Lifestyle

Annie Au of Spirit Soul Yoga

For my traveling yogis, one of the biggest problems is to keep up with our yoga practice. Finding space in a mini hotel room, scouting out good and affordable drop-in classes and plugging in the same yoga DVD for the zillionth time. These are all obstacles that may discourage you from stepping on the mat. Then the next thing you know, it’s been a few weeks and the closest yoga posture you’ve done is savasana.

For the past few years, I’ve gathered a few tips that would help me keep up my practice while traveling. They all work fantastic for me and I hope it will for you as well!

#1. Have a small yoga sequence handy

Having your own yoga sequence to practice to helps you eliminate the need to find a yoga studio in a new city.  Roll out your yoga mat and voila- your personal yoga space! You could be at a hotel, airport or office space. As long as you’re not stopping traffic or making a scene, I’m confident you can practice pretty much anywhere. All you really need is a few sun salutations, standing/seated postures and finishing poses. Jot down the sequence in a small notebook or on your phone, eventually you’ll memorize this sequence by heart. No idea how to compose a sequence? Click here to receive a free yoga sequence sheet!

#2. Practice in the early morning

When traveling, the best time to practice yoga is early in the morning. It’s unlikely that you will hit the mat after a long day of sightseeing or a glass of vino in the afternoon. So be wise, don’t fool yourself. Get up and just practice.

#3. Be realistic how long and how often you would practice

It would be great to practice every single day, but chances are it won’t be realistic. If you’re used to practicing 2hrs daily, it might be wise to reduce to 1hr or even 45 minutes. On certain days, it might just be 15-20 minutes. Again, manage your expectation and be okay with change.

#4. Have a balanced diet

As much as we strive to do yoga when traveling, sometimes it’s just isn’t feasible. So instead of beating yourself up, the best way to maintain clarity of mind and a healthy body is to have a balanced diet! It’s okay to indulge a little on vacation but take everything in moderation. Perhaps skip dessert but have that glass of wine, eat your veggies and drink lots of water. You’ll feel great and ready to hop back on the mat when you return home!

One of the main lessons I learned while traveling is non-attachment. I used to feel frustrated whenever I missed a practice and I would carry that frustration throughout the day! Now, I realize yoga is a state of being and not a physical regime on a rectangular mat. Practice the other limbs of yoga such as ethical behaviors and self-observations are equally important.

I hope these tips help you! Please let me know what you also do to keep up your practice when traveling!

Light,

Annie (annieauyoga.com)

“Insightful, Effective, Elegant. Erin is the most effective Life Coach I have ever worked with. She is artful in how she guided me toward awareness with my blind spots, she was intuitive about the layers of my experience, and she was highly effective in helping me transform emotional stress into productive energy. I found her broad perspective and full range of experience in coaching brought the right combination of tools to help me. I am a huge fan of her work.”
-Kaileen Sherk, Personal Growth Specialist
 

Meet Erin Tetarenko from i.be (www.ibelife.com), she is the teacher/ life coach for our Bali Retreat this September!

Erin is the founder of i.be, personal and leadership coach, yoga teacher, and visionary. She is passionate about elevating leaders and communities to discover enduring vitality and fulfillment through science, coaching and connection.

Learn more about Erin and i.be and all the wonderful wisdom she shares in this interview:
 

-Why did you create i.be?

i.be was created to support and empower people: the leaders, the visionaries, the unique souls who naturally aspire to be positive change agents and those who have a desire to contribute.

-What does i.be do?

i.be provides a holistic and integrative approach to life and leadership coaching, teaches health (and helping) professionals coaching skills, and connects leaders through coaching retreats.

“Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.” – Rumi

-Who do you work with?

My focus is on coaching aspiring leaders including helping professionals, coaches, and those passionate about creating positive change in people’s lives.

-Why is coaching leaders important to you?

Coaching the leaders allows for a widespread reach. Leaders teach others what they discover and, as a result, there is a ripple effect that spreads into the communities

“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” – Paulo Coehlo

Leaders in health and wellbeing have the ability to positively change lives and it starts with doing their own work. i.be coaching encourages them to take care of their own needs while helping them to gain clarity, perspective and more life satisfaction. When leaders are healthy and fulfilled, they are in a better position to support others.

