So first, if you’ve been with me for a while and took some time in the beginning of the year to set some intentions, take a moment to revisit those.
Then, I’ve got a few practices for you to celebrate the equinox.
Yoga practice
Normally I would film a video for you, but my video production capabilities are on hiatus currently for multiple reasons. Videos will be back soon!
In the meantime, I want to share with you a taste of the stick figure practices I share with myprivate clients to help them develop a normal yoga practice routine.
This way, you get to make the practice your own.
Move at your own pace, do your best with your understanding of the postures.
The most important thing is to breathe!
Alignment-wise, make sure your stack your joints. That means in lunges your knee stays over your ankle
Have fun with it!
*And yes, I give you permission to laugh at my stick figures. I’m a writer, not an artist! It makes me human, right?
Spring equinox playlist inspiration
If music is your thing, I’ve been listening to a Bon Iver Pandora station recently that for some reason motivates and inspires me. I’m not a big music person, but in case you want some ideas for pairing up some music to your practice, here are some of my favorite artists, yoga-related and not:
Bon Iver Pandora station Desert Dwellers Snatam Kaur Thievery Corporation Iron & Wine Of Monsters and Men Band of Horses The Head & the Heart DJ Drez Ratatat
Pranayam Practice
Take a moment to breathe. Turn off the music for a moment and bask in silence, even if it feels uncomfortable. Let your breath be your music instead.
Use Dirga breath to get clear and calm before you move on to the contemplation and intention-setting exercises below. Even if you don’t get to the contemplation, this breathing exercise alone is enough to get you grounded and reset your nervous system.
Take your time with it and nourish your body, mind and soul.
Here’s how to breathe:
Lay down on your back. On your inhale, feel your belly, rib cage and chest expand. On your exhale, let your chest, rib cage, and belly fall back to neutral. Let the expansion create space in the front, sides, and back of your body. If it’s helpful, you can visualize a warm, golden light spreading through your body as you breathe. Take at least 10 breaths, but if you can, stay for 5 minutes. Notice the pauses at the top of the inhale and the bottom of the exhale. See if you can lengthen your exhale longer then your inhale.
Contemplation
If you’re a writer, get out your journal and use these prompts to help you do some reflection and contemplation.
Ask yourself these questions, even if you didn’t set intentions at the beginning of the year.
How has your year been so far? Be honest! Mine’s been, well, intense. What have you learned about yourself? How have your intentions served you? What has kept you from taking the actions needed to live intentionally every day?
Intention setting
If you set intentions at the beginning of the year, do those same intentions still serve you or do you feel compelled to set new ones?
Setting intentions will give you focus in the month ahead. I do this seasonally so that I don’t have to think about what I’m going to be doing in December. Life changes fast! This is a more flexible approach that has built-in check-in periods to make sure we stay on track.
What has worked in the last three months? What hasn’t worked for you in the last three months? What do you want to achieve in the next 3 months? What do you need to DO to live intentionally every day? Do it!
Play
Lastly, choose one thing to do this weekend that allows you to play.
Do something you wouldn’t normally. Be spontaneous. Be in nature. Play with kids. Play a game. Be silly. Tap into that child-like quality of awe within you. I know it’s still there.
Taking time to play is a great way to get out of our minds and into our body. So, a card game or a board game, as much as I love those, doesn’t count. Move your body!
Enjoy your spring equinox!
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.
Navigating the airport for healthy food choices can be a serious, not to mention, costly endeavor. Our list below has lots of easy-to-find and easy-to-pack meals that will let you focus less on meal planning stress, so you can get onto the fun part – your vacation!
Check out our 5 Travel Food Commandments and the list of meal ideas broken down into a few categories so you can take the guesswork out of planning healthy food for your trip.
Have a great Spring Break. Stay vibrant, have fun, and be sure to share your healthy airplane meal ideas with us below. We’ll be posting our own on Instagram and Facebook too so be sure to stay in touch.
With love and sunshine,
Conscious Cleanse Travel Food Commandments
Start the trip with a green juice. Obviously you know that taking liquids through security is a big no-no. So that the good folks at security don’t take any of the precious food you have brought along enjoy your green drink on your way to the airport. Speaking of liquids and security, if you decide to pack some Beet Hummus to take on the plane, just make sure to keep it thick and pack veggie sticks on the side in the same container. It gives the illusion of solid not liquid!
Pack your own utensils. We are obsessed with these Bamboo Utensil Sets, and besides, nonmetal works best for security purposes.
Pack foods that are easy to eat. We all know how hard it is to move about on a plane so it’s best to pack meals that only require one or two reaches into your carry on bag. Your neighbors will thank you!
Pack foods that don’t need to be refrigerated. You may be away from refrigeration for the better part of your trip so plan accordingly. Eat the most perishable items the first day of travel. These days most hotels have a mini-fridge for storage as well. If you don’t see one, be sure to ask!
Don’t forget to include a sweet treat. By the time you make it to your destination you will be ready to celebrate. You survived the airport and ate healthy while doing it! A little raw chocolate or a few joy balls go a long way. You’re on vacation after all.
And now onto the good stuff. Remember, when you’re traveling, you may be eating several small “snacky” type meals, versus a proper meal. Be flexible and eat when you’re hungry–not just out of habit or boredom.
10 Meals to Pack on an Airplane
BREAKFAST
Individual nut butter packets with a banana or rice cakes.
Mashed avocado “toast.” Use Mary’s Gone Crackers for dippers.
Instant green juice.
LUNCH
Jarred or canned tuna + raw crackers or some spinach in a plastic tupperware that you don’t mind ditching once you arrive.
Curried Garbanzo Beans and sliced veggie sticks.
DINNER
Salad from the salad bar at Whole Foods or a local health food store.
Quick and easy Collard Wrap.
Beet Hummus with assorted veggie dippers and raw crackers.
SNACKS
Rawmio Raw Chocolate Bar. Be sure to pack a few extras!
Baggie of Nut Free Joy Balls.
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
Deciding what is right for us is no small matter, and, the eclipse that coincides with this full moon does not let us get away with hiding or shrinking. Lunar light shines at its fullest upon us and the contents of our unconscious, giving us new and deeper insights into the matter at hand. A helpful angle with the planet Saturn pushes us to make things happen! Furthermore a significant triumvirate with Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune offer us the opportunity to put the law of attraction to work at this time, in order to manifest the choice we make. Decisions are rarely easy….unless we act in accord with our higher self (Neptune energy). When we are in touch with our soul’s purpose at this time, the creation of it is at hand (Saturn energy) and we are unstoppable (Jupiter energy). The time is right to stop denying yourself the choice that sets you free and moves you forward on your unique journey.
Use the ritual below to honor the Libra qualities of this extraordinary full moon and help you with creating harmony, balance and self-honoring choices that serve your highest good!
Alchemical Ritual for the Libra Full Moon
As an air sign, Libra likes to take an expansive view to witness all sides of a situation, or all levels of artistic beauty. On the low side, however, that overview can lead to indecisiveness and stagnation, with others waiting on you to make a move. This full moon ritual for Libra helps to generate clarity and confidence around whatever decision is at hand.
Libra is ruled by Venus, so focus on creating a loving, supportive energy around you for the ritual. Anything green or copper can aid in bringing in Venusian energy. Draw an imaginary circle (or a real one with chalk, or some other natural marker) to contain your ritual and place in the center any sacred stones (jade, rose quarts or emeralds are good choices). You can also bring in elements of rose or sandalwood (essential oils, prayer beads, or live flowers), as well as a lit candle or two. 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.
Bring into the circle a pen, and paper, and come to sit quietly inside the circle. Spend a few moment in quiet contemplation on the decision to be made. Write down what the ideal outcome feels like…rather than try and force a certain outcome, get into the state of being that the outcome generates. Write down how the outcome makes you feel, alleviates any tension, improves relationships, etc. Don’t plan the outcome, just feel it. Once your writing is complete, close the eyes and say the following invocation out loud:
May the energy of Libra, Venus this Full Moon, and its eclipse illuminate the decision that serves my soul’s highest purpose.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. Clear the mind of thoughts completely. Feel the sensation of the outcome in the body. Impose no images or specific desires or plans on the outcome, simply allow yourself to experience the feeling of it. With the mind clear, allow the light of this full moon to shine clarity on your situation.
When complete, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Place the piece of paper in prominent view and whenever you see it, call up the sensation of the outcome until the final decision is made. You may find that the choice becomes clear. You may find that it does not. Rest assured, this ritual catalyzes the unconscious and your intuition to show you the way. The path before you will be revealed at the right time, be patient and know that all that is in your heart is heard and recognized.
About the Author:
Alanna Kaivalya 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
Last week, I had the privilege of teaching a yoga class for Manduka Yoga’s press day in NYC for the launch of their new eco-friendly, sustainable clothing line.
I co-taught a class with Sara and Alan Finger of ISHTA yoga with a slew of massive yoga influencers and inspiring hearttribe brothers and sisters from around the country. What a thrill to meet you all.
It was such an amazing opportunity to teach and get to know incredible up-and-coming teachers who are reshaping the face of yoga. Most of the other yoga teachers and students in the class have upwards of 100,000 followers on instagram! I have a lot to learn from them.
Everything Manduka does is #MadeForYoga…birthed by beloved yoga teacher, Peter Sterios. They have (lucky for us) stayed super close to their roots of YOGA.
I was most inspired by @mynameisjessamyn, Jessamyn Stanley (pictured above) who is advocating more authenticity, DIVERSITY, body positive love and transparency in the yoga world. AMEN, sister!! It’s time we move past the vanilla version of yoga we have been sold for the last 30 years…for good.
It’s so refreshing seeing social media darling Jessamyn pivoting the conversation of yoga to include all colors, shapes and sizes. Finally.
If you’re passionate about body love, healing our body image epidemic, diversity and the changing face of yoga…please also check out my soul sister Melanie Klein’s incredible work and the ongoing #WhatAYogiLooksLike media series she and Yoga Body Image Coalition have been working on with Yoga International.
