Meditation Myths

Hundreds of medical studies have shown the spectacular health benefits of meditation. Now Tiffany Cruikshank, founder of Yoga Medicine, puts that scientific research to good, practical use by incorporating easy-to-use, targeted meditations into a 21 day program. This program optimizes metabolism as well as body image by tapping into the hidden strength of the mind. We learn a whole new way to lose weight; and it takes just a few minutes a day.

Each day of the plan in Meditate Your Weight helps you explore and release what’s weighing you down physically, emotionally, and mentally—the mental blocks, thoughts, habits, and behaviors that stand in your way—to make it easier to think more clearly, make better choices, and maximize metabolism. As you lighten up on the inside, you’ll lighten up on the outside.

Excerpted from MEDITATE YOUR WEIGHT: A 21-Day Retreat To Optimize Your Metabolism And Feel Great Copyright © 2016 by Tiffany Cruikshank. Published by Harmony Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

SOME MY THS ABOUT MEDITATION—AND THE TRUTH

Though  meditating  is simpler  to do than  many  be- lieve, it is also a mysterious  process—how  does  it work, exactly? Even scientists  are not  exactly sure, but they’re getting closer. That mystery sometimes causes a bit of a PR problem  for meditation,  but I’d love to clear up a few of those misunderstandings.

Myth:

“MEDITATION  IS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE .”

Truth:

MEDITATION IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, A MENTAL PRACTICE .

Meditation  is not voodoo. Meditation  is not New Age or mystical. Yes, meditation has been used in many forms in religious traditions and cultures throughout history  and  throughout the  world—but the act of meditating  isn’t inherently spiritual.

At its core, meditation is a means of training your mind. It has direct physiological effects on the brain and nervous system that can be studied in the lab, tracked by sophisticated  fMRI brain scanners, or ana- lyzed with a blood test, stethoscope, or heart rate mon- itor. In fact, over the last twenty-five years, more than three thousand  studies on meditators  have been con- ducted at some of the most respected research institu- tions in the world, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and  the  universities  of California,  North  Carolina, and Wisconsin, among many others. The data from these  studies  is very clear: Meditation  helps  people lead healthier, happier, and more fulfilling lives.

Myth:

“MEDITATION JUST DOESN’T WORK FOR ME .” OR: “I CAN’T MEDITATE .”

Truth:

MEDITATION WORKS FOR EVERYONE , AND EVERYONE CAN DO IT.

I hear it all the time: “I can’t meditate—it  just doesn’t work for me.”

Imagine  if a baby who was just learning  how to walk tried to take a step and fell down, then turned around  and said, “Sorry, Mom and Dad—this  walk- ing thing just doesn’t work for me.”

Silly, right?  But meditation is like walking—it’s an activity we learn to do in very short spurts,  then continue to practice and improve upon for the rest of our lives.

Once you’ve mastered  the basics of walking, you can go in any direction  you’d like—you can run the fifty-yard dash in gym class, you can train  for a 5k, you can become a marathoner. Or, like many people, you might just stick with basic walking to get you through  your days. But the core mechanics  involved in each of these activities is exactly the same: You put one foot in front of the other, and you move forward.

Meditation  is just  like that.  You might  just  do three  minutes  a day; you might  work up to twenty. You might fall in love with it and decide to dig deep and do a retreat. But at an elemental level, no matter where you find yourself currently,  you are a medita- tor. From the very first moment you sit, take a breath, and  notice  that  your  mind  is wandering,  you’re  al- ready doing it—you’re meditating.

Myth:

“THE REAL TYPE OF MEDITATION  IS [X]—AND IF YOU DON’T DO [X], YOU’RE NOT REALLY MEDITATING .”

Truth:

ANY TYPE OF MEDITATION  IS “REAL”;

NO ONE TYPE IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER.

When  we start  meditating,  a common  trap  is to get caught  in thinking  we have to follow a specific type of meditation.  When  I first got into meditation back in the early nineties, people were very specific about it. I heard all kinds of dictums:

•   You can’t be sitting  on a chair—you  have to sit on a cushion.

•   Your legs need to be in this position.

•   You have to have your right thumb  on top and your left thumb  on the bottom.

•   Your right heel must be in front.

