
Sometimes we just need a moment to ourselves. Maybe it's tempting to crawl under the desk just to get a moment away. Or maybe we just want to quit adult-ing today. Chances are taking a short break dedicated to you is just what you need. This practice will guide you inward towards a calm and grounded place, with lots of opportunities to turn inward, breath deeply and be extra kind to yourself. Ben Davis / Fitness ’n’ Yoga Plus Weights: Ski Conditioning
Fitness 'n' Yoga + Weights: Ski Conditioning is all about getting the body ready for the ski season. The main goal of the this video ultimately is injury prevention with a focus on flexibility, balance, and agility. Get ready to have fun as you jump and twist as well as strengthen and tone the body for hitting the slopes! Fitness movements included in this video: - Jumps, twists, and power knees for cardio. - Bridge lifts and table top leg lifts to strengthen glutes. - Boat rows and crunches to tone core. Weights can be used to tone and sculpt.
The benefits of yoga are far reaching-- a regular yoga practice can make you more flexible, lower blood sugar, and even help improve your relationship. Your muscles and core strength will improve, and your stress and anxiety levels will decrease - who could say no to all that?
But for many who turn away from yoga, practicality is the primary issue. Either they don’t have time to learn a whole new fitness routine, they can't afford a membership at a yoga studio, or they might just be plain scared to try something new. Well, believe it or not, you don’t have to miss out on an incredible practice anymore. Yoga is actually a great exercise for newbies! And, thanks to the Internet, you can learn how to do yoga in the comfort of your own home.
Firstly: You Do You
Many people perceive the image of a yogi in their minds as: someone up with the sunrise, getting their salutation on while a kale smoothie is ready in the kitchen. At work, they always bring their lunch from home - and it’s always the more amazing salad you’ve ever laid eyes on. Yoga pants are tucked discreetly into their bag so that they can hit another class on the way home, and when it’s time to relax? They spend some time in warrior one while they sip a glass of SmartWater.
Wipe this image from your brain because a yogi does not always have to fit that mold! He or she is simply someone who wants to get in touch with their mind and body, and is willing to put in the work. Yoga is for everyone. Plain and simple. It doesn’t matter if you can barely touch your toes or you’re a contortionist for cirque du soleil - yoga is for you. So when you start your practice, focus on your own needs and don’t worry about what others are doing. This is your fitness routine, so always do what works for you.
Use Your Resources
Even if you are more confident than Beyonce and Demi Lovato put together, you may feel uncomfortable trying yoga for the first time. It’s unique from other exercises and nuanced in a way that might be challenging (at first). However, there are several resources available that will help you learn the basics before you even set foot into a yoga studio.
There are DVDs available for sale that can teach you the standard poses and review meditative breathing (which is a critical part of your yoga practice). If you’re trying to get fit on a budget, YouTube also offers lessons, full practices, and breakdowns of poses for the novice and the expert alike. These resources are right at your fingertips, so make sure you use them!
Don’t Miss Out On Meditation
As mentioned earlier, meditation is one of the key elements of a regular yoga practice. This might make us cringe; after all, with all the clutter in our brains day in and day out, how can anyone really meditate? Well, the answer is: they do yoga.
True, meditation is tough when we first start - but so is everything worth doing! The great thing about a regular yoga practice is that it guides us not only through poses that relieve stress and tension in your body, it also guides us through the necessary steps needed to quiet our minds and meditate to our greatest benefits. Of course, that will only happen if we let it, so by all means remember to practice your meditation, too! You will be stunned what a few minutes of quiet time can do for the rest of your day.
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
While all of you, given the fact you are reading my blog, are aware that I am very much into cooking, and preparing beautiful food. You may not be as aware of the fact that I am also a graphic designer, and so I've decided to mix my love of design into this blog, and make something really (i reckon) special for you all.
Now I don't know about you, but I really love wrapping gifts, and my wrapping style is always very similar. It's always very organic looking. However, I have struggled finding beautiful gift cards to pair with my wrapping. Honestly, paying +$20 for a few gifts cards I don't love, really doesn't make me very happy. So I've decided to make a couple of sheets of what I believe are some utterly gorgeous gift tags. A couple of them are Christmas themed, but on the most part, they can truly be used for any gift, birthday, graduation, anniversary, you name it.
What you will need:
- Printed sheets of my gift tags (which you can access by entering your email below) - Wrapping paper - I will 95% of the time use craft paper - Scissors - A thicker paper - Glue - Scissors - Sticky Tape - Twine - Hole puncher - A few sprigs of Rosemary
How:
This part is pretty simple. Start by downloading and printing the gift cards. Glue the entire sheet onto a thicker stock paper, before cutting the tags by following the dotted lines. Make sure you cut just inside the dotted lines, as you don't want any of the lines in the final product. Put a single hole at the top of the tag using the hole punch, this will be where you will thread the twine.
Now personally, I absolutely love making presents look pretty. I think a gorgeously wrapped present really ads to the whole experience of gift giving. The red wrapping paper pictures is my absolute favourite. Its brown on one side, and red on the other, and is a really gorgeous craft paper (none of that shiny stuff!)
Tip: I always keep little bits of papers etc. for wrapping. For example, I recieved a a beautiful bunch of flowers, which were wrapped up in some muslin type material. Rather than throwing it away, I kept it (and actually used it for these presents).