In this time of instagram yoga superstars…and the obsession with sexy, flashy yoga poses and posts…may we always remember that the nature of yoga is transformation and evolution of psyche and soul. This incorporates the vessel of the body (mind-body-spirit are inseparable)…which gives us tangible training ground to build discipline, focus and precision in breath, body and thought…but, the practice has NOTHING to do with pressing up to handstand…although that’s cool and I definitely wish I could do it (maybe one day…although I don’t practice asana long enough each day to attain it…so I guess that shows where my priorities lie). On our panel debating the Future of Yoga, Jessamyn charged us before we post on social media to ask: Is this post for ego-gratification or to be purely of service?
Yoga by nature is a titillating, aspirational practice…it is mysterious to the masses to wonder how such feats of strength, flexibility and balance are possible. It’s why yogis were brought to circuses to perform around the world in the 1800 and 1900’s and kept on staff by kings of India. Cirque de Soleil is a modern derivative.
Instagram is a visual platform well-suited for the exquisite showmanship of advanced asana. The body is beautiful. Celebrate it. My prayer is that we not get lost in the flash + splash.
Please post in the comments below your favorite instagram yogis and body love inspiration!
Ashley Turner is an innovator in personal development bridging yoga, psychology and neuroscience. She is an acclaimed yoga–meditation instructor, registered Marriage + Family Psychotherapy Intern, writer and Initiated Priestess in the 13 Moon Mystery School tradition. She has graced such lists as MindBodyGreen’s “100 Women to Watch in Wellness,” DETAILS magazine recently named Ashley Turner “1 of the Top 6 Trainers to watch in 2014,” and Dr. ShareCare.com calls her”the #2 Online Influencer for Stress Relief”. She is the creator of the wildly popular MEDITATION 101 Virtual Conference (over 25,000 participants in 2014), creator of several online courses, co-creator of the Urban Priestess Modern Day Mystery School, has 10 best-selling yoga dvd’s, and is co-author of Aroma Yoga. She also works with clients worldwide via Skype and leads transformative events to power points around the globe. Ashley lives by the ocean in Marina Del Rey, CA. www.AshleyTurner.org
Practice yoga with one of Ashley's Yogadownload classes below!
What’s a yogi to do? You don’t want to eat a huge meal and feel sick during twisting triangle, but you don’t want to fall over when trying to balance in Bakasana either.
For stamina and endurance, we suggest you have an easy to digest carbohydrate-based snack, with a little protein and fat an hour or two before class.
Here are 5 great pre-class snacks to try:
1. Bananas - are potassium rich, friendly to stomach, and full of B vitamins. 2. Almonds -A small serving of raw, unsalted ones are rich in potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E and healthy fats. 3. Apple and almond butter - A filling, delicious, alkaline snack full of water and fiber. 4. An energy bar - try one with less than 250 calories, low sugar, and 4-10 grams of protein. 5. A green smoothie - Make a simple recipe with kale or spinach, ½ a banana, almond milk or coconut water and a scoop of vegan protein and ice. The greens are excellent to boost energy and the protein will keep you full. Avoid adding too much fruit or simple sugar. . Experiment and see what works for you.
Post-Yoga:
After class it is important to refuel within about an hour. Seek a snack or meal with lean protein and healthy fats with less focus on carbohydrates. Protein helps your muscles to recover and if your class was a vigorous one, you’ll need it. Try a protein shake, hardboiled eggs, quinoa with vegetables, a handful of pumpkin seeds or a full meal with lean protein and green vegetables.
Set yourself up to feel strong, centered and balanced when you step onto your mat!
Why the back? Last week we were “highly recommended” to vacate our house immediately due to fears of its imminent collapse.
Fine. If I can’t live in my house, I’ll live in the backyard (at least for this sunny, early spring afternoon).
The house story is a long one that won’t be going away anytime soon, unless of course the structure does collapse and then the story will evolve much more quickly.
But what it’s left me with is vast uncertainty. I’m struggling to feel focused and grounded knowing that the foundation of my home is failing.
Getting grounded in uncertainty
This is all about chakra uno, if you want to get metaphysical.
Whenever there are issues with basic needs like shelter, home, foundations, earth, this all lives in the realm of the first chakra.
Chakra one issues are a big deal because we can’t really function in the world if we don’t have our basic needs met.
And yet, the universe has a funny way of asking us to really get serious about what matters most. Do I need to live in my house? No.
Yes, I need a place to live, but it doesn’t have to be in MY HOUSE. I’m forever grateful to friends and family who are helping out and providing a bed and a functioning bathroom with running water. My basic needs are met, just not the way I might want to meet them.
Stand on your own two feet and feel the Earth beneath you. You are supported, whether it feels like it or not.
Getting outside of our comfort zone requires us to draw upon the other chakras – relationships, willpower, compassion, communication, intelligence, and surrender. While the chakras represent different qualities individually, the entire SYSTEM fosters an interconnectedness that is stronger then just one wheel turning. When out of balance, the other wheels have an internal repair mechanism that allows us to continue functioning even when one wheel is a little (or a lot) off kilter.
Finding support in community
This ordeal so far has reminded me how grateful I am for sangha, or community. My community continues to surprise and impress me.
Friends and family and community are more important then a house.
I think the universe also decided I need to get out a little more. I spend most of my days at my house. Doing work, of course, but still. Time to find other places to hang out.
What do you value most, and are you living in accord with those values? Are you prioritizing your values day-in and day-out?
Are you hiding your greatness in your office? What do you believe in and want to share with others? Or, if you’re not the sharing and caring type (yet), what do you want to learn more about? Go out there and be seen!
Yay vulnerability! I know, it’s tough.
Getting focused
My yoga and meditation practice has reminded me to focus. Focus on other things besides reading insurance policies and lawyer documents. Keep living life because life must go on.
My yoga practice has reminded me to breathe when it feels like I’m suffocating.
Just a simple breath break is enough to break a cycle of negative self-talk, too-long pity parties, and useless worrying about uncertain outcomes. The fact that we spend so much time worrying about things that may or may not even happen is pretty silly.
For me, my work helps me focus. My to-do list is a comfort. I start crossing things off. I get distracted. I pull my planner back out and look for something productive to do.
I also have changed my mind about what counts as productive. There are some other things that need to be taken care of in my life these days, like meetings with contractors and figuring out where I’m going to sleep tonight. So I get done what is immediately in front of me, focus on my work when I can, and practice compassion with myself knowing I am doing my best.
Having fun with creative thinking
When my mind does wander, because I know it will, it’s more enjoyable to stay positive. Apparently the stars are all about manifesting our thoughts right now, so whatever we’re dedicating our energy to may appear in our lives in the next 6 months. I’d much rather manifest a new house then a collapsed one.
It’s way more fun to think about building a custom home with the hundreds of thousands of dollars that are going to mysteriously windfall into my lap then the grim potential of bankruptcy or foreclosure.
I’ve often said practical thinking helps keep disappointment at bay, but real-life, big situations move beyond mere disappointment and practical thinking only seems to keep things crappy. I’m all about moving beyond the crap.
In my effort to play to my strengths, I’ve researched long-term house-sitting opportunities, pitch angles for talk show hosts and reality television, and organizations I could contact to help us through this rare, unfortunate debacle. Way more exciting then…well anything else I could be doing.
Being the warrior
I’ve always loved how strong the warrior poses make me feel. And there has never been a time in my life when I needed that warrior spirit. The battle I’m about to embark upon may be long and finicky, of the legal variety. As much as I want to be angry, that emotion hasn’t reared its head yet. Instead, I’m sad. I’m fired up. I’m uncertain.
That is a strange combination of emotion, yet a common set of experiences for a leader. I’ve always wanted to step up and lead, so now is the best time to do it.
I lead through my work helping others. I lead by showing up and teaching. I lead by being present and listening. And I lead by fighting a different fight. A fight for what is right in the right way. Intelligent. Compassionate. Values-driven. Collaborative.
True warriors are emotional at the same time that the emotions don’t get in the way of the fight.
I wanted to write something of value for you today. A “6 ways to master Blank Yoga Pose” or “The real meaning of Sutra 579812” (don’t worry there aren’t that many sutras and Blank Yoga Pose isn’t a real thing ;)). Content marketers beg bloggers who want to influence and be known to follow the rules for the best reach, social proof, and blah, blah, blah marketing jargon.
But you know what, there is nothing more valuable then understanding how yoga can be applied to the struggles of daily life.
This is my struggle and how I’m dealing with it in my best moments. There are ugly moments too.
What is your struggle and how do you choose to let yoga guide you? Send me an email or reach out on Facebook. I’d love to hear from you!
Namaste.
A few days before the official announcement, I received an email from Andrew Tanner, the official spokesperson for the YA, letting me know that a big thing was coming and asking if I wanted to record a podcast about it. Of course I did, so we arranged time for the following day. In that conversation, I learned for the first time that the YA has decided to limit the language that yoga teachers are allowed to use on their YA profile page. Based on legal advice, the organization felt it was necessary to make sure that no one is claiming YA registration as a credential for yoga therapy.
The concern is that certain language makes the YA liable for potentially actionable medical claims. According to an article in Law360, it is only a matter of time before the lawsuits start coming. The Yoga Alliance decided to get ahead of the game and created criteria for language that is not permitted and a list of recommended alternatives. The restrictions apply not just to the term “Yoga Therapy” but to related phrases that might suggest that the yoga instructor can diagnose and/or treat a mental or physical health condition. For example, the YA’s legal team has determined that “therapeutic yoga” is a problem but “therapeutically-oriented yoga” is not.
“Yoga therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of Yoga.” - International Association of Yoga Therapists’ official definition of Yoga Therapy.