•   Your spine has to be right over your pelvis.

•   You have to chant this or think about that.

All  of  these   might  be  helpful   suggestions   to you—or not. To use meditation to reach your health goals, there are truly no absolutes of this kind. What works for you is what works for you. It doesn’t matter if you do a visualization, or count your breaths, or sim- ply take a moment to close your eyes and be still while riding on the bus—all of these are just tools, and all of them  are forms of meditation.  Anytime you take a moment  to just sit there—voilà, you’re meditating.

And that’s the ultimate  goal of meditation: that, with  practice,  you will get to a level of comfort  in which you can just tip back into that same relaxed, focused mental space on the drop of a dime, anytime you notice that you’re getting stressed. By developing your meditation skills, you become able to step out of the stress loop and remain  cool, calm, and collected as often as you’d like.

If you’re drawn  to one specific method  of medi- tation,  that’s  great—stick  with  what  works for you.

Find the tool that you need and use it. But from a scientific perspective,  and for the results  we’re look- ing for in the mind and body, please know there are many “right” ways to do it.

Tiffany Cruikshank is the founder & visionary behind Yoga Medicine, a community of expert yoga teachers focused on fusing the best of anatomy & western medicine with the traditional practice of yoga. Tiffany’s classes have evolved over the past 20 years of teaching yoga to reflect her creativity and passion for using yoga as a form of medicine for the mind, body & spirit. With her medical background in Acupuncture & Sports Medicine, her classes are guided by a strong anatomic focus and her ability to teach a deeper understanding of complex subjects. Recognized more broadly as a health & wellness expert, Tiffany has worked with professional athletes and celebrities from around the world. She has run her own clinics and was the Acupuncturist & Yoga Teacher at the Nike World Headquarters and has been featured as an expert in numerous publications including Yoga Journal, Prevention , Self, Marie Claire, Fitness Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Fox News, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Mantra, Thrive, More Magazine, OM Yoga, YogaLife and many others. Visit Tiffany’s Website

Photo credit: Jenny Jimenez

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/meditation-myths/

7 Ways Socially Unskilled People Can Quickly Become Better Listeners

I love watching successful interviewers, talk show hosts, and skilled orators give advice. I spend hours every month watching videos about this online. This to me was a way to improve my social skills, make more friends (which I lacked), and develop marketable skills in the workforce. One day, I observed a strange pattern. Many of […]

source http://wealthygorilla.com/socially-unskilled-people-better-listeners/

Pose of the Week: Gatekeeper

In this week’s Pose of the Week, Claire Missingham demonstrates Gatekeeper pose or Parighasana. Find a glorious stretch through your side body and hips as you move through a few stages of gatekeeper pose. A great intermediate pose that packs a lot of flexibility into your entire body.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/pose-of-the-week-gatekeeper/

6 Yoga Classes to Remain Calm

Feeling frazzled or unsettled lately? Not to worry. Yoga to the rescue! When we calm our breath, we calm our mind settling our central nervous system, allowing us to be more at peace within our own heart.

This week’s featured classes will help settle a stressed out mind and will bring more peace and calm to our lives.

• Strong, Calm & Steady with Kia Miller: Practice this powerful kriya and meditation designed to release stress and create the strength, resilience and grace needed to thrive in these times. Sequencing includes warm up surya namaskars and engaging mulabandha and bahir kumbhaka (hold at end of exhale). Charge the magnetic energy of your body with this strengthening, rejuvenating practice. When your nerves are strong you are resilient, calm and capable, having the capacity to turn challenge into opportunity. Props Suggested: A blanket.
• Breath Calm Down with Marla Apt: Take a moment to find your breath again with this exhalation focused practice done from a relaxed supine position. Calm your nervous tension with a few good smooth breaths. When you are plagued with worries, your breath and body respond and you can feel trapped in the physical and mental loop of anxiety. When you can catch a smooth breath, your perspective can shift completely. Props Needed: Three blankets and eye cover.
• Precisely Peaceful with Chelsey Korus: Drawing your attention inward towards your center makes poses like vrksasana (tree pose) satisfying and peaceful for your mind. As you know life is not predictable or stationary and you are asked to find your stability within the flow. Practice this as you transition from standing straddle to tree. Catch your drishti, commit and calm your mind. Keep that same peace as you explore leg variations in tripod headstand before a nice savasana. Props Needed: A bolster.
• Slow Breath, Calm Mind with Rod Stryker: Experience first hand how your breath is the key to shaping your mind. The poses will be simple but the focus on breath will be constant throughout. Use asana to improve breath and your breath to improve mental focus. Emphasize the calming and grounding power of lengthening exhale with forward bends and twists. Close with pranayama to leave you feeling balanced and stable.
• Calm Your Mind for Sweet Dreams with Kathryn Budig: Ever find yourself exhausted, lying in bed at the end of the day and unable to calm your mind? This class is for you. A sweet 10 minute restorative sequence to wring out your body and mind so you can rest peacefully and drift off into sweet dreams. Props Needed: A bolster, block and strap.
• Reset Your Mind: Calm with Tara Judelle: In this short practice to reset your nervous system for calm and ease we use pranayama, forward bends and an inversion to prepare you to meet the rest of your day with clarity. Props Needed: Bolster and Strap