I'm all for using twine one presents, and I never really wrap it around presents the same way, I like making each look a little different. Wrap your twine around the gift however you like, before threading the gift card through, and tying it off with a bow or a knot.
Finally, for a really special touch (which also makes the gift smell amazing!) place a sprig of rosemary under the twine.
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!
You may have heard somewhere that sugar “feeds” cancer cells. According to reputable cancer centers like MD Anderson, that doesn’t appear to be altogether true. But, there are other reasons to reassess your refined sugar intake. For starters, excess sugar increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Refined sugar is also nutritionally vapid – it’s a big zilcheroo. According to USDA, people who consume the most sugar have lowest intake of essential nutrients, like vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, calcium, and magnesium.
Beyond that, sugar affects your physiology and has an addictive quality to it. When you eat sugar, it quickly converts into glucose in your bloodstream, leading to a blood sugar spike. You feel a rush of energy – woohoo! But quickly thereafter, your energy crashes leaving you tired and unconsciously jonesing for another sugar high. There you are in your cubicle at 3pm and, man oh man, does just one more candy from the candy bowl sound tempting right now.
In yoga, we talk a lot about training the mind to observe and stay neutral so that we’re not pulled by the vicissitudes of our thoughts and emotions. From a neutral place, we can make better decisions, be more productive, and have better relationships. When I applied the things I’ve honed in yoga – like self-observation and open-minded curiosity—to my diet, I learned that I was being pulled this way and that, several times per day, by the vicissitudes of my blood sugar. As nice as it was to have an occasional treat, it’s much more satisfying to feel grounded and stable. That’s what I think about when I’m tempted by something these days – I think, “Is this going to be worth it?” Usually the answer is no.
Even if you don’t have the desire to cut out added sugar altogether, it’s worth staying within the American Heart Association’s recommended daily range: For women that’s 25 grams daily—about 6 teaspoons. For men it’s 37 grams daily—about 9 teaspoons.
If you want to start curbing your sugar habit, read on:
1. Basic Formula is TBD – Time. Balanced Meal. Dehydration.
According to Karyn Duggan, a nutritionist at One Medical Group in San Francisco, the acronym “TBD” can help you remember the three most essential ways to set yourself up for nutritional success. To break it down, you need to:
Time Your Meals — Eat at regular intervals. When you wait too long to eat, your blood sugar drops and you start to crave simple, sugar-loaded carbohydrates to give you an energy boost. As One Medical Group nutritionist Karyn Duggan says, “At that point, there’s no chance of making a healthy choice.” Duggan suggests eating within one hour of waking and not going longer than 4-5 hours between meals.
But, test it for yourself. When I first gave up sugar, I needed to eat small, protein-packed meals every 2-3 hours.
Balance — Eat balanced meals and snacks. A balanced meal, says Duggan, has a combination of protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates. This combo will keep your blood sugar steady, helping you to feel satiated.
Don’t Get Dehydrated — “People often confuse thirst with hunger,” says Duggan. Her recommended intake? About 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight. So, for a 150 person, that’s 75 ounces per day.
2. Taper Off Slowly
Once you’ve got your basic strategy in place, you can get tactical about your sugar intake. I’m of the belief that it’s better to wean yourself slowly. For example, you can cut down on one sugary habit per week, like putting sugar in your coffee or starting your day with a sugary yogurt. Like yoga, going slowly helps you get to know yourself better: You can really feel what a small change does to your energy and mood. You can start recognize your habits, your challenges, and from there you can keep strategizing.
3. Learn to Read Labels
When you pay attention to labels, you may be shocked by which foods have hidden sources of sugar – ketchup, breads, soups, tomato sauce, granola, and salad dressings are just a few offenders.
Any item that lists any form of sugar in the first few ingredients or has more than 4 grams of sugar is a no-go. (These are all ingredients to look for: high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, glucose, malt syrup, molasses, lactose, sucrose, dextrose.)
4. Eat Whole Foods
It’s easier to avoid added sugars if you stick with the basics: fruits, veggies, and complex carbs that are loaded with fiber and will keep you full; proteins that will help keep your blood sugar steady.
5. Trade Bitter for Sweet
Bitter foods have compounds in them that make them healthy (flavonoids, carotenoids, or polyphenols). Americans tends to be stuck on the salty to sweet pendulum. But bitter foods can expand your palate and help you appreciate different foods. Anytime I have a sugar craving I take heed: I have olives, some almond milk with turmeric and cinnamon, or I make a dinner with some delicious bitter greens. I try to keep my food interesting and adventurous.
6. Have Healthy “Treats” On Hand
The last thing you want is for food to be a bummer and to feel deprived. Having some healthy treats on hand can be helpful as you’re weaning or if you know you’re going party hopping and you want to avoid mindless sweets.
This past year I have become very creative in the kitchen with some major fails but successes, too. I’ve learned to make killer almond flour muffins, beet brownies, sugar cookies without sugar, and I’m working on a chai pound cake. I use grade B maple syrup in moderation in these instances because it’s rich in minerals. But there is some evidence that even sugar substitutes create more sugar cravings, so I try to be modest.