At the core of the issue is that no one has ever really been able to make a distinction between yoga and yoga therapy. While some attempts have been made to make yoga therapy more specific to dealing with medical conditions, the official definition has always resisted limiting the profession to a clinical application. That is because even in the world of yoga therapy, couched in the language of research and academia, effective work is often still more intuitive than scientific. The process of transformation that is healing through yoga does not lend itself to standardization and there is a difference between prescriptive and processed-based models. But if we are to go by the IAYT’s official definition, all effective yoga teachers are essentially providing yoga therapy.
What makes yoga therapeutic or not, or whether stating as much constitutes an illegal claim is unclear. If I claim to help address something that the doctors don’t have much of an answer for, say back pain or stress, then I’m still safe under the umbrella of “holistic health and wellness.” But if I say that yoga can heal your fibromyalgia or herniated discs then I might be stepping on the American Medical Association's toes. And, in the past, the AMA has gone after other emerging alternative healing modalities that treaded into their territory. Of course, this is profoundly ironic given how many doctors are recommending yoga classes to their patients without distinguishing between those that are therapeutically-oriented and those that are not.
Setting aside the lack of transparency at the YA, and legitimate debates about the merits of YA standards and the credibility of yoga teacher training programs, the reason for the new policy has little to do with yoga and everything to do with politics.
Most folks who pay annual fees to YA often question why, when it seems that the organization doesn’t do much for them. The reality is that the registry is not designed to serve yoga teachers or studios, but rather “the public good.” The Yoga Alliance is not just one organization but two: it consists of the registry (501-C3) and membership benefits (501-C6). They set up the membership part to assuage complaints back when the public feeling about YA was at its all-time low. A percentage of all annual fees does fund the registry but this amounts to the yoga community contributing to the public interest, not their own per se.
I must admit that it rankles me a bit to have decisions about yoga teaching and the public good arrived at in a black box, and then dropped on the industry professionals it affects most in such a heavy-handed manner. That is the precedent I find unsettling. I am certainly not a legal expert but it’s hard to believe that if I were to be sued, whether it says “therapeutic” or “therapeutically-oriented” on my website is going to make the difference in the case. Moreover, if I adopt the recommended YA language and I still get sued, there is no reason to believe that the YA is going to come to my defense. While many yoga teachers are still able to work just fine without YA registration, more places are requiring it and the undeniable truth is that yoga centers with teacher training programs cannot remain viable unless they are in the YA system.
What does all this really mean to yoga teachers and studios?
The one good thing that the Yoga Alliance is doing for the yoga community, not to be undervalued, is taking a stance against government regulation of yoga. This is a contested issue but most insiders understand that outside regulation of the industry will not make yoga safer and will impede the individual freedom of yoga teachers to conduct their work as they see fit. Fact is, if the YA is going to fight against government intervention under the pretense that the industry is self-regulating then they can’t be seen as enabling illegal medical claims at the same time.
For the majority of yoga teachers and studios who are not working within a therapeutic orientation, none of this matters much now. If you didn’t get flagged with a language infraction then you might not have even noticed. Nonetheless, the YA has stipulated particular language to distinguish what RYT’s and RYS’s do from yoga therapy. And if you want to be registered, you have to agree to that despite any ambiguities . There is no more pretending that the YA is inconsequential. The YA is now officially “the man.” We can either choose to play ball or risk surviving on the margins. But if history has taught us anything, it is that once birthed, the piper will likely need to be paid.
Listen to my conversation with Andrew Tanner:
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
On the other hand, everyone also always asks how to heal and prevent back pain, and Theraputic Yoga For Hips and Back is routinely the most popular of all my videos on Yoga Download, month after month. So I have decided to write and share this article with you, because it is important to understand that the two are intrinsically related: strengthening the abdominal muscles, and especially the lower fibers of the abs in conjunction with the pelvic floor and the adductor muscles of the inner thighs, is the perfect complement to a therapeutic practice for the hips and back. The problem is that most people, including even many teachers and practitioners, have no idea how to isolate the lower ab muscles from the perennially tight psoas muscles, resulting in ever more tightness in the hips and vulnerability in the lower back, in spite of the best intentions. The good news is that there are simple solutions - once we understand the deep dynamics of the hips, abs and back.
The psoas muscles, which are the primary hip flexors, bring the torso and thighs towards one another. If you imagine the torso coming towards the thighs or the thighs towards the torso, you might notice that from the outside this looks like any classic abdominal exercise. However, there is no guarantee that bringing the torso and thighs towards one another will efficiently tone the abs, since it is all too easy to overuse the psoas muscles and bypass the all-important stability muscle fibers in the lower abs. What most people call ab work is predominantly just hip flexion - and nobody needs tighter hips.
Moreover, since the psoas muscles wrap around the spine and attach to the lumbar, they directly affect the stability and posture of the lower back. Therefore, a lot of so-called ab work ends up mostly tightening the lower back as well as the hips, and can eventually lead to injury and pain. Emotionally, the hip-flexing psoas muscles are the first responders to fight-or-flight signals, as flexing the hips is the first action both in closing off the front of the torso to protect the vital organs, as well as in preparing to lunge - whether in order to attack or to flee. In our modern world, where we are mostly removed from the food chain and do not normally have to escape or fight carnivorous predators, this relationship between the psoas muscles and the fight-or-flight mechanism has been mostly sublimated into traumatically stored tension in response to any and all perceived danger, whether physical or emotional. So, again - nobody needs tighter hips.
The well-intentioned but sadly harmful message that so many of us get from a very young age, namely to suck our gut in and keep it in, actually makes affairs worse. Imagine what would happen if you walked around all day with your elbows flexed and your fists held tightly by the shoulders in a classic muscle-man pose; would this result in strong and supple biceps, or weak and exhausted ones? The same is doubly true of the abs: a truly strong muscle must be able to fully extend, as well as fully flex. Strength without mobility is merely tightness, and flexibility without stability is merely weakness. What we want is truly strong and supple muscles, throughout the body in general, and in the abdominal muscles in particular.
Thankfully, there is a simple action that is the initial key to healing the hips and back and gaining true access to the abs. It is an action that, by nature, we should all be doing easily and perfectly, virtually all the time: deep, diaphragmatic breathing. Of course, due to the very same physical and emotional tensions at the root of the problem, nearly nobody actually breaths perfectly well all the time, to say the least. In order to begin to heal the breath, and hence the abs, hips and back, we would do well to understand the structure of the respiratory diaphragm.
The respiratory diaphragm is a dome-shaped mass of muscle and tendon fibers that separates the hydraulic (liquid system) abdominal cavity in the lower torso from the pneumatic (gas system) thoracic cavity in the upper torso. It basically connects the bottom of the ribcage to the diaphragm's own central tendon at the top of its dome. In order to inhale, we engage the diaphragm muscles to pull its central tendon down towards the abdominal cavity, which results in expanding the lungs. Since the lungs are connected to the atmosphere in a pneumatic, air-pressure system through the air canal, nostrils and mouth, the expansion of the lungs creates an air-pressure difference between the lungs and the atmosphere. In turn, the lower pressure in the lungs, relatively to the atmosphere, causes air from the atmosphere to rush into the lungs. You have literally never "taken" a breath. All we do is engage the respiratory diaphragm, and mother earth virtually breathes into us. Talk about opening to grace.
Yet, tension in the abs from holding them in and from emotional trauma restricts the proper descent of the central tendon of the respiratory diaphram. In lieu of the respiratory diaphragm descending, we must then overuse auxiliary respiratory muscles in the chest, upper back, shoulders and neck. Muscles such as the intercostals between the ribs and the upper trapezius that connect the back of the head and neck to the collarbones were designed to assist inhalation, especially under the pressure of aerobic activity, but not to bear the brunt of respiratory effort. As a result, so many of us end up with tightness and pain in the shoulders and neck. So, if you'd like to heal or help prevent shoulder and neck pain, you can certainly benefit from the Therapeutic Yoga for Wrists, Shoulders and Neck on Yoga Download, but ultimately you must also learn how to breath more efficiently with your diaphragm.
This is why both Therapeutic Yoga for Hips and Back and The Best Damn Ab Isolation Ever! start with deep belly breathing. Strengthening the abs and healing the hips and back are deeply related, and both find their roots in diaphragmatic breathing. Then, as I teach in The Best Damn Ab Isolation Ever!, you can learn how to recruit the mula bandha principle at the pelvic floor, as well as the hip adductors in the inner thighs, to isolate the lower fibers of the abdominal muscles from the psoas and begin to gain real freedom in the hips and back, as well as perfect functional power in the core.
The technique depends on going slowly enough to notice whether you are able to retain perfect stability and stillness throughout the body as you perform minute and precise supine leg lifts, it also includes many, many levels of challenge, and it is crucially important to stick to the level that still allows you to keep perfect core stability, in order to prevent the psoas from taking over and making matters worse. When it is virtually effortless at one level, it is time to move to the next. Once you are able to lift and lower straight legs from a supine position with perfect stillness in the rest of the body, you will have perfect functional core stability. Then yoga (as well as Pilates, dance and athletics) will be much safer for your back, and more likely to do good than harm in the long run.
Lastly, you can learn how to expand the sides and the back of the waist during deep diaphragmatic breathing, so that you can keep the lower abs and pelvic floor lifted while still breathing deeply. As I learned in my university education in music and vocal performance, any excellent opera singer knows that breathing "into the kidneys" allows for the best breath support for vocal projection. During more actively challenging yoga asana practices, it is also the way to get the best of all worlds: deep breathing, uncompromising core stability, and perfect relaxation in the neck and shoulders. This is why I emphasize, in strength building classes such as Slow Flow and Twists and Backbends, lifting the lower belly and the pelvic floor. This action allows us to open the hips and breathe deeply into the sides and the back of the waist, while keeping the upper torso and neck surrendered. From a more esoteric, energetic perspective, this is also the first step towards uddyana bandha. We can thus also begin to learn how to use the lift in the lower belly and pelvic floor like an energetic magnet for the vital energy of respiration, drawing prana into the body's center of gravity and power at the base of the torso.