Along with supporting their personal development with coaching programs, I teach them practical coaching skills to improve the way they interact in all their important relationships – professional and personal – and to maximize the life changing work that they do.

-What is your vision for i.be?

My big vision is a global health and wellness community of coaches and leaders who live authentic, full, and meaningful lives and create enduring positive change by using science and practical coaching skills to best support the people they work with.

-What makes you different from other coaches?

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Ghandi

I provide a holistic and integrative approach to coaching. I have over 10 years of practical experience working with people to improve their health and life experience; top quality education in health and human performance; and, Masters level education in coaching psychology.
I’m always looking to fill my toolbox with a variety of tools, techniques, and approaches to best support my clients. Having a full toolbox allows me to individualize each coaching session to meet the specific needs, challenges, and desires of the people I work with.
A special ‘thank you’ to some inspiring people in my life for asking me this questions and challenging me to dig a bit deeper and share my truth.

-What to you is an essential quality in a life coach/ teacher?

“when one teaches, two learn” – Robert Heinlein

I believe it’s important to trust in the inner wisdom of people – to hold them creative, resourceful and as masters in their own lives.

Coaching is essentially about ‘drawing out’ information to create greater clarity, perspective, and choice. Teaching also involves ‘drawing out’ information with the added sharing of knowledge. When a student is presented information, she may be able to integrate this new information into her existing mental models, this is horizontal learning. Though when information is presented in a way that encourages critical thinking and challenges her existing mental models, this invites new ideas and new ways of thinking. This is vertical learning – where paradigm shifts happen. And, perhaps, the paradigm shift not only happens for the student but for the teacher as well.

-What are some challenges you have faced in becoming a coach/ teacher?

Being confronted with my mirrors and facing my own ‘inner dialogue’.

My greatest learning was realizing that I can be my own worst critic AND I have the choice to be my own best friend.

I’ve learned to accept and appreciate creativity over perfectionism, self-compassion over self-criticism, and teamwork over competition.

Looking at my own mirror and taking responsibility for myself hasn’t been easy – it’s challenging, uncomfortable, and involves suffering. But, it’s absolutely liberating and worth it.

-What are the biggest benefits coaching/ teaching has brought you?

Wow – so many.

I get to fall in love with humanity everyday. I see people in an authentic and vulnerable space – a space where connection begins. I see their layers and watch them shed those which no longer serves them. I see people own their stories and grow from their lessons.

-What is your favourite place on earth?

Anywhere, as long as I’m immersed in nature and have someone with me to share a good conversation.

Though, I’m totally smitten with Nicaragua. Somehow this incredible place teaches me more and more each visit – answering the questions I never knew I had. I learn new ways to live and am reminded of how I want to be in this lifetime.

-Other then people, what has taught you the most on your path?

Nature and Silence.

-Book some coaching from Erin today or check out what she offers on her i.be website!

100SHARES

Photo of echinacea flower by benary.com

Over the last several decades, over-use of antibiotics has reached an all-time high. The result has been drug-resistant bacteria and “superbugs” that evolve faster than scientists can figure out how to fight them. A future where bacteria are at the top of the food chain is not unheard of.

Long before there were pharmaceutical antibiotics – developed in the 1940s, there were foods and herbs that helped guard against infection and disease on a daily basis. Many of these natural defenders are still in use today among holistic healers around the globe.

Our ancestors also had a solution for healing, using antibiotics from nature and it would be good to remind ourselves of these antibiotics and possibly think about using them in case of an illness.

1. Oregano and the oil of oregano

You’ve probably used oregano as a flavoring in your favorite Italian dishes without even realizing the health benefits that it contains. Beyond its antibacterial properties, oregano can help with digestion and aid in weight loss. An oil that is found in oregano, Carvacrol, has been found to fight the bacteria that can lead to infections. The oil of oregano has been found to treat digestive infections, and even one particular yeast infection. It is more than just a food flavoring.

2. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

The far-reaching benefits of daily doses of apple cider vinegar (ACV) include antibiotic and antiseptic properties, naturally alkalizing your system, and can aid you in everything from managing your weight to lowering cholesterol and your risk of cancer.

A chemical-free astringent, ACV can also be used topically to disinfect and sterilize.

3. Honey

Ancient Romans used honey on the battlefield to treat wounds and prevent infection. Civilizations all over the world continue to consider honey to be one of the best natural antibiotics, antimicrobials, anti-inflammatories, and antiseptics known to man after thousands of years.