7. Don’t Try to Be Perfect. Find Your Perfect Balance
Is pumpkin pie your favorite dessert that you look forward to all year long? Then have some pumpkin pie! Did your kid’s ice cream cone nearly fall to the ground and you just had to give it a few licks? Look, you were just doing your job. What I’m trying to say is that it’s important to maintain a sense of humor about all of this. Do the best you can and don’t beat yourself up over the small – or even the large — missteps. Food is fuel, but it’s also social. It’s a way for people to commune and share time together. If you want to indulge from time to time, my philosophy is that’s OK.
What’s important to me is that I make conscious choices about what I’m eating – that I’m not sucked into a daily abyss by my cravings. If you feel like you’ve gone over the edge for a day or a week, reel it back in and ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” (Answer: To feel great!) “What do I have to do to find my perfect balance?” (Answer: Keep watching, keep breathing, keep tweaking along the way.)
8. Eat More Fat
I’m adding a tip that I’ve experimented with since I first published this post over ondrishtiyoga.com. It’s simple: Make sure you’re getting adequate healthy fats in your diet. Healthy fats are satiating and they keep you full. I notice that I feel better physically and mentally when I have them — instead of feeling deprived from eating sugar, I feel like I get to indulge a bit in a way that’s healthy for me.
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
This moon also calls us to reaffirm that we are living our life in accordance with our soul’s purpose. If you feel uneasy or apathetic about life, it is time to redirect your energy to whatever it is lights you up from the inside out. Use Sagittarius’ penchant for expansion to help you explore new ideas or ways of life.
The Sagittarius new moon makes a close relationship to Neptune, which encourages us to expand our spiritual horizons and stay close to our favorite transcendent practices (meditation, yoga, and the alchemical ritual outlined below are good options). This truly is a time to get connected, explore new worlds and remain connected to our highest calling. Make sure you take advantage of this energy and use Sagittarius’ youthful exuberance to get a new lease on life.
Alchemical Ritual for the Sagittarius New Moon
As a fire sign, Sagittarius is known for its vivacity, tenacity and exuberance. On the low side, this easily becomes egotistical, dogmatic and aloof. This new moon ritual for Sagittarius highlights the high side of Sag which allows us to explore our inherent belief systems and expand fully into an authentic expression of joy.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, who is known for his joviality, and zest for life. Jupiter encourages expansion in all areas of life, so it is important to ensure what we expand is the highest expression of this new moon energy. Otherwise, we can get caught in a vicious cycle of negativity or callousness toward others.
Gather blue stones such as topaz, amethyst or turquoise, and place them in the center of your ritual space. If you have essential oil of myrrh, or myrrh resin, use it to scent the air as you prepare for your ritual. Use essential oils of myrrh, clove or anise to anoint your hips and thighs (ruled by Sagittarius) before and after your ceremony. Use sage, sweet grass or palo santo to cleanse yourself and the space by casting the smoke over yourself and encircling your own body three times. Light a few candles and dim the lights. Bring into your ritual space a symbol or talisman of your inherent or childhood belief system. Place it just in front of you as you sit down and close the eyes, coming into a quiet, meditative state of mind. Say the following invocation out loud:
Sagittarius and Jupiter, help me expand the wisdom of my spirit, and let my soul’s deepest truths be focused outward in an authentic expression of my life.
Feel the presence of the symbol or talisman and allow it to appear in your mind’s eye. Focus on the breath and tune in to its image. Allow for any messages or feelings from the image to arise. Rather than engage in dialogue with it, simply let the image speak to you. Spend a few moments quietly listening to the image. Sit with the message given to you by the symbol or talisman. Absorb it, and reap the fruits of the message in your body. When complete, take a few breaths, then chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Place your talisman in prominent view and whenever you see it, let it remind you to stay connected with your soul’s fullest expression of authenticity. This image (and others) serve to be outward expressions of our deepest truths. It is a reminder of how we use symbols to make sense of our world and bring to life that which is within us. Let it help you bring forth the light that is within you.
By Alanna Kaivalya
Now that yoga teacher training is such an essential part of a yoga center’s ability to survive, and completion of the programs sometimes requires little more than attendance, a sea of certificates has flooded the market. For as long as I can remember, I have inquired into the prior practice experience of every new student who comes to my daily drop-in classes. And the percentage of people who sheepishly reply: “Actually, I did a 200 hour training” has become undeniably striking. Even more telling is how often the misgivings about the trainings are written in the embarrassed or shameful expressions on their faces.
Anyone who claims to have the keys to a successful yoga career is full of it.
Having made my living in the yoga profession for more than twenty years now, and discussed it with a wide range of those who have come before and after me on Yoga Talks Podcast, I am convinced that no one is immune to the changing times and economics. Just the other day, I came across a Facebook post from a long-established teacher who was making a public confession that he is no longer identifying as a yoga teacher. That it had become unviable as a livelihood, and resorting to licensed massage therapy for income to survive was necessary.
Even seminal teachers, who charted the course for yoga in the mainstream, are having to face the fact that yoga business has become scaled to the extent that long-standing institutions of yoga can no longer always compete. As independent centers are acquired by new mega models, and the yoga-going public is looking for more of a spa experience then a spiritual education, those who have managed to garner any amount of notoriety are leveraging their reputations in the new world of online video and training intensives.
