Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

21-Day Yoga Challenge: Nurture & Nourish: Challenge starts October 17th We’ve heard the term “self-care” bandied about a lot lately. Have you ever wondered what that means, exactly? We’re often so busy taking care of others in our lives from partners, pets, co-workers, and everyone we encounter, we don’t leave enough fuel in the tank to take care of ourselves. Are you as kind to yourself as you are to the person you love most?

2-Week Yoga Challenge: Root and Rise. The challenge is free for everyone and starts on April 11th! Check back here soon to sign up! “Yoga is 99% waste removal.” -TKV Desikachar TKV Deiskachar was a legendary yoga master and son of the father of modern yoga, T. Krishnamacharya. He built upon his father's teachings and was one of the most respected leaders in the yoga world. One of the primary themes of his therapeutic approach to yoga was that its purpose was to cleanse the body, mind, and emotions. He often spoke of the importance of “burning away the rubbish” to find one’s highest self.

Anybody else ready to manifest their best life? We’re finishing out 2021, so be present and savor these last few weeks. If you’re ready to shift your focus forward, check out what we have in store for you on January 1, 2022. Whatever your goals and desires to live your best life are, a consistent yoga and meditation practice will help you set clear intentions and help you identify your personal life vision. “Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions,

The challenge begins on October 4th! The seasons are shifting, and it is the perfect time to align with nature and release whatever is weighing us down. If you’re feeling stagnant or heavy in your mind, heart, or body, we’re here with a 3-week plan to make it easy to hit the reset button. As a global community, we’ll practice a variety of yoga classes designed to detoxify and destress. In the Heart of Yoga, T.K.S. Desikachar wrote that one of yoga’s primary functions is to help burn off the “rubbish” or toxins that can build up in our systems. Whether that means learning to shed a series of repetitive negative thoughts, recover from heartbreak, or lose a few unwanted pounds, the practice of yoga provides a framework for us to release extra baggage and shine our inner light. Sometimes life simply bogs us down and a periodic challenge or program can help set us back on track.

The start of a new season is the perfect opportunity to try something new and challenge yourself. Why not get out of your comfort zone and try a yoga challenge? It might sound intimidating, but challenging yourself to practice yoga every day, and even trying a few new things can be the best way to get out of a rut, and start a fresh season. Still need convincing? Here are just a few reasons to join a yoga challenge today. Learn New Things

As we approach the equinox on September 22, 2020, it’s time to align with nature. On this day where the night and the day are equal length, it’s the perfect opportunity to focus on establishing your equilibrium. It’s always an ideal time to set intentions when seasons change, and we’re here to encourage you with a Fresh Start Challenge beginning on September 21st. No matter where you live, 2020 has been a year of dramatic and shocking events. We’ve all been required to adapt in our professional and personal lives, often without much choice in the matter. If you’ve been consistent with your yoga practice this year, hopefully, you’ve had an outlet to help you ride the tidal wave of change. The world is transforming and all we can do is work on keeping our minds, hearts, and bodies in balance from the inside out. Join your global yoga community for a two-week effort to make a shift toward balance together.

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."— Mahatma Gandhi One of the best ways to recognize an advanced yogi is by observing their behavior. We’re not referring to gasping in awe when someone wraps her leg around her head or effortlessly floats up into a sustained handstand. Instead, you can judge a yogi by the consistency of their practice on the mat and their actions throughout the rest of the day off the mat. Practice and perseverance are two vital qualities needed to sustain your yoga practice over time. Especially in these uncertain times, when the external world feels different for all of us, we need to dig deep into our own inner strength and willpower. We’re here to support you in your yoga practice, no matter what stage of your practice you’re in today. Perseverance equals power!

If you’re thinking about starting yoga, but a lack of flexibility is holding you back - don’t let it stop you! The idea that you need to be flexible to do yoga is a huge myth, and flexibility isn’t essential to get on the mat. In fact - yoga practice can actually improve your flexibility, and you can see this improve over time the more yoga you practice. Every yogi started somewhere, and even the most flexible people didn’t start out being able to bend their bodies into difficult poses. Yoga can improve your flexibility if you’re not very bendy - as well as improve your posture, balance and strength, if being flexible isn’t one of your goals. Even bodybuilders didn’t start off being able to carry the heaviest of weights - they trained and started from the bottom, and the same is true for yoga and flexibility. Progress comes with effort and hard work, and starting from scratch.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." -Prince Life as we know it is different in ways you may never have imagined. At this moment in time, it feels like Mother Earth has hit the pause button for all of us. Nobody is immune to this unprecedented challenge we are facing. Just like Prince sang––we are all here to navigate through this together! And we will make it through to the other side. Yoga teaches us that everything is temporary. Everything. We are facing a choice now: choose to see this moment in time as an opportunity for reflection and growth or as a time to be frustrated and defeated. It’s all a matter of perspective. We’re in it, so why not make the most of this enforced seclusion, which is basically a virtual cocoon? Chose to emerge as a butterfly.

"The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat." - Napoleon Hill Get fired up! Are you ready to tap into your innermost desires and stoke your motivation? Join us for our incredible 2020 challenge and we’ll be right there with you getting fired up for not just your best year ever, but your best DECADE ever. We’re going to give you every single little thing you need to help you kick off 2020 and manifest your desires for your best life. All you need to bring to the table is your Tapas… Tapas? If you aren’t familiar with this Sanskrit term, Tapas is one of the Niyamas or five internal practices from the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali’s Eight-Limb Yoga Path. This path outlines your journey through yoga and life. Cultivating these qualities before and during your time on the mat will lead you to success.

Commit to 21 days and learn to live for today. Often when we create intentions, we focus on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. When we focus primarily on the prize instead of the steps to achieve it, we are living for the future. One of the most important principles in yoga is learning to be in the now. Committing to our 21-day yoga challenge can help you embody living in the present moment. If you overthink how you’re going to squeeze in 21 consecutive days of yoga, you might quit before you begin. You’ve got family and work and workouts and commitments, right? Why add something else to your overflowing plate? Simple: By choosing to practice yoga every single day for three weeks, you are opening yourself to being fully present in your body, your mind, and your heart.

The seasons are changing. Whether it’s Autumn or Spring in your hemisphere, it’s September and it’s time to align yourself with nature. Choosing to make a deliberate shift now will give you extra power to transform your life or at least your yoga practice. Our two-week FREE challenge is designed to help you release the past and create space for the future. Autumn commemorates letting go and Spring welcomes the blossoming of new energy. Join fellow yogis from around the globe and let’s transform together. Why participate in a yoga challenge? We all know change isn’t easy and having the support of thousands of other yogis will keep you on track. Here are four benefits we think you’ll resonate with: 1. Increased Strength: Not only will your quadriceps and triceps get stronger from daily practice, your brain will also get a workout.

This week, we are excited to kick off a two-week challenge designed to tone and strengthen your center and bolster your center of gravity. We’ve got the top 5 reasons to focus on your abs and booty during yoga…hint––not just for how you look in a bathing suit! Now, we aren’t saying we don’t love looking our best, but we want to remind you these benefits change how you feel, not just how you look. Ready to get motivated? Here are the top 5 benefits to working out your abs and booty! 1. A Healthy Spine: Strong, toned abdominals will help maintain a healthy back. Often, lower back pain comes from weak abdominals and who has time for that? Many of these classes focus on toning not just your abdominals, but your back muscles too. The muscles of your trunk comprise your core and keeping them in shape will help you protect your spine. By performing specific, targeted work to strengthen your center, you can avoid pain and injury.