New Zealand’s Manuka honey has been proven to have the highest levels of antioxidants and curative powers.
An enzyme found in honey releases hydrogen peroxide. This process helps your body fight infection and prevents the growth of bacteria. Soothing to the digestive system, honey removes toxins from the blood and helps your liver operate more efficiently.

A great boost to the immune system, consider combining honey with cinnamon to strengthen your white blood cells! Raw, organic honey is the best option since most pasteurization methods kills the antioxidant effects.

4. Turmeric

This spice isn’t just rich in color and flavor, but it also products your body against harm. Turmeric and be both consumed and applied externally, making it a great choice for fighting against bacteria. For extra benefit, from combining two bacteria fighting substances, you can mix turmeric with honey and create a paste to apply to infected areas on your skin.

You can protect your body against infections and bacteria based sicknesses by taking advantage of these safe and natural remedies that are available in your kitchen. Protect your body without the use of prescription drugs by using honey, oregano, garlic, echinacea and turmeric.

5. Garlic

Flavorful and wonderful on a piece of butter toast, this plant also has very powerful qualities to it. Garlic can fight such simple infections as the common cold, pushing the germs away before they have a chance to disrupt your life. Using the allicin that it contains, garlic protects against yeast, parasites, bacteria, and more. If you are looking for a simple way to live healthier, add more garlic to your diet.

6. Grapefruit Seed Extract

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study that found grapefruit seed extract (GSE) effective against more than 800 forms of viruses and bacteria, more than a hundred strains of fungus, and many parasites.

High in many antioxidants, GSE boosts immunity, alkalizes the body naturally, and aids in digestion by improving your beneficial gut flora.

7. Echinacea

So, you might not have as much experience with this product, but it is a safe herb that is found in many kitchens. The consumption of this herb has been proven to reduce the amount of colds that a person deals with in their life, and shorten the colds that the person does have to face. This herb is a great choice when taken as a preventative measure.

8. Cabbage

There are sulfur compounds found in cabbage – a member of the cruciferous family that includes broccoli and kale – that have been shown effective as cancer fighters.

What many people don’t realize is how much vitamin C is found in cabbage. One cup provides 75% of what you need every day.

Naturally antibacterial, eating shredded raw cabbage in your salad, as a side dish in the form of slaw, or drinking fresh cabbage juice (with honey added to sweeten) is an excellent way to improve digestion, prevent disease, and even manage your weight!

9. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

There is not enough that can be said for the benefits of coconut oil. It has naturally occurring anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties and is packed with antioxidants you can’t find anywhere else in nature.

Use it to boost your immune system, balance thyroid, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and even improve brain function. Safe to use internally and externally, coconut oil is one of the most versatile and unique gifts from Mother Nature. Stir a spoonful into your morning coffee for added energy and a clearer head all day.

10. Fermented food

Homemade pickles, kefir and probiotic yogurts all renew our intestinal flora, protect us from cancer and keep our body fit to fight off infections.

11. Colloidal Silver

A natural antibiotic, colloidal silver is a mixture of silver particles suspended in fluid that have been used for centuries.

This treatment is temporary since too much silver – a heavy metal – can be toxic. However, it disables the enzyme that single-cell bacteria require to multiply. Deprived of their oxygen supply, the bacteria and viruses are destroyed without damage to you.

Written by naturalnews.com

 
 
Join our 200HR Yoga Teacher Training in Thailand!
 
Sarah and Jana, two experienced and devoted instructors take you on a powerful, transformative journey. The training will be held at the exquisite Sanctuary Resort on the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand. Amazing people, beautiful beaches, premium food (raw, vegan options), quiet environment, refined accommodations, beautiful yoga studios and easy access to the lush jungle.
 
Working with a strong intuitive relationship, they combine to offer a vast knowledge on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anusara based alignment approaches, conscious anatomy and embodied experience. They have a combined 12 years teaching experience including facilitation of workshops, retreats & Yoga Teacher Trainings.
 
Nov 2-30, 2015! See here for more info.
 
 

When you grow up in what is voted “the most liveable town in North America” (Nelson, Canada), which has more organic coffee shops than most cities, where the word(s) on the street are kale, spirulina and maca, and your father started the first WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) in Canada on his homestead, you understand why Jonathan Benda might have developed a green thumb.