While it takes time and practice, dedication and patience, when we truly gain an experiential understanding of the dynamic relationships between our hips, abs and back, as well as our breath and vital energy, we open the door to a lifetime of fitness and wellness in body and mind that translates into great freedom and joy, even unto old age. Thank you for reading and please share with all who could benefit! May all beings be free of suffering and enjoy true happiness, and the roots of true happiness.
Well into his third decade with yoga, Shy Sayar is a teacher and therapist with tens of thousands of hours of experience bringing yoga to students of all levels, treating patients, and training yoga teachers and therapists around the globe. Shy has offered coursework on education and pedagogy, as well as yoga philosophy and classical Indian literature at the University of California, Berkeley. In his yoga teaching, Shy integrates his experience in higher education with skillful attention to different learning styles, making even the most complex teachings approachable to every student. His unique Tantravaya Yoga Therapy method has shown remarkable results in posture correction, pain relief and improved balance, as well as healing emotional trauma and addressing the roots of psychological symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. www.tantravaya.com
Click here to download or stream one of Shy's YogaDownload classes!
It begins with the breath
Yoga breath flows lightly in and out through the nose. Avoid manic huffing and sniffing and simply softly constrict the breath in your throat, like you would do if you were whispering to someone. When you breathe deeply you should feel and even see movement all the way down to your belly. If you find yourself exhaling when the teacher is asking you to inhale, don’t worry about it. It takes practice to breathe in steady rhythm and match that breath to movement in a group setting.
Bend those knees
Most people don’t walk into a yoga class with deliciously long hamstrings. When forward-folding or going into downward-facing dog, give yourself and your legs and your lower back a break and bend your knees to relieve tension. Once you find yourself in the pose, you can slowly re-straighten the legs and find the stretch. As a general rule, prioritise the actions of the spine over the legs. Meaning, let your spine release in a forward fold before you try to challenge it with straight legs. Let your spine lengthen in down-dog, before you challenge it with straight legs. For now, give your spine more love and as your practice deepens you can work more on the legs.
Hands Up!
When you raise your arms over your head, make sure your palms face towards each other and your arms are straightening as much as they can. If you find that your shoulders are crowding up towards your ears, widen your hands further away from each other and feel that your shoulder blades are spreading out rather than purely lifting up. It’s important to get stretch and reach across the back of the shoulders and side body – so go for it!
Walk the Line
As you learn standing poses, like Warrior II, side angle or Triangle, align your front heel with your back heel as a default setting. As you develop your practice you may explore front heel to back arch alignment for a deeper opening, or if you find yourself restricted, in pain, or unstable you may explore a tiny gap between the heels. But as a general rule, stick with this alignment for now.
Keep your balance
Being able to balance in tree pose, or high lunges, or whatever else finds you wobbly is not just about strength. Find one un-moving spot in front of you and fix your gaze on it. Breathe slowly and deeply through the nose as you keep your eyes fixed on this spot. This should help you stay upright and increase your ability to concentrate!
Sitting ain’t easy
As Westerners, we’re not used to sitting on the ground. Due to tightness in the legs and hips we may get all sorts of downward pull that makes us slump and ache when we try to sit cross-legged or kneel. The best way to help yourself is to sit on a blanket or a block or two. Give your bum and spine a bit of a lift to balance out the muscular forces pulling it down. It may still be difficult and take some time to overcome, but try this simple adjustment for now.
It’s a practice
Remember that yoga is a practice that accrues cumulative results. Everyone will be on a different schedule and all you can do is pace yourself and get on your mat. It takes awhile to figure out how to make the shapes and flow, just as it takes a bit of time to move from piano scales to sonatas. As you get confused, ask your teacher for advice rather than getting frustrated. Most teachers have had all sorts of struggles with practice and found a way to work through it. Be kind to yourself, stick with it, and see what happens
Find out more about my beginners courses
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
My mat of choice is the Jade Fusion, it was an absolute game changer. Given that I have some of the boniest knees on the planet, I tried numerous mat and supplemental padding permutations. When I found the Fusion mat, my life changed. No more folding mats or setting up towels, I could just kneel and focus on the stretch, rather than counting the seconds until I could get back up. I have several of them that I let clients use just so they can see the difference.
This is not to say I think this is the right mat for everyone, it has some downside. First, it cost a small fortune by comparison to other mats. Second, it weighs as much as my cat, so lugging it around can be a burden. And, because of the extra density, it makes balance poses a bit more challenging. But to me, those are prices I am more than willing to pay.
Oh, that’s why its so heavy…
My standard advice when buying a mat is look for density. There are some nice mats out there that won’t break the bank. If you have been practicing for a while and are ready to treat yourself to a premium mat, check out Jade and Manduka. I have a Manduka mat that I use at my office and it is really nice, not quite as dense as the Fusion, but a really good mat at about half the price.
There are good options at places like TJ Maxx and Target. Gaiam is probably best known, they have a premium line which I am seeing a lot of and people seem pleased with them. When looking at mats, try to find a minimum density of 5mm, you can generally tell by the size of the roll how dense the mat is, if it looks like a taquito, it is probably 3mm so move on.
Also, consider length. Standard length is 68” which is fine if you are 5’8 or shorter. If you are taller, there are longer mats available, you just may have to order them. For taller clients, I recommend they spend the extra few bucks for the 74” mat, it is a rarely regretted decision. Extra wide mats also exist, so don’t just buy the first thing you see, get what you need.
While there are plenty of mats which will serve you well out there, I have definite opinions about those big puffy “fitness mats.” Stay away from them. They are not designed for yoga, they have no grip, the ends roll up, and they condense to a tissue thin sheet when you press on them. I cannot tell you how many people have bought them thinking the puffiness will make them more comfortable, only to be disappointed and frustrated when they don’t work.
This guy, yeah stay away from him
Bottom line when buying a mat, consider how often you practice, if it’s more than once a week, spend a little more for a premium mat. If you practice once a week or less, get yourself a nice quality 5mm from one of the mass retailers. A final word of warning, if you float the idea of getting a mat as a present, be specific about the mat you want, otherwise the decision will be made on color and price and that does not always end well.
By Tara Kestner
Previously published on Next Level Yoga's Blog
Tara Kestner is a registered yoga instructor who specializes in working with athletes of all levels. She designs programs based on specific sport requirements and challenges. Utilizing the principle that strength plus flexibility equals power, her classes give athletes the tools they need to enhance their performance. Tara is the owner of Next Level Yoga, Ltd., in Toledo, Ohio.
Start down the road to enlightenment with the following YogaDownload "focus exercise" Classes:
Yoga Nidra - Celest Pereira Arrive in the Present Moment - Jackie Casal Mahrou
We’re using forbidden black rice as the grain base for this Yogi Bowl because it is so beautiful, naturally sweet, and of course–ridiculously good for you. Forbidden rice is a nutrient dense food and a great source of iron, vitamin E, and antioxidants (more than in blueberries!). We’ve loaded the bowl up with a variety of cleanse-friendly veggies like carrots, bok choy, snow peas, mushrooms, and avocado. Feel free to change up the roster to use up what you have floating around in your refrigerator.
The dressing used here is one of our favorite go-to vegan, non-dairy, “creams.” It’s made by soaking cashews overnight, adding cilantro, lime, and some spices before giving it a whirl in the blender until creamy and smooth. It adds a nice pop to the bowl and is completely plant-based. This recipe will make approximately three bowls, which means you will have plenty for a few lunches as well as a quick dinner too!
Do you have a favorite Buddha or Yogi Bowl combo? Share it with us in the comment section below.
With lots of yogi nectar,
Serving: 3 bowls
Ingredients:
Instructions: In a medium saucepan, bring water, salt, and forbidden rice to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 25 minutes or until water has evaporated and rice is soft. Turn heat off and let stand covered for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put ½ cup of water into a pot with a steaming basket and bring to a boil. Place carrots and snow peas in steamer basket, cover and steam for 5-7 minutes. Finish by steaming the bok choy for 2 minutes the same way.
In a skillet on medium heat add coconut oil and wait until melted and glossy. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes or until seared on each side. Season with sea salt to taste.
To make the Cashew Cilantro Dressing place the 2 tablespoons of avocado, soaked and drained cashews, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, garlic powder, sea salt, and water in a blender. Puree the mixture until smooth. Add more water as needed to get things moving in the blender and to get your preferred consistency.
To assemble the bowl place 1 cup forbidden rice on the bottom of a large bowl. Arrange the carrots, bok choy, snow peas, and mushrooms as you see fit over the rice. Place a few slices of avocado on top and the sesame seeds to garnish. Pour over a few tablespoons of the Cashew Cilantro Dressing. Enjoy!
I discovered them at our favorite local café and work spot Café St. Jorge. If you ever make it to San Francisco, you must try this spot. The owner, Andrea De Francisco, is a Bay Area native with Portugese heritage, which means you’ll find traditional Portugese pastel de nata alongside creative vegan treats and Stumptown coffee.
I used to treat myself to Andrea’s Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, but when I was looking for something with less sugar, she turned me onto these. They are rich and decadent and really easy to make! If Sofia-Rose and I can do it, I know that you can, too.
ALMOND BUTTER CUPS
Makes 14-16 servings
Note: Silicone baking cups work well for these. If you don’t have them, use a cupcake pan with greased paper liners. I tested both and silicone cups are much easier! I got mine on Amazon for about six bucks.