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/5-yoga-classes-to-remain-calm/

7 Ways Intuition Dramatically Transformed My Life

If you told me two years ago that I have the sensitivity to physically feel the pain of someone’s heartache, the inner wisdom to write endless magical parables out of the air and the intuition to lead workshops without planning any content, I would tell you that you are crazy. But that is me and […]

source http://wealthygorilla.com/7-ways-intuition-transformed-life/

78 Classic New Years Resolution Ideas for 2017

The new year is quickly approaching and this is around about the time when we’ll all start thinking of our new years resolutions and how we can better ourselves in the new year. This article is all about new years resolution ideas for 2017, but still keeping it related to the areas we write about […]

source http://wealthygorilla.com/classic-new-years-resolution-ideas-for-2015/

Pose of the Week: Downward Facing Dog

In this week’s Pose of the Week, Annie Carpenter demonstrates Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana. Access your hamstring length, arm strength and shoulder rotation as you review the foundations of this pose. Reach your hips high and you create both power and ease in your body and mind.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/pose-of-the-week-downward-facing-dog/

26 Reasons to Finally Stop Eating Junk Food

I was recently watching a documentary featuring the ‘Subway guy’, where he went to various events across the country as the spokesman for Subway. I forget his name, and I’m pretty sure he’s in prison now. Anyway… there was an 18 year old girl on the show who was speaking with the spokesman. She was […]

source http://wealthygorilla.com/26-reasons-stop-eating-junk-food/

Kathryn Budig’s Butternut Squash Mac ’n’ Cheese

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

I grew up on a steady diet of boxed macaroni and cheese (it was my dad’s specialty: open box, boil water, and stir in mix). As I grew older, I still craved it, but the excessive dairy always made me ill. I’ve tried tons of vegan versions, and it wasn’t until I played with butternut squash that I found success. This dish is ridiculous. My girlfriends are constantly asking me to whip it up. It’s the ultimate comfort food without the payday that follows. Dig in!

1 butternut squash, peeled, cleaned, and cubed

2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 teaspoons smoked sea salt

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

16 ounces brown rice penne

2 to 3 shallots, chopped

2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped

½ cup white wine

2 teaspoons mustard powder or Dijon mustard

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 teaspoon chipotle powder

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste

½ cup gluten-free bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Toss the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the smoked sea salt, and the Cajun seasoning. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until soft. Leave the oven on.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente, following the package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. Sauté the shallots in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Deglaze the pan with white wine, cooking for 2 minutes and stirring to scrape any browned bits into the sauce; stir in the mustard powder.

4. Combine the roasted squash, almond milk, shallot mixture, chipotle powder, nutritional yeast, paprika, and 2 teaspoons salt in a high-speed blender. Puree until smooth.

5. Grease a 4-quart casserole pan with olive oil or coconut oil spray. Add the cooked pasta and pour the butternut squash mixture on top. Mix well. Top with the bread crumbs, Parmesan, if desired, a quick drizzle of olive oil, and a light shower of sea salt. Bake the casserole for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is light gold.

