Before ever taking my first yoga class, my knowledge was limited to terms like “Warrior II” and “Downward Dog.” Well my practice happened to start with Bikram yoga, which doesn’t have any Warriors or Dogs. Just my luck, right?
It would be two years before setting foot in an actual Vinyasa class, and eventually going through a 200-hour teacher training. I learned a lot during that time period.
Welcome to our #WellnessWednesday yoga primer. Yoga is a wonderful way to become attuned to your body and increase circulation and flexibility. Each week I'll offer you a pose with benefits and instruction.
Benefits:
Stretches entire front of body including hip flexors, thighs, and abs.
Helps make the spine more flexible
Strengthens the back and the legs.
Can also help correct posture
Foundation & General Alignment:
What do the gallbladder and liver meridians, sour flavors, Spring time, tendons and sinews, eyes and vision, planning and decision making, creativity and anger all have in common? They all live in the Wood Element of the 5 Element Theory of Chinese Medicine. Creativity lives in the Wood Element because it is about action. Just like the small sprout pushing its way out of the dirt to the sun, creativity has a direction of moving upwards and out into the world. My childhood was a continual process of being in that creative space.
Welcome to our #WellnessWednesday yoga primer. Yoga is a wonderful way to become attuned to your body and increase circulation and flexibility. Each week I'll offer you a pose with benefits and instruction.
Benefits:
Opens whole front of the body as well as pelvis and inner organs. Also opens lungs.
Spine curves and lengthens.
Strengthens the shoulders, legs and back.
Builds strength.
Meditation Monday! This series is helpful for those new to meditation, and good refresher for those of us who have already committed to a daily practice. Each week I'll be giving you a meditative tip and some inspiration to find your own peace.
In love and light,
joni
This week's tip: Your meditative practice starts with your breath. Focus on your breath and nothing else. Your mind will wander. Come back to your breath. It can be helpful to count. I count four in and four out. Your breath will always be there for you.
Spring is officially here, and as the days get warmer, the bugs come out. Sure, we know that some insects are useful – they provide food for birds and help pollinate plants, for example. But as the recent fears over Zika virus have shown us, the increased presence of mosquitos can threaten our health, in addition to being an annoyance.
Luckily, there are plenty of options for natural mosquito repellents you can use to protect yourself.
I've always been drawn to life. Plant life. Animal life. Human life. I spent a lot of my childhood digging in the dirt, pulling the Bermuda grass that surrounded my great-grandmother’s flowers, a chore I loathed then, but remember fondly now
We all know we need to drink water to be healthy. In trying to reach the 8 glasses a day goal, you will often see people downing tall glasses of ice cold water. Now this might sound refreshing, especially in the summer. But, to truly hydrate your body, sipping warm water all throughout the day is the most effective way to hydrate yourself. This is well known in Ayurveda, which is an ancient healing system that translates to the science of life.
Meditation Monday! This series is helpful for those new to meditation, and good refresher for those of us who have already committed to a daily practice. Each week I'll be giving you a meditative tip and some inspiration to find your own peace.
In love and light,
joni
This week's tip: To start a meditative practice you need nothing but yourself and place to sit! You can meditate in a chair or on the floor. Just find a quiet spot. Don't worry about being a supremely serene being. Every practice has to start somewhere.
A great way to enjoy pizza without the guilt! Swap out traditional crust ingredients for cauliflower and coconut flour to make a delicious gluten-free/grain-free pizza. Seriously, this tastes amazing, try it!
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Makes 1 serving