INGREDIENTS
For the almond butter filling: 3 cups almond butter 1/2 cup agave 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
For the chocolate shell: 2 cups chocolate chips 1 teaspoon salt Maldon sea salt (to top)
HOW TO 1. Make the filling by combining the almond butter, agave, salt, and vanilla. Stir together well and refrigerate. 2. Now we need to melt those chocolate chips. (You don’t need to temper the chocolate for this, so you won’t need a thermometer.) Heat up some water in a saucepan or a double boiler. 3. Put your chocolate chips in the top of the double boiler or in a metal pan or metal bowl. 4. Rest the chips pan on top of the boiling saucepan. 5. Stir until the chocolate melts. 6. Using a spoon, put one scoop of melted chocolate in each silicone baking cup. Use back of the spoon to spread the chocolate up the sides and bottom of the silicone cup. You should not see any silicone liner. If you do, add a tiny bit more chocolate and spread it around. 7. Chill the chocolate cups in the freezer for at least 5 minutes, or until they harden. (If you’re using the paper liners, pop them into a muffin pan to help them keep their shape.) 8. Take out your chocolate shells and place a large spoonful of the almond butter filling inside. 9. Place one more spoonful of melted chocolate on top and thinly and evenly spread on top. 10. Top cups with a pinch of Malden sea salt. 11. Put them in the freezer or fridge until they set, then carefully pop them out of their liners.
Eat and enjoy. Don’t get too addicted!
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
Allow for some creative and individual expression here as an exploration of the internal landscape has no boundaries or rules, so you must not be surprised by what you find.Be careful in this time not to numb out or go adrift in order to avoid the calling. These are classic Pisces pitfalls. Consuming drugs or alcohol, engaging in martyrdom or ignoring the issues glosses over what is really necessary at the time and does not solve the problem. Pushing away your deeper needs is a dangerous business, as that type of repression undoubtedly arises more fiercely in the future. An interesting aspect to the new moon with oppositional forces (Jupiter and Saturn) ask us to think outside the box and expand our faith and awareness in order to get this very important work done. There is a smoothly supported aspect to Pluto that encourages your ability to transform yourself and eliminate what is no longer necessary to find the fullest expression of your spiritual self.There is a great potential that your core wound is touched at this time and something about that very old hurt triggers the need for this deep spiritual exploration. Let it happen. This can propel you into a profound awakening under this influence. While it isn’t without sacrifice, what you must let go of is necessary to thrive and open to your truest, fullest manifestation of being.Alchemical Ritual for Pisces New Moon:Pisces is a water sign portrayed by two swimming fish. This displays the fluidity of emotions and incredible, empathic sensitivity that is second nature to Pisces. All these feelings can be overwhelming without the right outlet to deal with them. This ritual aids in allowing you to make your way through the emotional turmoil that occurs in deep spiritual exploration in order to feel fully what is alive within you and bring it to a balanced, integrated state.This ritual requires water. If possible, take a bath before the ritual to immerse yourself in the natural element of Pisces. You may fill a sacred cup or vessel with water and place it in your ritual space. Gather your favorite crystals (Aquamarine, Amethyst or Lapis Lazuli are good choices if you have them) and a candle or two in front of you. 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. Find a symbol that activate you spiritually and makes you feel connected to source. This can be anything—a religious icon or relic, a picture or an object. Light your candles, sit comfortably in your space and hold the symbol as you close the eyes and say the following invocation:May the highest qualities of Pisces and this New Moon allow me to transcend all that holds me back from my highest spiritual connection and my deepest soul purpose.Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation as you absorb the connection to source inspired by the invocation and ritual. Feel what comes up from inside you as you clear your mind and allow your soul to communicate your highest needs. Be delighted at what arises. As you receive insights, place the ring finger (or first finger) of your right hand into the water you’ve place in the ritual space and anoint yourself with it by lightly touching your forehead, your sternal notch at the base of the throat, and your heart. Do this as many times as necessary.When your ritual feels complete, bring your hands to prayer at your heart, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Anoint your symbol with the sacred water and place it somewhere that you see it everyday in order to be reminded of the connection you have cultivated in this ritual. Let it be a reminder of how to connect to your source, and also, of how connected you are at all times.
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.
Enter our new feature “Pose of the Month” to give you the What, Why, and How. If you want a visual demonstration, check out our free pose breakdown videos.
Our inaugural pose of the month: Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog):
Downward-Facing Dog is one of the primary foundational poses in yoga. Even if you’ve never stepped onto a yoga mat before, you’ve likely heard of Down Dog. Or, seen your dog perform it when he wakes up from a nap.
The Benefits: • Stretches the shoulders, back, hips, hamstrings, and calves. • Creates strength in the upper and lower body. • Creates a sense of calm because your head is below your heart—it is an inversion. • Energizes the body and reduces fatigue. • Boosts circulation and blood flow.
The Way: • Start on your hands and knees, with your knees directly beneath the hips and hands slightly in front of your shoulders. • Spread your fingers and root down into all your knuckles especially your thumb and index finger. • Exhale and tuck your toes under, pressing your tailbone toward the sky. Keep your knees slightly bent to start. • Firm your thighs, pressing your thighbones back, bringing more of your weight into the lower body. • Press your heels toward the ground; it is okay if they don't reach it today or ever! • Broaden your shoulder blades away from each other. • Maintain a long straight line from your tailbone to the crown of your head. • Breathe deeply and hold for up to 3 minutes.
As anxiety can often be triggered by stress, there are ways you can help your body relax. Yoga has been proven to benefit your physical health but it can also benefit your state of mind. Exercise naturally releases endorphins that helps you feel relaxed and relieves any stress you’re feeling. As yoga is a soft and spiritual exercise, it can be very beneficial against anxiety.
Here is how yoga can help you:
Reduces Stress
An anxiety attack can be caused by stress. Feeling stressed can increase your heart rate and rush your breathing.
Doing yoga naturally reduces stress. Slow and controlled exercises can help you feel calmer and more relaxed. Deep and controlled breathing is commonly recommended for anxiety sufferers because it helps reduce your heart rate and achieve a state of calm.
Controlled breathing combined with yoga exercise can help reduce stress. If you practice yoga just a few times a week you’ll be able to see the positive effects it has.
Improves Sleep
Lack of sleep can often make you feel more stressed. There are different reasons that can cause you to struggle to get the recommended sleep you need. Drinking caffeine and eating late are common reasons, but stress can also cause a lack of sleep. As yoga can help you feel more relaxed, it can help you sleep better at night.
Doing 20-30 minutes of yoga in the evening can help you meditate and relax before you go to bed. As yoga is a low active exercise, you could do your exercise in your pajamas.
Benefits Immune System
Along with stress, feeling unwell can trigger anxiety attacks. Keeping fit can benefit your immune system and increase blood flow in your body. As yoga helps you exercise different parts of your body and engage muscles that aren’t regularly used, it can help improve your physical and mental health. Relieves Pain
Chronic conditions and injuries can increase your stress levels. Gentle yoga exercises have been known to help relieve pain from arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and other chronic conditions. Relieving pain naturally benefits your mood and helps against anxiety.
Relaxes Your Body and Mind
Practicing yoga and meditation has proven to help relax the body and the mind. Basic yoga exercises like the Mountain Pose or the Tree helps release tension from your body. Often, after an exercise, you can feel more relaxed because you’ve removed all the stressful tension inside you.
As yoga is a soft and slow exercise, it gives you the opportunity to focus on your controlled movements and your breathing. Yoga exercises often feel very cathartic because they help you release stress and feel relaxed. Feeling relaxed helps relieve anxiety.
Yoga is a popularly recommended exercise because it helps battle against many different physical and mental ailments. Yoga has proven to be especially helpful against anxiety because it helps relieve stress.
By Benjamin Fry
Benjamin is a psychotherapist, accredited by the BACP, who contributes to the media in the UK and is politically active in lobbying for better access to better treatment for all sections of society, working with the Centre for Social Justice and through his own social enterprise Get Stable. He set up Khiron House after experiencing a serious mental illness and getting no effective treatment for it in the UK. You can find out more about him at his website."
I admitted to my Yoga for Anxiety workshop participants over the weekend that I felt like I should be in the classroom with them instead of in the front of the room teaching them. This was right after I learned that my house is falling apart and will cost at least $100,000 to repair.
I’ll never forgot something Seane Corn once said at a Yoga Journal Conference: “We teach what we most need to learn.”
I’ll also admit I’ve been having a little pity party for myself the past few days. And I’m trying so desperately to snap out of it.
In perfect timing, my mentor recommended I take a day off last week. Now I’m agonizing about how I’m going to be able to do that when I’m staring down serious house repair bills, in addition to the fact that giving something up is never easy. I’m really good at working hard. I’m right there with you learning how to relax and let go.
I share all of this to show you that I’m imperfectly human just like you. And of course, there is a yoga lesson on its way.
But if you’re feeling stressed, anxious and overwhelmed and like life is kicking your butt right now, you’re not alone. I feel that way too.
Stay positive
First thing’s first.
It’s positive affirmation time.
Repeat to yourself silently, “this too shall pass.”
All of this, whatever this is, is only temporary. Temporary has different deadlines for different people, but I promise, it’s only temporary. Happiness, growth, smiles, laughter, joy, and righteousness are right around the corner. But only if you allow yourself to have those things. Only if you believe you deserve them.
Now let’s get to the yoga lesson.
Brahmacharya=energy management
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, there is a set of values outlined to be the purest and most universal values all yogis can strive to live by. These values are called the yamas.
There are 5 of them, as follows:
Ahimsa (don’t harm yourself or other living beings) Satya (tell the truth and seek the truth) Asteya (don’t steal – possessions OR time) Brahmacharya (manage your energy) Aparigraha (don’t hoard material possessions, people, time, energy, anything)
Sutra 2.38 expands upon the purpose of managing your energy:
brahmacharya-pratisthayam virya-labhah
Originally, in classical times, brahmacharya referred to celibacy. Since yoga is now for the householder and we’re living in the world, not in caves, the more modern interpretation is to manage your energy (all energy) appropriately.
My favorite translation of this sutra is from Jnaneshvara (with my own interpretation mixed in):
When we are able to successfully manage our energy], then a great strength, capacity, or vitality is acquired.
In other words, the secret to gaining more energy is to figure out how to appropriately manage it.
Those sneaky yogis. So simple. Yet terribly, annoyingly complex. No magic pills on this path.
Different perspectives on how to manage your energy
There’s an article making rounds on the internets about how Randi Zuckerburg has said entrepreneurs can only pick 3 of 5 very important life categories to focus on if they want to be successful. She says between family, work, friends, fitness, and sleep, you can only have 3. This is an example of energy management, however harsh it sounds.