On the other hand, half Indian Adrienne Thadani, Benda’s partner in their organic farming and landscape consultancy Thrive, admittedly hadn’t grown anything except maybe a cucumber with her grandmother while growing up in Washington DC. Luckily, as her best friend’s mom opened the first organic restaurant in the city, she always had access to the clean food she would one day want to grow.

Bitten by the travel bug early in his life, Benda always knew he wanted to work outdoors. While he backpacked, and travelled around the world, living in Spain and Thailand for a couple of years each, he found himself working at a sustainable landscaping company in Australia that did “vegetation projects with endemic native vegetation, vertical gardens, living filters, slope stabilization on banks, etc.” He was offered a partnership and considered migrating to Australia, and about four and half years ago came to India to ponder over this life-changing decision. And right about then, he walked into Samata Yoga Retreat in Goa and has been planting seeds there ever since.

In 2009, 22-year-old Thadani decided she wanted to live in India to discover the country “not through my father’s lens, but through my own.” A simple question—“why plant ornamental bananas?” triggered a career path she hadn’t considered till then. “I was just so confused as to why this team of horticulturists didn’t want to grow banana plants that grew bananas! Their answer was that people would then eat them!” She started asking questions like how could we be growing more in unused spaces around the city and started connecting with NGOs who were into nutrition and urban gardening. “The number one counter I would get from people is that there is no space in Mumbai. Which to me was crazy, as I saw nothing but space: we are a city of empty, flat rooftops that can all be used for growing food!” As fate would have it, soon after she started asking these questions, she met Naheed Carrimjee who offered her a 2,500sqft rooftop garden in a building she owned at Muhhamad Ali Road, that led to Flyover Farm.

The farm started in 2012, and has since then seen 3,200 visitors and has now transformed into a show-and-tell space for school kids and volunteers as well as for the community. Around the same time that Thadani was developing micro green kits, restaurateur Gauri Devidayal (from The Table) got in touch with her for help growing the tiny edible saplings for her iconic Mumbai restaurant. The journey as an organic farming consultant, which would eventually lead her to Benda, had begun.

While Benda was working his magic on a small, degraded patch of land attached to Samata Yoga Retreat, growing veggies for their yoga centre as well as their fine-dining restaurant Matsya (remember Gomey Galily?) that was attached to the retreat, he heard about this girl who was doing similar things for The Table in Mumbai. “He cold-called me while I was in Goa and when I went to see the farm at Samata, I could see how organized Jonathan’s brain was when I saw how straight his garden beds were!” laughs Thadani as she describes their first meeting. “We just started helping each other out, sharing ideas, sharing seeds; we both love to share information! Nothing is a secret. Nothing is proprietary. If I have something that works well, I want you to know about it.” They found they were philosophically on the same page, “Even when we weren’t working together, we both wanted each other’s gardens to thrive.”

Their first project together was not at some wealthy person’s farm in Alibaug but in the slums of Dharavi, where Thadani and architect Nicola Antaki had gotten a grant from the UN to work with clean air plants to combat the air pollution being created by potters and their kilns. They managed to get the potters themselves to build a vertical garden, and Thrive was born.

What Thrive essentially does is analize what the purpose of the client is, if they want veggies just for themselves or if it’s for a business or a restaurant. Then they design a whole ecosystem around the needs of the clients and create a farm management and development plan, which they also oversee the execution of. Thadani’s various non-profit efforts continue under Fresh & Local, the non-profit branch of Thrive.

When asked why farming and why India, Benda answers in a language I totally understand—the love of eating. “I love eating, and farming is usually very delicious. And what continues to give me pleasure in farming is the pleasure of eating something that is so sun-sweet, like a tomato that is still warm from the sun. There is nothing quite as nourishing as eating fresh fruit that you have just picked! And I see young kids around me in India, who might have gone to Berkeley to study and eaten some organic kale chips there, and have come back and are wondering what happened to this country with some of the richest histories in organic farming in the world! That motivates me to stay here.”