Nothing could be more disingenuous than convincing people that creating a mentality of abundance, or a cadre of social media profiles, leads to prosperity in the yoga profession.
With all the uncertainty and shifting in the economic landscape, earnest practitioners who have sought yoga as a life direction, and completed a training, are being heavily marketed to courses in professional development. It’s quite ironic the way some people are looking to build a yoga career on teaching others how to have a yoga career. Especially when their success as a yoga professional did not come about through many years of grinding the pavement as a teacher, but was arrived at or bestowed by other fortuitous means.
Shifting your mentality around money might be a good thing to do but doesn’t change the odds, or teach you how to play the game effectively. Despite honest efforts to distill and make it more practical, the dark art of making money has always been elusive. Creating false expectations, and then playing into them, is certainly an effective way to sell things. Sometimes these means hope to be justified by well-intentioned positive ends. But while the benefits of yoga are certainly helpful, and sometimes crucial, in creating a life that is healthy and prosperous, you can’t just envision your monthly rent into existence.
Yoga careers starts with practice, and are determined by life’s situations.
Everyone I know who is managing to make their way in the yoga profession is doing so not because they have mastered an abundance mentality that is allowing them to manifest their dreams. Almost always, being a yoga professional was not the original intent. They started out just wanting to practice and find themselves. Often, that process created changes in both behavior and life situation. Sometimes those changes led to relationships that, in turn, meant taking on the role of being a yoga teacher. Being effective in business does require smart strategy, and teachers are wise to seek the counsel of others. But successful careers in yoga are a byproduct of practice more than an attainable goal.
As we continue to navigate through uncharted territories, likely facing a continuation of pressures and ongoing struggle, let us not kid ourselves that anyone has answers for anyone outside of themselves. And may each us of find a source of strength and fortitude from within, such that we might become less susceptible to manipulations and the tyranny by others of less than admirable persuasion. Our power lies most in our humanness. For if, or when, the systems fail and tragedy befalls, treating each other with honesty and transparency, in our hearts and minds and bodies, will surely be our only saving grace.
By J. Brown
J. Brown is a yoga teacher, writer and founder of Abhyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn, NY. His writing has been featured in Yoga Therapy Today, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, and across the yoga blogosphere. Visit his website at jbrownyoga.com
When you live in gratitude, you have less to complain about. Less to say about other people. Less things irk you. My favorite: there's a buzz in your heart space.
So where do we start?
It might be platitude to say “be grateful for what you have”. Yet it’s wisdom. It can be such a casual thing or even a habitual saying. Most of us are grateful for so many things, but in a shallow way. Shallow thoughts only have shallow power. It’s kind of like talking the talk, but can we walk the walk?
Did you know that one billion people on this planet live on less than $1.25 a DAY??!
When was the last time we stopped to give gratitude for our home? Our beds? Our safety? Our food? When was the last time we made a mental list of our blessing rather than our grievances?
Lack attracts lack. Abundance attracts abundance. It’s painfully simple. Yet we complicate things in our heads.
Some ideas: — Write down what you are grateful for. WAIT!!!!! You must also write down why. It’s easy to write down: food, health, home. But WHY?? But if we get more specific, like: “I’m grateful my neighbor and I fall into non-stop laughter every time we get together,” or “I’m grateful my house is the perfect temperature today,” it creates a deeper sensation of gratitude in us than just our general listing does. The reason I’m asking you to elaborate on WHY you’re appreciative is because, again, it helps to expand your awareness of gratitude and LIGHT UP those positive feelings. Make this a habit and a daily ritual. Buy a special pen and notebook. Get a jar and put it near your bed so you don’t forget to do it each day (see below). You WILL see changes in your life. — Create a jar and put those things you wrote down into the jar. Then when feel a bit down or dark, reach into your jar and shed some light on potential opportunity of your situation. — Write a letter of appreciation/gratitude to a person or organization that has greatly affected your life. This practice will bring you happiness, guaranteed. By sharing your gratitude with others, you inspire them to carry on their path. Shining light on the accomplishments of others brings more light into the world.
True abundance stems from internal abundance. We cannot expect the outside world to make us happy. Gratitude guides this practice.
It’s a practice. Not a perfect.
There will be days when we are mad, sad, frustrated, emotional and straight up shit shows. Ebb and flow. It’s important to feel these feelings and let them be what they are. Holding them in is where the real suffering occurs. The opportunity is that if we can feel and experience such feelings, then we can FULLY appreciate their opposites (happiness, joy, calm, organized…).
Gratitude is a sure way to short circuit many, many situations and attitudes.
Allow. Flow. Marinate in gratitude.
By Meredith Cameron
Learning that she and we are more capable than we give ourselves credit for, Meredith Cameron creates space for students to reach out, dig deeper, and not take themselves too seriously. An advocate for creating the life we live, Meredith is influenced by her teachers, Shannon Paige and Nancy Kate Rau, what the world throws on her lap, her travels, and her daily interactions with others. All of this, infuses freedom into her teachings, allowing students to feel their own sense of empowerment. Visit www.mcameronyoga.com/blog.
Separate yourself from your fears with the following YogaDownload Classes:
Gentle Hatha 5 - Jackie Casal Mahrou Hearts Wide Open - Dana Damara
Gratitude is proven to alleviate stress, increase optimism and impart joy. While it’s human nature to stew over what we think we’re missing from our lives, simply putting our focus on everything we DO have helps us feel abundant, strong and purposeful. From our hearts to our heads to our hands. This is your big pot of gratitude. Go ahead and give it a stir.