Another way to look at energy management is understanding all the activities in your life that drain you and all the activities in your life that fill you up. We want to maximize the energy-giving activities and minimize the energy-draining ones. Sometimes that means making hard decisions. And yes, that means learning how to say no.
Energy management is learning how to live in the middle. We can go to the extreme of being so busy we burn-out, or we can hold ourselves back and watch the world go by because of a fear of failure.
There’s another way (there’s ALWAYS another way) and it’s somewhere in the middle.
Fine, mom and dad. You win. They always liked to remind me that “moderation is key.” I naturally ignored them or scoffed at their petty wisdom. Of course, I was wrong and they were right. So thanks for planting the early seeds and being gentle with me as I found my own way back to the same exact concept.
The middle way
It’s really hard to live in the middle. This is because so much of the world that we aspire to live in dwells in extremism. I’m not talking about terrorists or radical religions here.
I’m talking about the extremism that is the voices in our heads telling us we’re too fat because we don’t look like the models and celebrities we see on TV.
I’m talking about the extremism that is diet plans based on restrictions because now we’re all suddenly gluten-, lactose-, fruit-, legume-, nightshade-, and processed food-intolerant. Don’t get me wrong there are some people that have serious food allergies or even diseases and I’m not knocking that. To truly know yourself, you have to spend time with yourself. You have to conduct experiments. You’ll probably suffer. A lot. And then, you’ll have an answer. Only then. Reading a magazine article probably isn’t enough to confirm a food intolerance.
I’m talking the extremism that is working 60 hours a week and calling that normal, because it’s just what it’s become. I’m calling myself out here on this one. I work too much. We all work too much. There’s a better way to manage our energy.
It starts with self-awareness.
Choose the game you want to play
A couple weeks ago I was looking at my schedule thinking to myself, I’m really going to need a vacation soon. But I have so much going on there is no time for a vacation (and now that my house is falling apart, no money).
I felt deeply that I needed one even before all of the last 2 weeks unfolded. And I didn’t listen to what my body knew. I didn’t make the hard choice because I let my mind override my body.
This yoga journey is a lifelong process people.
Energy management is about sustainability. It’s about playing the long-term game. And I know, the long-term game is no fun. But until you step on the train to the long-term game, you’ll constantly be thrown off the tracks of the short-term one. There is no end to the short-term game. Just more. More stuff, more goals, more money, more suffering.
If you choose the short-term game, you’ll sacrifice the benefits of sustainable living, but gain quick hits of happiness (and then crash and experience the lowest of lows when you fail).
If you choose the long-term game, you’ll sacrifice the quick reward in favor of a larger, more beneficial reward down the road. You may experience sadness up front, but the investment in bettering yourself is always worth it.
Energy management action plan
What can you do now to make energy management a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly maintenance practice? Here are some ideas:
Look at your calendar and say no to one thing. What are you not looking forward to? What is not ABSOLUTELY necessary?
Find 5 minutes a day to spend time with yourself to breathe, practice yoga, read, or engage in some activity that helps you relax and forget about the rest of the world.
Take a day off. Reschedule clients and meetings. Cancel engagements. Rearrange. Give yourself one day off in the next couple weeks.
Plan your next vacation. It doesn’t have to be far. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Pick more then one day, think about something fun you’ve wanted to do for awhile and put it on the calendar. You could take a vacation reading novels, visiting museums, staying with family, or taking art classes. Choose something that is not work. And make a pact to yourself that you won’t work.
Start to notice the activities that fill you up and the activities that drain you. Take notes so you can remember and notice as patterns start to build up. This will help you when you’re looking at what to say no to and what to let go of.
Get clear on your values and priorities. Do I think you can only pick 3 of the 5 categories Zuckerburg mentioned above? It rings pretty true for me. So what is most important to you? Is that what fills your life right now?
Stay active. Move your body at least once a day. Take a walk, dance for 5 minutes, jog, yoga, swim, whatever it is, just move. This does not mean you have to spend hours at the gym or attend exercise classes. I saw the app Sworkit on Shark Tank this past weekend and it looks really neat. Check it out!
Get organized. Our lives won’t always go according to plan, but like my former client/boss and friend Charlie Gilkey likes to say, if you’re planning effectively, you’ll always be changing your plans.
In addition to energy output, pay closer attention to energy input. What are you feeding your body and is it giving you the energy you need to show up and do your best every day? I’m not going to tell you what to eat, but I do believe that food and nutrition is a big piece of staying healthy and managing your energy. I’m having a hard time with that right now, but I keep trying!
Have some compassion for yourself. Be patient. Love yourself. Take care of yourself. It’s okay if you fail. As Aaliyah sang: “If at first you don’t succeed, get yourself up and try again.”
Good luck managing your energy this week!
“Love.” “I love you.” “I love my life.”
Love has been around forever... Love has been a part of you since the second you were conceived. The minute you were created by the heavens, you became love. Love is infinite and so is the energy from the heart. The heart was formed first when we decided to incarnate. Think about that for a hot minute. When doctors look for a baby nestled in the womb, the first thing they search for is a heartbeat. Even that thought takes my breath away and brings a tear to my eye. I still remember the first time I heard the heartbeat of my two children. It is a miracle, honestly.
The heart.
It is the epicenter of everything. It holds everything. From the second we are alive in our mother’s womb, we begin feeling. We felt our mother’s heartbeat, her indecisions, fears, joys and desires. Immediately, our heart started writing stories that we carry, for at the very least, this lifetime.
When we were born, we yearned for our mother’s breath, her touch and reassurance. That relationship sets the tone on how we define love. Our heart seeks love... our bodies crave touch. It’s a fact. This feeling of love and intimate touch evolves as we get older and we seek out partnerships to fulfill that need, but the fact is, we are meant to feel and love another.
But I’d like to add something that I can’t prove, I just know it—it’s in the fabric of my being and yours too. If love is infinite, wouldn’t it be safe to say that even before we incarnated, we were love? That we already came in knowing that we were divine love? That, before we were even born, we were love. I don’t know for sure, but when I sit and feel into that, it feels right.
I mean, when you feel something that frustrates you, hurts you, or creates contraction in the body, it is not love. And you know it. Whether or not you pursue it is based on your patterns. As you move along this path of life you are continually defining and redefining love and what it really means to you based on how you feel.
The heart is a beacon, it knows truth and it vibrates YOUR truth. And throughout your life, your heart has been nurtured, filled up, stepped on, mended, broken, ignited, full and then empty again and again. It is this amazing vessel of infinite capacity.
Your heart laughs, cries, embraces and screams. Think about it... it does so much. And, by the way, it beats and keeps you alive without you having to do a thing.
Another tidbit: The depth of hurt your heart has held acts as a springboard to catapult your heart into an immeasurable feeling of love and gratitude. So, the deeper your hurt, the more capacity you have to rebound into love that skyrockets.
Yes, we are molded by our mother’s patterns and thoughts on love. Yes, we draw in ideas and fantasies about love with every relationship that we wit- ness from the time we are born. Yes, we fall “into” love and stumble around blindly when the feeling of love envelopes our heart. Yes, we crumble when love ends in abandonment, or neglect or is not reciprocated. But the heart is infinite... it knows love. It knows that it can always repair itself. It just has to go inward and heal.
This is what I know to be true:
My heart broke many times throughout my childhood. My heart filled up when I got married many years later. When I write about love or connection, it flows off my fingertips without thought. Love flows from me every time I step on my mat and move my body. My heart broke again when my marriage ended in divorce. When my child says, “I love you, mommy” my heart leaps and almost explodes. When I watch my children in a dance recital or school function, I cry—every single time. When I look deep into the eyes of my lover, I see love from his heart—our love connection, and it’s magic. But most importantly... when I look into the mirror and see myself, I see love.
Beyond the fear, guilt, hurt, shame and mistakes and beyond the paths I’ve taken that led nowhere, past the indecisions and decisions I made that turned out different than I expected, I am love. We all are.
At the foundation of it all, you are love. Alone. You aren’t love WITH some- one... you’re just expanded love when that union happens. Alone... just you... you are love: infinite love to be exact.
I am done skimming the surface of life, moving and breathing from a place that only excites my body and my mind. Let’s excite the heart! Rewrite pat- terns that put fear before love! Let’s put love first! Let’s give the heart a chance to feel into the depths of the pain so it can come up for air fully healed and ready to lead you to more love!
Revisit whatever it is fully and then come up for air. We are waiting with open arms.
This blog is an excerpt from my new book Oms From the Heart. If this resonated with you, I invite you to buy the book. It's available now on Amazon.
By Dana Damara
“My passion on the mat is proper alignment, powerful breath and effortless flow so you feel that off your mat. Your practice becomes sacred space where you arrive to find more meaning, depth, authenticity and integrity in your life." - Dana Damara: mother, author, yoga instructor, speaker and yogini.
For more inspiration and to purchase Dana's new book, Oms From the Heart, visit www.danadamara.com
Click here to download or stream one of Dana's YogaDownload classes!
Our Kale Superfood Salad is packed full of superfoods like kale, red cabbage, coconut, goji berries and hemp seeds.
Goji berries are a beautiful bright coral-hued dried fruit that just happens to be the most nutritionally dense fruit on Earth! Containing all essential amino acids, goji berries also have the highest concentration of protein of any fruit. They’re also loaded with vitamin C, contain more carotenoids than any other food, have twenty-one trace minerals, and are high in fiber. Boasting 15 times the amount of iron found in spinach, as well as calcium, zinc, selenium and many other important trace minerals, there is no doubt that the humble goji berry is a nutritional powerhouse.
Another powerhouse in this salad is the hemp heart. Hemp seeds are a complete protein and contain high levels of the essential fatty acids omega 6 and omega 3. They add great texture and flavor to any salad!
Make a big batch of this salad and enjoy it for lunch or dinner knowing it’s chock full of good-for-you vibes.