Find them on Instagram (@thrivegds)

Blog by Shilarna Vaze (you might know her as Chef Chinu) is the owner of Gaia Gourmet, a chef, writer and TV host. Find her on Twitter (@ChefChinu) and on Instagram (@chefchinugaiagourmet)

It’s a piece of advice yogis have given for thousands of years: take a deep breath and relax. Watch the tension melt from your muscles and all your niggling worries vanish. Somehow we all know that relaxation is good for us.

Now the hard science has caught up: a comprehensive scientific study showing that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been published. What researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered is that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more ”disease-fighting genes” were active, compared to those who practised no form of relaxation.

In particular, they found genes that protect from disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure and even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The changes, say the researchers, were induced by what they call ”the relaxation effect”, a phenomenon that could be just as powerful as any medical drug but without the side effects. ”We found a range of disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation practitioners that were not active in the control group,” Dr Herbert Benson, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who led the research, says. The good news for the control group with the less-healthy genes is that the research didn’t stop there.

The experiment, which showed just how responsive genes are to behaviour, mood and environment, revealed that genes can switch on, just as easily as they switch off. ”Harvard researchers asked the control group to start practising relaxation methods every day,” says Jake Toby, hypnotherapist at London’s BodyMind Medicine Centre, who teaches clients how to induce the relaxation effect. ”After two months, their bodies began to change: the genes that help fight inflammation, kill diseased cells and protect the body from cancer all began to switch on.”

More encouraging still, the benefits of the relaxation effect were found to increase with regular practice: the more people practised relaxation methods such as meditation or deep breathing, the greater their chances of remaining free of arthritis and joint pain with stronger immunity, healthier hormone levels and lower blood pressure. Benson believes the research is pivotal because it shows how a person’s state of mind affects the body on a physical and genetic level. It might also explain why relaxation induced by meditation or repetitive mantras is considered to be a powerful remedy in traditions such as Ayurveda in India or Tibetan medicine.

But just how can relaxation have such wide-ranging and powerful effects? Research has described the negative effects of stress on the body. Linked to the release of the stress-hormones adrenalin and cortisol, stress raises the heart rate and blood pressure, weakens immunity and lowers fertility. By contrast, the state of relaxation is linked to higher levels of feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and to the growth hormone which repairs cells and tissue. Indeed, studies show that relaxation has virtually the opposite effect, lowering heart rate, boosting immunity and enabling the body to thrive.

”On a biological level, stress is linked to fight-flight and danger,” Dr Jane Flemming, a London GP, says. ”In survival mode, heart rate rises and blood pressure shoots up. Meanwhile muscles, preparing for danger, contract and tighten. And non-essential functions such as immunity and digestion go by the wayside.” Relaxation, on the other hand, is a state of rest, enjoyment and physical renewal. Free of danger, muscles can relax and food can be digested. The heart can slow and blood circulation flows freely to the body’s tissues, feeding it with nutrients and oxygen. This restful state is good for fertility, as the body is able to conserve the resources it needs to generate new life.

While relaxation techniques can be very different, their biological effects are essentially similar. ”When you relax, the parasympathetic nervous system switches on. That is linked to better digestion, memory and immunity, among other things,” Toby says. ”As long as you relax deeply, you’ll reap the rewards.” But, he warns, deep relaxation isn’t the sort of switching off you do relaxing with a cup of tea or lounging on the sofa.

”What you’re looking for is a state of deep relaxation where tension is released from the body on a physical level and your mind completely switches off,” he says. ”The effect won’t be achieved by lounging round in an everyday way, nor can you force yourself to relax. You can only really achieve it by learning a specific technique such as self-hypnosis, guided imagery or meditation.”

The relaxation effect, however, may not be as pronounced on everyone. ”Some people are more susceptible to relaxation methods than others,” says Joan Borysenko, director of a relaxation program for outpatients at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston. ”Through relaxation, we find some people experience a little improvement, others a lot. And there are a few whose lives turn around totally.”

7 Health Benefits of Deep Relaxation

The next time you tune out and switch off and let yourself melt, remind yourself of all the good work the relaxation effect is doing on your body. These are just some of the scientifically proven benefits …

1. INCREASED IMMUNITY

Relaxation appears to boost immunity in recovering cancer patients. A study at the Ohio State University found that progressive muscular relaxation, when practised daily, reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence. In another study at Ohio State, a month of relaxation exercises boosted natural killer cells in the elderly, giving them a greater resistance to tumours and to viruses.