We are so grateful for you. Here are four new classes to tap into your abundance and gratitude. Now go out and enjoy your time with the people who matter.
Christen Bakken - Lessons From the Ladies: Ma Lakshmi
Named after the goddess of abundance, this class reinforces her lessons: that we are so provided for, we have value, we have worth, and within each of us is an abundant source of joy, peace, beauty and love. Tap in.
Alanna Kaivalya - Gratitude Meditation Practice
Because, let’s face it, gratitude does take practice– get in the mood with this 10 minute daily meditation to inspire thanks.
Claire Petretti Marti - Yoga for a Great Full Heart
Set to the tunes of Brett Randell's soulful live vocals and guitar, rock out in this sweaty, playful flow designed to create more physical and emotional space in your body for gratitude.
Elise Fabricant - Reset Refuge: Bliss Out and Be Blessed
Relax and recover from the holiday in this 30-minute restorative class that combines a gentle flow with hip openers, twists, self massage, pranayama and mudra. Allow yourself to receive all of the juiciness this practice will bring to your mind, body and soul.
Affirmations and the Chakras
Although affirmations are not necessarily original yoga tools, they arise from mantra, a very powerful and ancient yogic practice. In a course I’m taking from Alanna Kaivalya, PhD, I learned that the original yogic tools that have survived to this day are mantra, meditation, and ritual. Five thousand years ago when yoga was first discovered, yogis chanted mantras for hours as a way to experience enlightenment.
Mantra literally means tool for protecting the mind. Chanting mantras are meant to help protect the mind from negative thoughts and spiraling feedback loops that keep us from realizing our essential nature.
Chanting mantras aren’t for everyone though and Sanskrit pronunciation can be a challenge, which is why I like offering affirmations — English phrases that we can clearly understand and apply to our own daily lives.
The most powerful affirmations are short and succinct — easily rememberable. In the chakra system, each energy center represents a different basic right and offers a great pronoun-verb combination for creating impactful statements of truth.
Even if you don’t believe in or understand how the chakras work, these affirmations cover universal human rights. Here are the 7 affirmations to help us connect to our basic needs, using the chakras as a framework.
I have ___
everything I need, enough, amazing family and friends, an incredible life, so much to be thankful for, a roof over my head, food to eat, money to support my family.
It’s important to remember what we have. Having is not inherently a bad thing. We have to have a life before we can live that life! We have to have our basic needs met before we can start evolving in our thinking and our creativity. What do you have that inspires and motivates you?
For me, remembering that I have everything I need is a powerful reminder that I will succeed if I trust my true Self.
I feel ___
amazing, incredible, in love, compassion, better, okay, excited, energized, on top of the world, accomplished, strong.
Get in touch with how you feel and remind yourself that when you’re truly connected to your spirit, it makes you feel blissful. You can feel sad, angry, irritated, anxious, and a whole host of other emotions too and that’s okay. We need to acknowledge all our emotions and learn to understand how we can hold both sadness and compassion in our hearts at the same time.
I can ___
do this, succeed, win, persevere, thrive, keep going, survive, love, trust, change, be, shift, transform, make it happen.
In those times when you don’t think you can keep going, remind yourself that you can. An even stronger sentiment is to say I will. Taking action is the only way we keep growing and moving forward. Without action, our lives become stagnant. This is an important tenet in yoga philosophy — it’s not enough to perform rituals and meditate. There has to be some action!
I love ___
my life, my job, my partner, my family, my friends, my pet, life, nature, everyone, the world, you, yoga, writing, peace.
Tap into who or what you love in this life and remind yourself of it often. Remembering who or what you love helps trigger memories that can quickly shift your mind and feelings. When you take action (I can) and then act with love in mind, the action becomes more powerful for yourself and for others.
I speak ___
my truth, with integrity, clearly, with love, compassionately.
This affirmation is so important for us to remember. We can only show up as authentically ourselves when we speak our own truth. Being uniquely you invites vulnerability and sometimes criticism. Communication is the number one cause of misunderstanding. Commit to communicating well AND stay true to yourself. The experience is liberating.
I see ___
the way, clearly, the truth, what’s in front of me.
To really see — without the veils, fog, mud, and dirt covering our metaphorical glasses — is hard work. Seeing what is really going on helps us make wiser decisions in the moment. Refusing to be tricked or to trick ourselves will save us from lots of drama and inner turmoil down the road.
I was listening to a podcast the other day and a yoga teacher was talking about how she was finally able to see what was going on in her community. She made the hard decision to walk away from that community. Sometimes we don’t like what we see and try to put on the rose (or mud)-colored glasses.
I know ___
myself, my truth, the right way, where to go, how to do this, when it’s time.
This affirmation is more then just knowing information. This knowing is about knowing a deep truth that comes from within. Following that knowledge, even if it doesn’t seem rational or logical, is what I call being guided by the universe.
When I left Colorado I knew it was time to go. I didn’t want to leave, but there was an inner knowing within me that was guiding me to go. I still cried when I left, but I was able to follow that inner knowing toward growth.