Enjoy!
With love and superfood smiles,
Kale Superfood Salad
Yield: 4 servings
6 TB. extra virgin olive oil 3 TB. apple cider vinegar 2 TB. balsamic vinegar 2 tsp. pure maple syrup, or to taste 2 tsp. dijon mustard 2 garlic clove, minced ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 8-10 cups lacinato kale (about 2 bunches), destemmed and finely shredded ½ head red cabbage, thinly shredded ¼ cup goji berries 2 pears, cored and thinly sliced, optional, omit if on the cleanse* ½ small red onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut 2 TB. hemp hearts
Instructions: In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Adjust to taste if desired and set aside.
In a large bowl place kale and cabbage. Add half of the dressing and with your hands, massage the kale and cabbage until everything is coated nicely. The kale will reduce in volume and become softer. Add more dressing if you see fit. Let this marinate for a half hour or so.
Add goji berries, pears (if using), onion, coconut, and hemp seeds to the bowl and toss lightly as not to bruise the pear. This salad is best eaten the day that you make it.
*Special Note: We’re bending our “eat it alone or leave it alone” fruit food combining rule in this one because the pear is easy enough to omit while on the cleanse. If you decide to go with it, enjoy and just notice any gas, bloating or constipation, post-salad.
POSES 1–2
What could be better than resting on your back and stretching your hamstrings and adductors? Not much. Supta Padangusthasana A & B are simple, effective, energy-saving postures that target your hamstrings and adductors and allow you to transition into your practice gently.
POSES 3-4
You really can’t go wrong with Down Dog and Three-Legged Down Dog. You can use them in nearly any sequence, but I like them here because they continue the work of stretching your hamstrings, they lengthen your spine (which is helpful in side bends), and they provide a smooth transition from reclined to standing postures.
POSES 5-7
This combination of postures flows together smoothly and builds on the work of you’ve already established by opening your side body. An important note here is that most students will only receive a mild stretch in their side body in these postures. This is ideal sequencing because you don’t want the first side bends in a sequence to be intense or abrupt. Most students don’t spend a ton of time working their side bends, so the muscles involved (lats, obliques, and quadratus lumborum) need to be prepared slowly.
POSES 8-9
These postures hone in on the hamstrings, adductors and side body. At this phase of the sequence, you’re going more deeply into the targeted areas of this practice.
POSES 10-13
This progression of poses takes you deeper and deeper into your hamstrings, adductors, and side body. If you have more flexibility, you can bend your bottom elbow and take it to the floor in gate pose (pose 12). Once you arrive in Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, remember to bend your top elbow and lean your upper-body slightly back. Breathe into the side of the waist you’re stretching and savor the pose. If you’re stuck and struggling, there’s a 99% chance that the restriction is in your hamstrings and adductors. If this is the case, be diligent with the first 8 postures of this sequence for a few more months.
AND, if you want to feel more confident and knowledgeable about your sequencing skills, check out my e-course, The Art of Yoga Sequencing. It’s great for yoga teachers and students who want to better understand how the body works and how to stretch and strengthen effectively.
{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
We call this the Winter Smoothie Blues Syndrome (WSBS).
The WSBS occurs in women and men of all ages as a result of drinking too many cold morning beverages throughout the winter months. Symptoms include chattering teeth, shivering, cold hands and feet, and the need to sit at your office desk with a warm woolly blanket.
If you suffer from WSBS then you have to try a warm smoothie!
Yes, you read that correctly. Today’s recipe is for a warm winter smoothie that will leave you feeling nice and cozy!
Sometimes late winter inspiration is hard to come by as we anticipate spring. But while we were strolling the aisles of the market a few days ago these beautiful red pears caught our eye.
Pears are full of fiber, which means they are great for your digestive system. The cinnamon will help regulate your blood sugar – and fight off bad stomach bacteria! But the best part of this smoothie is the uber quick and easy, Homemade Cashew Milk.
Did you know that cashews are nature’s anti-depressant? That’s right! It’s been said that just two handfuls of cashews per day can elevate your mood and improve your mental health.
This warming green smoothie is guaranteed to get you through the last stretch of winter with a smile on your face.
Have you tried a warm smoothie yet? We’d love to hear from you so be sure to leave us a comment below and share your Winter Smoothie Blues with us. Join us on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtags #WSBS and #warmsmoothie.
With warm smoothie love,
Spiced Pear Warm Winter Smoothie
Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients for Homemade Cashew Milk:
1 cup cashews, soaked for 4 hours then drained and rinsed 4 cups water
Ingredients for Spiced Pear Warm Winter Smoothie:
1 cup of Homemade Cashew Milk 1 cup warm water 1 pear 1-2 tsp. cinnamon 1” knob of fresh ginger, peeled 1 TB. hemp seeds 2 cups spinach
Instructions:
To make the cashew milk, combine cashews and 4 cups of water in a high-speed blender until creamy. Store in a glass jar for up to 5 days.
To make the smoothies, combine 1 cup cashew milk, warm water, pear, cinnamon, ginger, hemp seeds, and spinach and blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately!
I’ve often thought about why, really why, I make so many of the life choices I do. Why do I choose to eat healthy foods or not. Why do I choose to pursue a yogic lifestyle? Why? For a long time, it was so that I could live a long, happy life, but then I had to ask myself if I ultimately was trying to prolong my life. Is my goal to live as long as I can? Or is my goal to live?
The body and the soul
In yogic philosophy, there is the idea of c. That the body and the soul are separate entities; at death, the soul leaves the body to find its next home and its next adventure. The body, as matter, dissolves to be recycled into the Earth. The soul, as spirit, also indestructible, continues on to give life to a new form.
Yogis developed the practice of yoga to achieve immortality of the soul, not the body. The cycle of the life of the soul is such that our spirit will continue to return until we transcend the cycle itself. This is enlightenment. Enlightenment can take many lifetimes. The world inherently offers suffering. To break the chain of suffering, we must break the chain of the soul returning. Ultimately the soul dissolves into everything, becomes omnipresent. It does not take physical form again. Instead it permeates all beings.
How to live a long life
Knowing this, I come back to the argument about the goal of prolonging life. I had this conversation with some of my fellow teacher trainees in a recent advanced teacher training program in which I am currently enrolled.
We debated about the fact that the oldest people in the world often give contradictory advice about the secrets to a long life. I remember clearly a newspaper article I read once in which one woman cited bacon as the reason she had lived 100+ years. For someone who does not believe that bacon is the most healthy food choice on the planet, this was understandably disappointing.
It brings up a point of difference that I think is worth mentioning though. We spend so much time in our lives trying to control external factors and much less time working on our mind and our mindset, something that we do in fact have complete control over.
The newspapers are looking for the “Bacon leads to long life” headlines and are much less likely to report on how keeping a positive outlook and being adaptable to change will help you live longer. Those traits seem to be frustratingly pulled straight out of a folktale that we’ve been hearing since elementary school.
The secrets of life are simple and plain and yet so hard to achieve in a world that pulls us outside of ourselves almost constantly.
Will you live longer if you go inside? Maybe not. We can’t really say. But you may find more peace of mind then if you worry about chasing external distractions.
Yoga and tantra on life and death
In classical yoga philosophy, the soul is separate from the body. The soul is individualistic even as it is part of the whole universe. In Tantric philosophy, an offshoot of yoga philosophy, the soul and the universe are one. We are all one. Thus, death is just as much a part of life as life is a part of death. As one of my mentor’s likes to say, same same.
In life all we can do is live and work on discovering and knowing our soul and our spirit. In death, all the living can do is celebrate the soul. The soul itself will be reborn, take form once again, and live on.
I was so struck watching the Walking Dead this past week. I know, it seems like we just went from something incredibly philosophical and academic right into something extremely inconsequential and external in a popular television show, but as human beings we live in this world and so the best we can do is embrace it all.
Glen says something really profound and inspirational to Enid. Enid is struggling to find meaning in her life as the world appears to be more and more hopeless. Glen pleads that Enid connect with everything that was meaningful to her in her life before it changed. He reminds her that the spirit of her parents are alive in her because she is alive. That she carries their spirit with her as long as she stays alive and that is why it’s worth fighting for a better world. To honor those she loves. To prolong their spirit and carry their soul with her.
Everyone’s soul always remains a part of us if we believe that we are all connected and that we are all one. We carry the spirit of everyone and that is why we live. To honor life. To set an example for those around us to honor life so that when our souls leave our bodies, we will be carried on too.
My own personal experience with celebrating the soul
Yesterday morning, I woke up to a text message from my mother-in-law letting me and my husband know that my husband’s grandfather had just passed away.
It was expected and unexpected at the same time. A perfect representation of the paradox of yoga.
His death was as peaceful as it could be. He was surrounded by family.
My husband and I got a on a plane to be with our family and got the chance to be with his grandfather and say goodbye one more time. Say goodbye to the physical representation of a spirit that lives so fully within all of us. The words we shared as a family in remembrance of his life were special and precious.
He didn’t want a funeral. We celebrated his life privately as a family and it was perfect. My mother-in-law insisted that we not wear black, so I showed up in purple and pink, his son showed up in a Hawaiian shirt, and many other family members wore blues and greens.
The only other death of someone close to me that I remember was my grandfather in 2007. My grandfather owned a German restaurant that was relatively well-known where he lived. For his funeral, friends and family came together to share a meal of traditional German food in celebration of my Ota’s life.
Different cultures have different rituals around death. In America, as with everything, it seems much more individualistic. And yet, regardless of religion, culture, or beliefs, death brings us together to celebrate spirit.
Let us celebrate spirit every day. Our own spirit. The spirit of our loved ones. The spirit of the strangers on the street. And the spirit of those we’ll never meet.
We are all one within the universe and the universe is within us.
But while January’s a great time to dust off the cobwebs and get fit, there’s really no excuse not to be heading down the gym year-round. After all, when a workout combines de-stressing properties and burns calories, what’s not to love?!