2. EMOTIONAL BALANCE

Emotional balance, means to be free of all the neurotic behavior that results from the existence of a tortured and traumatized ego. This is very hard to achieve fully, but meditation certainly is the way to cure such neurosis and unhealthy emotional states. As one’s consciousness is cleansed of emotionally soaked memories, not only does great freedom abound, but also great balance. As one’s responses then are not colored by the burdens one carries, but are instead true, direct and appropriate.

3. INCREASED FERTILITY

A study at the University of Western Australia found that women are more likely to conceive during periods when they are relaxed rather than stressed. A study at Trakya University, in Turkey, also found that stress reduces sperm count and motility, suggesting relaxation may also boost male fertility.

4. RELIEVES IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

When patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome began practising a relaxation meditation twice daily, their symptoms of bloating, diarrhoea and constipation improved significantly. The meditation was so effective the researchers at the State University of New York recommended it as an effective treatment.

5. LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE

A study at Harvard Medical School found that meditation lowered blood pressure by making the body less responsive to stress hormones, in a similar way to blood pressure-lowering medication. Meanwhile a British Medical Journal report found that patients trained how to relax had significantly lower blood pressure.

6. ANTI-INFLAMATORY

Stress leads to inflammation, a state linked to heart disease, arthritis, asthma and skin conditions such as psoriasis, say researchers at Emory University in the US. Relaxation can help prevent and treat such symptoms by switching off the stress response. In this way, one study at McGill University in Canada found that meditation clinically improved the symptoms of psoriasis.

7. CALMNESS

The simple difference between those who meditate and those who do not, is that for a meditative mind the thought occurs but is witnessed, while for an ordinary mind, the thought occurs and is the boss. So in both minds, an upsetting thought can occur, but for those who meditate it is just another thought, which is seen as such and is allowed to blossom and die, while in the ordinary mind the thought instigates a storm which rages on and on.

How to switch off stress

How can you use relaxation’s healing powers? Harvard researchers found that yoga, meditation and even repetitive prayer and mantras all induced the relaxation effect. ”The more regularly these techniques are practised, the more deeply rooted the benefits will be,” Jake Toby says. Try one or more of these techniques for 15 minutes once or twice a day.

Body Scan: Starting with your head and working down to your arms and feet, notice how you feel in your body. Taking in your head and neck, simply notice if you feel tense, relaxed, calm or anxious. See how much you can spread any sensations of softness and relaxation to areas of your body that feel tense. Once your reach your feet, work back up your body.

Breath Focus: Sit comfortably. Tune into your breath, follow the sensation of inhaling from your nose to abdomen and out again. Let tension go with each exhalation. When you notice your mind wandering, return to your breath.

Mantra Repetition: The relaxation response can be evoked by sitting quietly with eyes closed for 15 minutes twice a day, and mentally repeating a simple word or sound such as ”Om”.

Guided Imagery: Imagine a wonderfully relaxing light or a soothing waterfall washing away tension from your body and mind. Make your image vivid, imagining texture, colour and any fragrance as the image washes over you.

Article by foodmatters.tv

Photo by Wellness Mama

1.Pay attention to your breath

Your breath is a powerful and simple way to anchor yourself in the present moment. Whenever you are having a hard time staying in the now, take deep breaths, and focus on your breathing. You can count your breaths or close your eyes and visualize a positive bright white light flowing into your body, cleaning out all the gunk in your mind and on the exhale you breathe out a black smoke filled with the negativity and darkness that you were holding onto.

2. Just BE

BE where you are standing without reference to the past or concern for the future…smell the flower, watch and marvel at the setting/rising of the sun, appreciate the beauty of nature, feel the rain on your face…. see what is in front of you (or in you) for what it is and/or who they are in that very moment. You can use a ‘just BE’ reminder by tying a bracelet around your wrist. Each time you down at the bracelet it reminds you to stay present.

3. Put your thoughts on pause

Put thoughts on PAUSE.  For a moment, just sit and still your mind. There are many different meditation techniques you can use like repeating a simple phrase or mantra, japa meditation, using your breath, heart rhythm meditation, guided visualization, kundalini and many more. The research proves how beneficial stilling your mind is for your overall health and well-being.

4. Be the observer

Observe/Sense your thoughts and emotions in THIS moment like a reporter would and accept it without judgment or editorial comments.