Bonus: I am ___
divine, okay, strong, beautiful, amazing, enchanted, love, connected, ecstatic, energy, safe.
This is another favorite of mine for when times get tough or our minds start to go down that negative track. Remembering your connection with your spirit is enough to flip the switch. When you’re feeling down or in doubt, telling yourself I am divine is a sure way to get you back on track.
Create your own affirmations
Do a quick free-write filling in the blanks with your own words. Don’t think too much about it and allow yourself to write what comes to mind first. Stay positive!
When we spend time reminding ourselves of our basic rights with affirmations, we re-inforce protect our mind from negative patterns. Affirmations can help us build confidence and self-esteem and serve as our guiding voice through difficult situations.
Affirmations keep us connected with our spirit. As situations change in your life, choose new affirmations to help you protect your mind!
Pick one affirmation for this week, write it down in your journal or on a piece of paper and post it somewhere visible where you can read through it every day.
Share your affirmations with me on the Facebook page!
Namaste!
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!
Check out our recipes for Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad, Autumn Wild Rice Salad, and Raw Pecan Mushroom Stuffing. And don’t forget about dessert! Make sure to try our Nearly Raw Coco Nutty Pumpkin Pie, a delicious 80:20 treat that will satisfy your sweet craving.
Speaking of 80:20, stay tuned for a special surprise we’ll be sharing with our Conscious Cleanse community right after Thanksgiving. We think you’re going to be thrilled!
We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please share your food and family pics with us on Instagram and Facebook using #consciousthanksgiving.
With good food and gratitude,
Gratitude is a practice that grows over time. This practice of gratitude is one of giving and receiving. However, it is an appreciative act of kindness and abundance. That is, in order to practice gratitude, we learn to give without expectation of receiving. We also learn to be receptive and open to what others have to offer. The fruit of this practice is abundance in all aspects of your life, whether it is within yourself, at work, or in your closest relationships.
One of the simplest ways to practice gratitude is to recite something you are thankful for upon waking up or throughout your day. Simply acknoweldge what arises by saying: "I am GRATEFUL for…"
Try saying thank you as much as you can. Say thank you to your bus driver, your server, your mother and your children. We can find appreciation for them in every moment. In turn, the very act of giving thanks makes us feel fulfillment. This practice is like charging up your Gratitude Bank.
Whether you are on the giving or receiving end, we see that what goes around never fails to come around. When we nurture gratitude, we show gratitude to people and things we care for and then it also teaches us the same. We learn to appreciate and love-- and to be appreciated and loved.
Through these cycles, we can feel a sense of gratification in our life’s path and relationships. We can work through issues of forgiveness, trust, and insecurity. A lesson many of us learn in practicing gratitude is appreciation for difficult situations and even the people that have challenged us, ultimately changing our lives for the better. Starting a gratitude practice allows us to bring this newfound awareness to light for help, guidance, and mindfulness.
Is there something in your life that needs a little extra attention? Try this Gratitude Meditation and allow the benefits to unfold as it becomes a daily ritual.
Gratitude Meditation
- Choose something in your life that you think needs a little extra TLC. Focus on this as your intention.
- Sit or lie somewhere comfortable without any distractions. Let yourself settle into your body and notice how you feel mentally as well as physically. Begin to breathe as deeply as you can. Repeat “I am grateful for my breath” either aloud or inside your mind. Imagine that feeling of gratitude washing over the entire body. Repeat this practice as many times as you need to in order to clear your mind and strive for a deeper focus of gratitude.
- Now bring your attention to what you have chosen to be grateful for during this practice. Repeat “I am grateful for…” whatever it may be. Say it as many times as you need to. Notice if any negative feelings arise. Place your hand on your heart and continue to work into your gratitude. Our heart is our center of love and compassion and allows us to work through any negativity. Imagine your gratitude as a beam shining directly from your heart to whatever or whoever you are grateful for.
- Stay here and continue breathing.
- Finally, repeat “I am grateful to be ALIVE” and feel tuned into yourself, the Divine, a higher source, the planet, or your community- whatever gives you a sense of connection. Bring your attention to the crown of your head, your 7th chakra, and envision that same white light now beaming out of the crown of your head. Breathe deeply here until you feel a sense of deep calm.
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!
The Vitamix was often heard rumbling and you could find one of us in the kitchen making coconut kefir, blending up a superfood smoothie, tossing a kale salad, or fashioning a yummy superfood pie. It was during that summer that I discovered the benefits of more obscure superfoods like the immunity-boosting berries Camu Camu, which is said to contain more vitamin C than any other single food source on the planet, Maca, a Peruvian root rich in vitamin B vitamins that boosts libido and increases endurance, and Ho Sho Wu, a Chinese herb traditionally used to restore hair color, strengthen nails, reduce cholesterol, and support better liver and kidney function.
Superfoods Sensation
Today superfoods have gone mainstream and are still very much a part of my daily life. For instance, I add spirulina to my organic superfood smoothie. And during my summer mornings in Greece, where I spend a part of my time living, I made a Greek version of a superfood breakfast: I blend chlorella (to help detox) and powdered turmeric (for inflammation) and mix that in with two tablespoons of organic tahini. I then add ½ an avocado, a chopped up fresh fig, half a banana, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, and fresh bee pollen. Yum!
