Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

This week we celebrate freedom and the right to live the lives of our dreams. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an incredible inspiration for all of us, as exemplified in his iconic “I have a dream” speech. His courage and bravery to fight for the rights of all people resonates today and for all time.

What does success mean to you? How do you align your values, your intentions, and your priorities to achieve the life of your dreams while being your authentic self? To create success with a yogic mindset, try meditation to clear your mind and allow your deepest dreams and desires to rise to the surface. Rather than focusing on the object of your desire, meditate to quiet the chatter in your mind and surrender to the process of discovering your true intentions and dreams. Are they personal? professional? health-related? We’re all different and at any given time, certain areas of our life shift to the forefront.

Whatever you thought about 2016, this year is a fresh start. We’re here to help you take your life to the next level with new programs and classes to make sure you can put your best mind, mood and foot forward. While some big-picture new years resolutions are ‘head-in-the-clouds’ plans that will soon fade, this is about creating attainable daily routines and results through yoga and meditation classes that will restore, revitalize, and sustain you throughout the year.

Last week, we discussed the Winter Solstice and how when we align with nature, we settle into a rhythm that honors our own inner being. It’s easy to get off balance this time of year when the world seems focused on the holidays, and your usual schedule flies out the window. How we can maintain our self-practice or Sadhana!

Can you feel the change in the air? December 21, 2016, marked the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. What exactly is a solstice? “Solstice” comes from Latin: sol meaning "sun" and sistere meaning “to stand still.” The Winter Solstice is the perfect time to pause, reflect, and create our dreams and intentions.

You may not have realized this, but your favorite yoga poses are also the key to bringing more love, warmth and fa-la-la to your holiday season. This time, we’re not talking about using your practice for a deep and introspective personal journey toward self discovery, we’re talking about a joy break right on the surface. Keeping spirits bright, we’ve identified the very best poses for your favorite holiday activities. Enjoy the jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell bhakti and the most wonderful time of the year will be exactly that.

Flexibility, balance, strength, and equanimity—you’ve probably heard of all those reasons to practice yoga, right? Not just benefits for the body, but for the mind and soul as well. How about combating stress and delving into spirituality? Absolutely! The list goes on…

How’s your state of mind? We here at YogaDownload.com know how hectic life becomes this time of year. We’re right in the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve when many of us could use a shot of adrenaline or a warm blanket and a teddy bear to make it through to 2017. At the very least, we could use a rejuvenating yoga class or a calming meditation practice.

Nobody’s life is a static, well-paced journey, despite how many plans we make, how many goals we set, and how well intentioned we are. No, life is messy and serves up surprises every day. The world's a roller coaster and we aren't strapped in. Maybe we should hold with care, but our hands are busy in the air. This line from alternative rock band Incubus’ iconic song 'Wish You Were Here' sums up how many of us feel on a day-to-day basis. Flying along by the seat of our pants— navigating the challenges we encounter along the way.

This week we’ve got some great new classes designed to help you unleash your inner Shakti energy. Activate your connection to Shakti by mixing up your usual routine— change is good!

The spirits are stirring this time of year, which means that some of you might be conjuring your own personal demons (again). We all have a few ghosts from the past and skeletons in our closet that like to haunt our memories – and we’re going to help you shake them out and clear your spiritual cobwebs.

We’ve got something new for you this month. In the interest of exposing you to a broad range of yoga, we’re excited to roll out new Kundalini classes and practices with Guru Jagat from the Rama Institute for Applied Yogic Science and Technology. If you aren’t familiar with Kundalini, you aren’t alone. More mysticism surrounds this style of yoga than most others. Do you have to wear white? No. Is it a religion? No. And, what’s this about coiled serpents? How can this ancient practice apply to me in this modern age where I’m just seeking to find a mind-body connection?