5. Follow your passion

I have noticed that the more I follow my passion and my hearts deepest desire, the more I am able to stay in the now. I enjoy every second of every minute when I’m working on something I love. My heart buzzes with joy and I feel amazing.

One of the best feelings in the world is the deep-rooted belly laugh. It can bring people together and establish amazing connections. Everything from a slight giggle to a side-splitting guffaw can change the temperature of a room from chilly unfamiliarity to a warm family-like atmosphere.

There is already so much to love for laughter that it seems greedy to look for more, but that’s exactly what researchers Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan at the Loma Linda University in California have done. These two doctors have researched the benefits of laughter and found amazing results. Get ready to get your giggle on!

1. LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE

People who lower their blood pressure, even those who start at normal levels, will reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack. So grab the Sunday paper, flip to the funny pages, and enjoy your laughter medicine.

2. REDUCES STRESS HORMONE LEVELS

By reducing the level of stress hormones, you’re simultaneously cutting the anxiety and stress that impacts your body. Additionally, the reduction of stress hormones may result in higher immune system performance. Just think: Laughing along as a co-worker tells a funny joke can relieve some of the day’s stress and help you reap the health benefits of laughter.

3. WORKS YOUR ABS

One of the benefits of laughter is that it can help you tone your abs. When you are laughing, the muscles in your stomach expand and contract, similar to when you intentionally exercise your abs. Meanwhile, the muscles you are not using to laugh are getting an opportunity to relax. Add laughter to your ab routine and make getting a toned tummy more enjoyable.

4. IMPROVES CARDIAC HEALTH

Laughter is a great cardio workout, especially for those who are incapable of doing other physical activity due to injury or illness. It gets your heart pumping and burns a similar amount of calories per hour as walking at a slow to moderate pace. So, laugh your heart into health.

5. BOOSTS T-CELLS

T-cells are specialized immune system cells just waiting in your body for activation. When you laugh, you activate T-cells that immediately begin to help you fight off sickness. Next time you feel a cold coming on, add chuckling to your illness prevention plan.

6. TRIGGERS THE RELEASE OF ENDORPHINS

Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers. By laughing, you can release endorphins, which can help ease chronic pain and make you feel good all over.

7. PRODUCES A GENERAL SENSE OF WELL-BEING

Laughter can increase your overall sense of well-being. Doctors have found that people who have a positive outlook on life tend to fight diseases better than people who tend to be more negative. So smile, laugh, and live longer!

Blog by E.C. LaMeaux from Gaiam Blog

Image by wespark.org

Thanksgiving is over, but the overeating, bloating and sugar-filled cranberry, sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie may still be with you. Did you know that some food can remain in your system for up to four days? This can make your body constipated, your mind foggy and your overall energy and mood sluggish. But with some simple steps, you can detox and cleanse your post-Thanksgiving system and revive it back to its healthy state.

A detox program can help your body’s natural cleaning process by:

1. Stimulating the liver to release toxins from the body;
2. Promoting waste elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
3. Improving circulation throughout the body;
4. Refueling you with healthy nutrients.

Not that we are fans of using a cleanse to lose weight; nor do we recommend partaking in a diet void of food, vitamins and minerals (like the Lemonade Diet), but we do like the idea of incorporating more natural methods into the day in order to help release toxins from the body. If you are still feeling the effects of your Thanksgiving feast, here are some tips to naturally cleanse and detox your system:

Awaken the toxins. When we consume unnatural foods, they can leave behind a dense residue in our cells, according to nutritionist Marlena Torres. This residue turns into excess weight, body odor, wrinkles, cellulite and aging. Torres says we can awaken and loosen these toxins by consuming alkaline substances such as fresh vegetable juice, raw vegetables and fruits. Apparently, the negative ionic charge of these foods are opposite of the positive ionic charge of toxins in our cells.

Release the toxins. Once they have been awakened from our cells, toxins are then moved into our bloodstream and organs. They then need to be flushed from our bodies through natural elimination (going to the bathroom). Drinking at least two quarts of water a day will help, as will eating a diet rich in fiber (like the fruits and vegetables mentioned above).

Go clean. Eliminate other toxic-producing things like alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats, all of which will just create more toxins and become obstacles to your cleanse. You should also try to minimize use of chemical-based household cleaners and personal beauty products (shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and substitute with natural alternatives instead.