From Aim True by Kathryn Budig. Copyright © 2016 by Kathryn Budig. Reprinted by permission of William Morow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/kathryn-budigs-butternut-squash-mac-n-cheese/

7 Yoga Classes to Cultivate Gratitude this Thanksgiving

The holidays are officially here! While we know that this is a wonderful time filled with lots of  joy, family and friends, we also know that it can be a very stressful time. Not to worry though — yoga to the rescue!  Yoga can alleviate stress due to travel, family and can even help aid in digestion after that big turkey meal.

This week’s featured classes will help reduce stress, prep for a big meal, will help aid in digestion and will help you find a way to give thanks during it all – even after a long flight.

• A Thanksgiving Story with Steven Espinosa: With gratitude for the breath, move mindfully, consciously, and with awareness, flowing through a series of standing poses. Warm up your body with sun salutations, then balance in ardha chandrasana (half moon), vashistasana (side plank) and warrior poses. Then come down to the mat to open your hips and quads.
• Roley Poley Flow with Kathryn Budig: Let’s face it, the last thing you want to do after a massive Thanksgiving meal is workout. In fact, a nap sounds about right, but instead, how about doing a bit more? This easy, steady paced flow is perfect for when you want to move, burn off some excess holiday goodness, but not punish yourself. Practice a simple sequence with gentle twists and soothing hip openers and fill up on self-gratitude.
• Thanksgiving Yoga on the Ground with Alex: Thanksgiving Yoga on the Ground – Feeling sluggish? The holidays can bring a lot of abundance to which your yoga practice can adjust. Practice supporting the changing needs of our digestion with gentle twists and back strengthening poses. Using props, move through a sequence of supported postures on the floor that will assist you in bringing a sense of ease and openness. Conclude with a brief meditation on abundance, gratitude and community. Give thanks and enjoy your body! Props Needed: A blanket and a bolster.
• Yoga Before Big Meals with Jo Tatsula: This is a great pre-holiday class, perfect to take before eating any big meals!! Before we start the flow, take a moment to allow the atmospheres around you and within you to mix and merge. Becoming one with your space. Then it’s a nice steady flowy flow that builds into a dancing warrior sequence using warrior 1 & 2, reverse warrior &  extended side angle pose (Virabhadrasana 1 & 2, Utthita  Parsvakonasana). We work the actions of side plank (vasistasana) and build to side plank tree (vasistasana vrksasana). Use the heat of the flow to open the chest, lungs and heart with these tasty backbends ~ locust pose, bow & bridge (Salabhasana, Danurasana & Setu Bandha….Urdhva Danurasana is optional!) Finish with pose of your choice ~ hip opener or inversion. Happy Holidays!
• Personal Post-Travel Practice with Darren Rhodes: Darren Rhodes shares his personal post travel practice featuring forward folds, twist, and hip openers. After this practice you will be ready, set, go!
• Post Turkey Flow with Dice Iida-Klein: An all-around flow that geared towards burning off the bird, post turkey day! We begin on our backs to wring out the laziness and make our way into a modified Surya Namaskar A. From there we continue through quite a few standing postures and incorporate our tripod headstand into the flow. We breakdown tripod headstand and a few of the transitions in and out of it. Using danurasana for backbends, we finish with janu sirsasana and paschimottanasana. Down with tryptophan my fellow yogis!!!!
• Antidote for Holiday Excess with Felicia Tomakso: Antidote for holiday excess? Stimulate healthy digestion and elimination with a gentle sequence of twists alternating with abdominal strengtheners and forward folds. Take a break two hours after or one hour before you eat to enjoy your food even more.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/cultivate-gratitude-this-thanksgiving/

Yoga for Depression

A startling number of people you ask, if they’re being really honest, will admit they’ve dealt with depression at some point in their lives. Not only is depression one of the most common mental health issues around, but it’s also the leading cause of disability across the globe. Though we’re getting a little more comfortable with talking about it openly, it’s still oddly hard to treat: Antidepressants don’t work for everyone, and even talk therapy can be hit or miss. Interestingly, some research has suggested that yoga can help treat depression. It may not be a panacea, but it can certainly make a difference in people’s mental health, especially if you’re doing other things to help yourself as well.

