Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Ever since our last Zeal Dinner I’ve been craving this delicious, vegan, broccoli slaw. It’s the perfect salad for the Fall because it’s grounding, hearty and dense, which I appreciate this time of year. It’s so good that I’ve been eating it almost daily for the last week.

The continued rise of Instagram-influenced yoga has led to a new wave of criticism among East-Indians and academics alike. Accusations of cultural appropriation are being levied just as long-held myths are being debunked. Many earnest practitioners find themselves confused by the discord between what they see and read in the media and the experience they have of Yoga in their lives.

Hey coaches, I’m talking to you. As a yoga instructor who works with sports teams I’ve heard every excuse; we don’t have time, it’s not in the budget, or my favorite “this is not a girls’ soccer team you know.”

Have you noticed that yoga and football are like, the exact same thing? We’re here to throw a flag on the idea that Sunday gameday has to get in the way of your Sunday practice. In celebration of our new Yoga For Football and classes for a Tight End, we found 7 pieces of proof that we’re on one universal Special Team:

Meditation? Seriously? I know what you're thinking, but yes, seriously I am going to talk about meditation for athletes. I consider myself to be a very practical person so my approach to yoga has always been from a real world perspective. Meditation has always seemed like a bunch of new age hokum. OK, so I was wrong, it happens.

“The result of contentment is total happiness. The happiness we get from acquiring possessions is only temporary. We need to find new ones and acquire them to sustain this sort of happiness. There is no end to it. But true contentment, leading to total happiness and bliss, is in a class by itself.” – T.K.V. Desikachar

“Shockingly delicious” is the phrase my “non-health-food-fanatic-husband” uses to describe quinoa.

This series of articles was originally entitled Yoga for Firefighters as it was written for my firefighter specific class, however I have expanded it to other physically demanding jobs since the advice is equally valid and helpful to the construction trades, police officers, super heroes and military personnel. I will to address some of the specific physical challenges that firefighting and other such jobs create.

I have always been one to follow my intuition. Not a strategic plan … an intuitive knowing. And to be honest, it’s drove a lot of people close to me crazy and in some cases, away from me. And that’s fine by me because honestly, I can’t live any other way. I’ve tried and it hurts, it physically hurts to live outside of my intuition.

In honor of the Halloween holiday, I recently recorded a class and meditation “On The Difference Between Fear and Anxiety” for the OUTLAW Yoga Channel.

Ready to get back into a healthy routine. Ready to get back into somewhat of a normal schedule.

Fear can feel painful, overwhelming, even paralyzing. Whether you’re facing a major life change like an illness or a break-up, or a more specific fear like giving a presentation to colleagues or standing in front a group and teaching a yoga class, I hope this post gives you some idea for navigating fear with more ease.

Thank Goddess for this theme! After all the astrological upheaval that began all the way back with Venus Retrograde, followed by a deep dive into the Sun by Venus, followed by a Solar Eclipse, then Mercury in Retrograde, then a Lunar Eclipse, finishing with the finale of Mercury stationing direct, where else can we go but into balance?

The Ajna Chakra is the powerful center located in the middle of the forehead, also referred to as the 3rd eye. It’s an internal place that holds so much wisdom and so much innate intuition. The light and depth that resides in this internal center is so profound, that the ancient yogis as well as sages from other spiritual traditions have revered the 3rd eye as the center point of focus as they practiced long hours of meditation.

It’s Vata season (fall), which means all of Vata’s wonderful qualities become heightened until Spring. As a quick recap, Vata is made up of the elements air and ether (space) and its qualities can include digestive irregularities, feelings of anxiety and overwhelm, creativity, and movement. Think wind, dryness, and cool air – all properties present in autumn.

It’s Fall, y’all – and we’re pumped. Pumped for pumpkin, that is!

To connect with your true nature and the nature of the cosmos – especially as we transition into autumn - be sure to make the following actions a habit:

Once heralded and esteemed, yoga conferences have lost much of their appeal as livelier yoga festivals have come into emergence and birthed new forms of yoga events. Large-scale gatherings and demonstrations, happening under the auspices of group yoga practice, are setting new precedents and are emblematic of ever expanding roles yoga is playing in our culture.

We’re still very much in an 80:20 mood here at the Conscious Cleanse and nothing says 80:20 like raw chocolate!

Ever get stuck in a rut of negative thinking? Feel overwhelmed by the amount of complaining in your life, both by you and those around you?

As a beginner, among the many confusions of learning yoga, is figuring out your stance for standing poses (meaning Warrior II, Side Angle, Triangle, etc.). How long from the front foot to the back foot? How much width between the heels? What are the angles the feet are turned? Is there an absolute right way? And it’s also highly probable you haven’t given this a second thought and just step your feet apart and do your best to make the shape. Here’s a step by step guide to keep it simple and increase the power of your postures.

Happy Autumn Equinox! I don’t know about you, but it’s slowly starting to feel like fall around here. Cooler weather. Pumpkins on display at the grocery store. Cravings for soup and hot tea. Northface jackets. And of course, football!

Happy Friday! We’ve been anxiously awaiting this day since we’ve been in decompression mode from the last Conscious Cleanse. And now we’re ready to celebrate! Who’s ready for a Conscious Cocktail?

One day during savasana (the relaxation pose at the end of a yoga class) I basically ‘woke’ up. In that moment, I felt completely content, possibly for the first time in my life. I began to clearly see the suffering I was putting myself through in relationship to my body and eating.

As I was cruising around the Farmer’s Market last Saturday I noticed these beautiful bright yellow and orange flower-like veggies at one of the stands. Upon further investigation, I realized that these beauties were squash blossoms!