We are, of course, talking about yoga – because amongst all the ‘laying around and stretching’ it actually delivers a host of other health benefits.
You see, yoga really isn’t as ‘wishy washy’ as you first thought. True, it combines chanting and some strange-sounding terminology, but it also has a rich history that goes back centuries – and it can get you fit. Really fit. Here are just a few reasons it’s one of the best workouts you can do:
It Perfects the Posture Now this might not seem like a biggie, but trust us; when you’re getting in bed every night you’ll notice the difference. And by that we mean, you’ll have fewer aches and pains as a result of training your body to stand up straight – slouching, after all, causes back pain like no other! But poor posture can cause all sorts of issues, too; a (literal) pain in the neck can just one cause of not standing up straight, while some may even experience problems with other muscles and joints.
It Helps Improve Flexibility Now this is the most obvious benefit of yoga, but trust us when we say it’s one of the best; nothing is more rewarding than discovering you can now touch your toes with no discomfort whatsoever. If you stick with yoga, you’ll start to feel a gradual loosening all over, too, with what once looked like impossible poses becoming second nature. Tight hamstrings and hips will also ease off in time, and you can improve back pain by simply stretching a bit more, too.
Regular Yoga Will Build Muscle Strength Protecting us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, strong muscles don’t just look good – they help us feel great. With improved flexibility in yoga comes more muscle strength – who knew you didn’t have to hit the scary-looking weights section of the gym floor to work on those guns? Yoga Makes You Happier It’s true – but we bet you don’t believe us! We’re right though; if you’re feeling sad, the Lotus position should do it. If you don’t fancy that, try rising up into a backbend or give the King Dancer Pose a go. The fact is, yoga’s long been known to increase the serotonin levels in the body, while also decreasing monoamine oxidase (which is an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters). Over in the US, at the University of Wisconsin, one professor found that the left prefrontal cortex showed heightened activity in meditators, a finding that has been correlated with greater levels of happiness and better immune function. What more do you need to know – yoga is a great idea all-round? Hopefully by now you’ll know the yoga basics when it comes to feeling and looking great – and we bet you’re itching to head down the gym and roll out that rubber mat. But should you decide to give it a go, make sure you take it steady. Yoga’s about finding time to relax and, above all, doing things at your own pace. Sure, push yourself – but not too hard. The key is in gently stretching the body gradually – not ‘racing towards the finish line’ in a bid to be the first in the class to be able to comfortably (and gracefully) manage the splits.
Use the yoga class as your time out – and be thankful it also brings with it great health benefits, too. Enjoy!
By Megan Zsaa
Megan works with www.samsaramindandbody.com and is passionate about nutrition, meditation and of course, yoga. She currently lives in London.
Similarly, our bodies benefit by cleaning out accumulated waste we store after overindulging and under-exercising for a few months. If you’ve been lounging on the couch like a sloth, it’s time to renew and rejuvenate.
Our systems are naturally formulated to eliminate waste and toxins. When we exercise regularly and consume a healthy balanced diet, our digestive, circulatory, and lymphatic systems collaborate to eliminate pollutants. As a result, we usually don’t need an extra boost to the detoxification process.
If you feel bloated, heavy, and lethargic however, you may require some assistance from yoga to encourage the body to return to its inherent cleansing powers.
There are three main components of how we naturally shed toxins:
1. Digestive System - processes our food, ideally storing the nutrients while shedding the waste materials and toxins, freeing the body from what it doesn’t require. 2. Circulatory System - pumps blood from the heart throughout the body delivering oxygen to the cells and removing waste from the cells. 3. Lymphatic System -Lymphatic fluid serves to transport harmful matter to the lymph nodes where bacteria can be removed prior to returning to the bloodstream. Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic flow has no pump and relies upon exercise or massage to operate optimally.
Enter yoga. Three main types of yoga postures are excellent for detoxification.
We’ve got four very different plays on twist-focused yoga practice for you this week. If you want more of a workout with your yoga, try Ben Davis’ Fitness and Yoga: Do the Twist. If you’d like a more devotional practice, check out Christen Bakken’s Twisted Bhakti Flow. Get playful with Rob Loud’s Twists and Binds - Seated Revolved Birds of Paradise practice. And, last but not least, Shy Sahar’s Twists and Backbends offers you the opportunity to open your heart too! Try one or try them all.
In a Virgo Full Moon, we honor service and our bodies, tending to critical self-care and upkeep that allows us to be strong and healthy. Similar to the myth of Persephone and Demeter, Virgo (who holds a cornstalk) gives us permission to harvest that which we have grown and benefit from the fruits of our labors. During this Full Moon time, take stock of all the good things you have nurtured over the past months and don’t be afraid to reap the rewards and embrace the abundance that you have worked so hard to create. Use the encouragement from opposing Neptune to experience the transcendent and spiritual aspects of this enriching time as you gather all you have grown near you.
A tough angle to Venus during this Full Moon asks us to examine our close relationships, our values and our aesthetic tastes. Does something need refining here? Are there a few elements in these areas that need to be…ahem…weeded or uprooted? Virgoan energy begs us to be caring, but fierce in our affection towards all things. What needs to go, needs to go. Be unafraid to focus your love and energy in the areas that need—and deserve—it most.
There may also be some radical transformation here for some of you. If it is needed, it is what we receive, so don’t be afraid to move toward the discomfort which is likely to be in the area of health, physical well-being, cleanliness or self-care. If you’re in the health and wellness industry, this is a good time to incite the shake-up and create more interesting opportunities you have never even imagined. Let the cosmos do the work for you!
Alchemical Ritual for Virgo Full Moon:
As an earth sign, Virgo is grounded, but sometimes has difficulty with change. On the low side, that difficulty manifests as control, self-criticism, or in the extreme, OCD behavior. On the high side, Virgo plants her feet and gathers all she has cultivated near to her to prepare her for the coming months. This is the energy you cultivate during this special Virgo Full Moon ritual.
Doing this ritual outdoors, on the earth super-charges your efforts, but if you are indoors, try and place an element of earth nearby, such as a potted plant, or even a favorite rock or stone. Create your ritual space by placing your favorite crystals (Aventurine or Carnelian are good choices if you have them) and a candle or two in front of you. 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. Bring into the circle a simple vessel (paper bag, vase, wooden box), a pen, and paper, and come to sit quietly inside the circle. Close the eyes and say the following invocation:
May the highest qualities of Virgo and this Full Moon allow me to reap the abundance I cultivate.
Spend a few moments in quiet contemplation on all the wonderful things you have grown and created in your life. As the insights come to you, write them down on the piece of paper, either as a word or a short phrase. Tear each one off after you’ve written it and place it in the vessel. Continue this process until you have used up the entire piece of paper.
Observe your full vessel and offer gratitude for all you have accomplished with a few moments of meditation practice. When complete, chant Om three times, and snuff the candles. Place your vessel filled with evidence of your rich gifts and blessings somewhere that you can see it, perhaps near a plant or some earthly element. Let it be a reminder of how tending to nature, your nature and yourself always brings rewards.
We all choose different coping mechanisms for stress, some being more successful than others. In my university days, my choice used to be a midnight run from my Greenwich Village dorm down to an all-night pizza joint. I’ve given up this tactic, mostly due to the fact that it would lead to disturbing cheese-induced nightmares now that I know longer have the metabolism of an 18 year-old.
“Modern life stimulates the hell out of us into stress and anxiety”
People sometimes assume that as a yoga teacher I have no stress, or have somehow moved past it and into a utopia of coconut water and sunset handstands. But like every human managing a relationship with the world in which they live (and mine is thankfully free of war, plague, and disaster), I suffer stress and have to find ways of managing it. My choice, and what I teach, is the practice of yoga postures and flow.
Email me more like this…
WHY CHOOSE YOGA?
Although humanity has made great strides in the past few thousand years, our nervous systems remain remarkably stuck in the past. A stern email from your boss can give you the same physiological response that our ancestors had when running from a bloodthirsty beast. To boil it down, our nervous systems are either in a state of fight or flight (the bad commute/blood thirsty beast scenario) or rest and digest (coconut water by sunset).
Modern life stimulates the hell out of us into stress and anxiety. Without subsequent rest, our mental function, sleep, digestion, and immune systems, among many other elements, suffer negative effects. We often stay locked in this response, replaying it over and over in our mind and in our bodies. Clearly, we need to adopt positive techniques of stress management – meaning not addictions that avert our attention like substance abuse, Netflix abuse, or pastry abuse.
Yoga practice, through a varied combination of movement, stretch, and breath-work, can train you and your nervous system to breathe through stress and let go into relaxation.
WHAT TO PRACTICE
If you can’t make it to class, here’s a simple home practice designed to reduce the effects of stress.
FULL STOP CHILD’S POSE
First, let everything stop! Start kneeling with feet together and knees a little bit separated. Roll the belly down over a bolster or a stack of blankets or pillows. Stay at least one minute and up to ten minutes, turning the head halfway through. This pose will turn the senses more inward and allow you to breathe and regroup.
Sometimes, you need to move a bit. The combination of breath and rhythmic movement acts to lull the nervous system into a calmer state and trains you to breathe when things get tough.
LEGS UP THE CHAIR
Finally, just lie down and bring the back of your calves onto the seat of a chair or sofa. Make sure thighs are on about a 45 degree angle coming into the hips. Close or cover your eyes. Stay as long as feels good. This mild inversion changes the flow of energy in the body and gives your mind a new perspective.
My yoga class isn’t filled with those who have achieved enlightenment and are magically now above responding to the indignities of unavoidable hand to bum contact in rush hour trains or maniacal rages when self-check out proclaims “unexpected item in baggage area.” My yoga class is filled with people like me who have human lives with stresses both petty and profound. With kindness to our selves and others, we use yoga to live life a little bit freer from the physical and emotional effects of this stress. Yogis have practiced this for thousands of years, modern science is starting to prove its effects, and you can experiment and feel for yourself.
Adam Hocke 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.