I also drink Chlorella, which I mix into my water along with Bulletproof’s activated charcoal 15 minutes before I do a coffee enema, as I am currently detoxing from heavy metals, including mercury. (I had one of those nasty mercury-laden CFL bulbs break in my hands, as well as a thermometer in a span of two months. Both are a big pain to properly clean up, by the way!)
I joke that I would rather buy superfoods over shoes any day of the week. They are rich in trace elements and micro-nutrients, as well as vitamins and antioxidants, and can help the body reach optimal health and wellness when regularly consumed. We need these super foods to protect us against the realities of a toxic modern world. They are also easily digestible and totally utilized by the body, especially when they’re organic or clean-sourced.
After starting HoneyColony, a magazine and marketplace aimed at empowering people to be their own best health advocate, it made sense to join forces with Gosia Reed, the formulator of Bee Panacea create a super superfood honey fusion. Rather than take tons of superfoods, which used up time, energy and beaucoup bucks, why not infuse raw honey and use it as the perfect delivery mechanism?
The result is Equilibrium, the evolutionary peak of superfoods! The formula was created to reduce inflammation and bolster energy, with organic ingredients ranging from raw honey and phytoplankton, to natural prebiotics and medicinal mushrooms. In total, Equilibrium offers a whopping 87 health benefits.
Who knew that a documentary to help save the bees would inadvertently end up also helping create one of the most powerful honey-infused superfood blends in the world? But that’s exactly what happened. As a result, myself and many others who take Equilibrium on a daily basis, now get to reap the benefits of better health and more energy.
For more information on Equilibrium and other community-curated health products, visit HoneyColony today.
Maryam Henein’s immersion in nutrition science and alternative healing started about 10 years ago, on the heels of a near death experience. Maryam’s brush with death also raised her awareness of the environment, which inspired her to work on a piece on the Exxon Valdez Oil spill for Robert Greenwald and The Sierra Club. Shortly thereafter, the bees flew into Maryam’s life.
As co-founder of HoneyColony, Maryam has fused her reporting skills with her love of nutrition and social media in a cooperative model that closely resembles the workings of a real hive. Maryam is dedicated to empowering folks to be their own best health advocate.
Check out more of her writing on tumblr. Or follow her on Twitter.
Check out Alanna Kaivalya’s latest class - Following the Path of the Peaceful Warrior
If you’ve studied the Bhagavad Gita, one of yoga’s most significant texts, you know that the protagonist, Arjuna, faced his biggest dilemma not simply because he led the army onto the battlefield, but because he had to fight against his own family. Arjuna struggled to reconcile how to be a warrior with the spiritual teachings of peace and compassion. Krishna advised Arjuna that sometimes doing the right thing is to stand up and fight for your values, despite pain and seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Pradeep Teotia’s - Stand Tall is a good way to practice staying rooted in your truths and rising up to your strengths.
Learning to dig deep and operate from our courageous hearts often feels uncomfortable and fills us with fear. We need to build this power from the inside out and tap into our Shakti through Sadhana or practice. Tap into your inner Shakti with Christen Bakken’s - Lessons From the Ladies: Ma Durga
Step onto your yoga mat or sit on your meditation pillow with the intent to build your own strength, compassion and personal power. Cultivate your inner light to learn to discern how we can make a difference. The more attuned we are to our own inner truths, the more we can share them and stand for them, no matter what obstacles stand in the way.
Try starting with Rob Loud’s - Journey Toward Compass Pose.
However, contrary to the core intent behind a getaway, vacations have a reputation of being rather exhausting due to endless logistical concerns. To relieve you of this burden, holiday service providers have created holiday yoga retreats which are pre-arranged and usually follow a particular theme such as wellness, mindfulness, adventure, etc.
These retreats offer you a comfortable alternative to regular vacations where you can focus solely on revitalizing yourself. However, if your aim is to take the mental baggage off and reenergize completely, we recommend that you opt for a yoga retreat of your choice, which is the most holistic health and wellness getaway imaginable.
Imagine a picturesque landscape, soulful meditation amidst a soothing ambience, complete physical and mental detoxification and harmony, customized yoga therapy and training sessions, exotic cuisines and like-minded company. Here, we are listing the seven crucial reasons why you should trade your regular vacations in for yoga retreats.
1. Give yourself a fresh start
When we live in a hectic and monotonous routine, we often become myopic in our thinking, grow accustomed to less-than-perfect situations, do not get enough time to work on issues or mend relationships and unknowingly accumulate stress. Therefore, it becomes essential to give your mind and body a vacation.
Yoga retreats are usually constructed on quiet and serene destinations where you can let go of your worries and let yourself relax. The underlying aim of yoga is to revitalize the body, mind and soul, so yoga retreats offer everything from accommodation to cuisine, focused yoga classes, therapy and meditation sessions that aim to have an overall calming effect.
Yoga classes allow you to overcome physical as well as psychological stress. Moreover, meditation will give you the perfect ambience to relate to your body and mind. This increases respect for self-care and provides emotional and mental strength by teaching you to effectively remove negative thoughts and sentiments and further replace them with positive ones. In addition to this, trained experts will provide you with one-on-one counselling to help you resolve life's issues so that you can return home with a fresh perspective, reinvigorated spirit and stronger emotional stability.