Eliminate stress. Stress triggers your body to release stress hormones into your system, which in large amounts can create toxins and slow down detoxification enzymes in the liver.

Incorporate daily yoga. Yoga is not only an effective way to reduce stress, but it’s a natural way to detox your liver and other organs, while also helping to relieve constipation.

Practice hydrotherapy. Take a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes. This can help to stimulate your circulation and organs to help flush out toxins.

Sweat. Sit in a sauna or steam bath so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.

Article by Deborah Dunham of blisstree.com

Meet sweet Katie, owner of Be Free Yoga. She started practicing yoga at 17 as something to do to keep active. Starting off primarily with hot yoga, she loved the challenge of the practice, but more importantly loved the way she felt after. It didn’t take long for the effects of yoga to trickle into the rest of her life. Her mat was a safe place to land, to process, and find peace.

We are stoked to be collaborating with Katie on her retreat this year in Fernie, BC, Canada July 17-20. She will not only be teaching yoga but also working you through the desire mapping workshops that Danielle Laporte trained her in facilitating.

Learn more about this beautiful soul in this interview:

What to you is the most essential quality in a teacher?

The most essential quality in a teacher is connection. To really see every student that shows up, and let them know they matter, and their journey is important. To connect with your students by making the class accessible for who shows up, no matter, ability, or beliefs, yoga is for everyone whatever path you are on. To connect with students by making eye contact in class, giving adjustments if they are welcomed. Connecting with clear concise language, and cues. Making an effort to talk after practice, to get to know them on a personal level, and to really, really listen to what they have to say. Connection to themselves so they are teaching from a place of authenticity and truth. 

What are the biggest challenges yoga has brought you?

The biggest challenges I have faced since practicing yoga is learning to be still. When ever I would face any type of discomfort or turmoil in my life I would either deny it, avoid it, or run from it. Through yoga it has taught me to face it, to sit with it, to become still and allow myself to feel it and then move in which direction is best. I still struggle with this almost everyday, I feel the urge to run when things get hard, and to quit when I feel challenged. Yoga has forced me to be awake and be present in my life, and its honestly one of the hardest things to do but also the most rewarding thing about my practice. 

Other than people, what has taught you the most in your path?

Nature, her perseverance, her strength, her beauty. Particularly pine trees. The way in which new seeds are planted is through extreme heat, a forest fire is the only way to crack open the pine cones allowing the seeds to fall to the earth. Its a metaphor for life, in order to plant a new beautiful seed that will bring great beauty and ease into your life, sometimes you need to go through extreme situations, and preserver through what seems like devastating circumstances to be reborn. 

And horses, I have spent my whole life around horses and they have been my biggest guide and anchor. They survive in the wild by sensing energy. So when you are around horses you have no choice but to be grounded, calm, present, and confident. If you are not present or feeling anxious they too will become un easy, and won’t fully trust you. Horses were my first meditation teachers, and still are my favourite teachers. They have the ability to heal, and they are givers of unconditional love. 

As a teacher what is the core of your message?

To listen to your self. Whether its listening to your body in what it is needing in a particular pose, listening to your heart, and your feelings and notice them, what are they calling for and craving. You have the answers you are searching for, and we need to trust ourselves. We are the ones living our life, so only we know what is truly best and what is going to make us feel great. Sometime we need a little help to get there but all the great teachers I have been blessed to work with have just allowed me to see and sometimes given me the courage to admit what I already knew deep down.  

Why do you believe in the magic of yoga?

As a teenager I struggled with anxiety and a bit of depression, never really finding silence (except on my horse). And when I stepped on to my mat for the first time I had connected my breath and movement of my body for the first time and for a moment I let go of everything. On my mat I felt safe, I was able to discover who I was, and found some healthy love for myself.  Where previously my inner critic ruled the roost and I was never really sure who I was, constantly trying to be like other people I looked up to. Which can be healthy to admire different qualities in people, but not to try and be them. Its the only place besides with my horse I felt strong, and confident, and proud of who I was. Connecting breath and movement truly is a powerful, magical force, that changes lives. I honestly don’t know a ton about philosophy and history, its not my strong point, I just love the simplicity and power of breath and body right here, right now, in this moment, in this body. 

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