2. Hassel free vacation management
Vacations are fun, but exhausting. A deeper look at a regular vacation reveals that it comes with the same number of responsibilities and errands as any other day at work.
For instance, we have to arrange for travel, accommodation, hoteling, shopping, sight-seeing, etc. and this goes the same for new and unfamiliar settings. This undermines the core purpose of a getaway, which is to just let go and relax. However, a yoga retreat offers you the perfect opportunity to rest and recoup because all vacation logistics, food and in most cases, even sightseeing are taken care of.
3. Unwind amidst scenic landscapes
Yoga retreats offer a proximity to nature unmatched by any other getaway. Yoga shalas are specifically set in quiet and exotic locations so that as you perform yogic asanas (postures) and can also benefit from the healing touch of nature. Natural environments and plant life are known to reduce stress, help us unwind and energize.
4. A yoga retreat is a life-time experience
What sets yoga retreats apart from regular vacations is that the lessons learned and habits adopted during a yoga retreat remain with you for life. According to recent study, regular vacations have been found to instigate temporary improvement in our well-being, whereas, a week-long yoga retreat can bring about long term improvements in our metabolism, the way we think, and how we deal with day-to-day challenges and the resulting stress. Here is how yoga changes the way we live, for better:
a. Mindfulness:
Guided yoga practice teaches us to live in the moment by being aware of our surroundings and how our actions have an impact on them.
b. Compassion:
Heart opening techniques make us more compassionate and accommodating as human beings and enable us to handle situations with enhanced emotional stability.
c. Spirituality:
We often become too immersed in our demanding lifestyles and forget to explore our spiritual side. Yoga considers the body, mind and soul to be essential constituents of our existence and all of these must be nurtured to live a peaceful and healthy life. A yoga retreat gives you an opportunity to seek a stronger connection with God or the Higher Power via utmost devotion to yogic techniques.
5. Create lasting friendships
Retreats have a tendency to attract like-minded people from around the world and therefore enable you to forge long lasting friendships. As you practice asanas in groups, each person becomes part of a support system to help others.
Moreover, affiliating with similar people provides you invaluable insights into issues that you never saw in yourself. There seems to be something so profound about bonding in a yoga shala that people often claim to have made long lasting friendships during yoga retreats.
6. Step out of your comfort zone to explore new things
Yoga retreats encourage people to step out of their comfort zones to improve themselves physically and mentally. This becomes even more enjoyable since you are surrounded by enthusiastic people determined to better themselves. As a consequence, you undertake challenges and adventures you would not have thought possible in other situations.
7. Expert Guidance
One of the things that make yoga retreats worthwhile are the focused consultation of domain experts. Trainers not only deepen your knowledge regarding yoga but also provide one-to-one counselling to assist you in overcoming life's many challenges. An added advantage comes from the fact that these trainings and techniques stay with you forever, thus, enabling you to maintain a healthy lifestyle even after you return home.
So, this year invest in a well-rounded yoga retreat to revitalize your body, mind and soul. Go on, try it!
Audrey Throne is a professional blogger and mother. After completing her masters in English literature from the University of Birmingham, Audrey enjoyed traveling and discovering the world around her. Moreover, she likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her writing.
Find her on Twitter: @audrey_throne
Named after the Hindu warrior, Virabhadra, an incarnation of the Lord Shiva, Reverse Warrior pose stands for resilience and dispelling of negative energies.
In a broader sense, Reverse Warrior is a graceful gesture of strength. The pose asks us to create a stable foundation through our feet while reaching up and overhead and leaning the torso back. Without grounding down, our balance can get thrown off or we might not be able to achieve full form.
Reverse Warrior pose is widely encountered in hatha or vinyasa classes. While it is typically incorporated as part of a warrior series flow, it helps to take a closer look at this standing pose on its own. Doing so allows us to make subtle physical adjustments and truly be present in the posture.
While practicing Reverse Warrior has many benefits, it should be avoided or practiced moderately when experiencing neck, spinal or shoulder pain. As always, be mindful of entering and exiting the pose with attention to breath and body.
- From a standing position step your feet 3.5 to 4 feet apart. Turn your right foot to the right 90 degrees and keep your left foot pointing forward. - Bend your right knee until your right thigh bone is parallel to the floor. Keep your right knee stacked directly above your right ankle. Keep your right knee from collapsing inward by pressing it slightly to the right so you can stretch your right inner thigh and groin muscles. - Raise your arms out to the side to shoulder height. Turn your palms to face the floor. Lengthen your spine and lift your chest. - Flip your right palm over to face the ceiling, and raise your right arm up overhead and begin to reach up and back. Place your left hand gently on the outside of your left leg. Keep both hips and shoulders square to left so that you can achieve a side bend. Continue to maintain the lunge in your front leg as you reach up and back into a side bend position. - Look straight up at the ceiling, or you may look down towards the floor for a neck stretch. - Hold for 30 to 45 seconds while breathing deeply. To release, bring your hands to your hips and straighten your front leg. Repeat on the other side.
This sense of grounding down and opening the heart can be related back in our daily lives. We are reminded to stay rooted in our beliefs but find strength to push through when stuck in a rut or are face with difficult choices and challenges. Plus, side body opening and breathing always feels good. Tune into your breath, try practicing this pose today and your body will thank you!