One recent review study found that yoga could be an effective treatment for certain mental health disorders, including depression. The team, based at Duke University, carried out a meta-analysis, looking back over several previous studies on yoga and a number mental health issues like depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, sleep problems, cognitive problems, and eating disorders. For depression, they found that four studies were rigorous enough be included in the review, and the studies did yield positive effects of yoga for people with clinical depression. One of the studies even found that the cortisol levels of the participants, who were young adults with depression, had decreased significantly by the end of the five-week study period. Cortisol, a stress hormone, is often higher in people with depression.

“The search for improved treatments, including non-drug based, to meet the holistic needs of patients is of paramount importance and we call for more research into yoga as a global priority,” said study author P. Murali Doraiswamy at the time of the study. “If the promise of yoga on mental health was found in a drug, it would be the best selling medication world-wide.”

There’s a number of ways in which yoga is thought to work physiologically. One is by reducing activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which governs our stress response, and by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter GABA, which are known to be lower in people with depression.

And other studies have suggested that yoga may work by increasing bone-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a measure of the brain’s plasticity, or malleability. A study from in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry found that people who were depressed and who took yoga with or without antidepressants for three months had higher levels of BDNF after the treatments. There wasn’t any difference in levels of BDNF between the groups – but in the yoga-only group, there was a connection between how much depression symptoms were reduced and how much BDNF levels rose. This suggests that yoga may have a similar effect on brain plasticity as antidepressants do.

Yoga also teaches us to regulate our breath, both on and off the mat, which is well known to help dial down the stress response and to dial up the relaxation response. “Yoga helps to modulate our responses to stress by decreasing our overall physiological arousal (i.e., reduced heart rate and blood pressure),” says psychologist Ben Michaelis, “and somewhat ironically by increasing the variability of our heart rate which allows us to respond more adaptively to stress.” He adds that the community aspects of yoga – being part of a group of people who are all in it for a similar goal – may also help with the more isolating elements of depression. Research has definitely found that social contact is a key part of psychological well-being.

And finally, just having a practice to go back to regularly can be a huge help when we’re dealing with depression. It’s not only the physical exercise, but it’s really the mental benefits of any routine that you come back to – this, in and of itself, helps people deal with the more intellectual and existential issues that come with depression.

“The breathing and calming aspects of yoga help improve attention and concentration, which are often disturbed during depression,” says Michaelis. “But the spiritual aspects of having a practice help with the existential aspects of depression – focusing on a larger purpose. And finally, taking time out of your busy day just for yourself is an inherently self-valuing activity and would have a reparative function for people who are in the midst of a depressive episode, and who often struggle with low self-esteem.”

So there are a lot of routes through which yoga may work for depression. Meditation itself has also been shown to have a big impact – a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that meditation is as effective as antidepressants in helping treat depression. But asana, too, seems to have its own very real set of benefits. It may not always be enough – for some, antidepressants and/or therapy may always be necessary – but it can certainly be an important ingredient in managing depression.

Alice G. Walton, PhD is a health and science writer, and began practicing (and falling in love with) yoga and meditation five years ago. She is a contributor at Forbes.com, and writes for the University of Chicago, as well as other publications. Of all the areas of health she covers, she’s particularly interested in how yoga and meditation affect the brain and behavior. You can follow her on Twitter @AliceWalton and Facebook at Facebook.com/alicegwalton.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/yoga-for-depression/

The Massive Power of Drshthi

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”  I use this quote by Mike Tyson in my men’s book Backbone in the chapter about Warrior energy.

Many good people I speak with these days feel like they’ve been punched in the face by recent events. Anyone who is living consciously can relate to the experience of being knocked off course, knocked down, or getting a blow to the face (or the heart). Disappointments, failures, and “knock downs”  – big and small – are part of the process of living. Our yoga training, especially our inner yoga practices like meditation and self-inquiry, can prepare us to face the ups and downs and face-punches of life and stay in our heart, stay in our wisdom. But how?

There’s a great Sanskrit word you may have heard in your yoga class: drshthi (drish-thee). It means vision. In asana sequences, it refers to where the practitioner is putting his or her gaze, where they are looking with their eyes. In inner yoga, drshthi refers to our perspective, the “way we see”. And, according to Yoga philosophy, how we see is EVERYTHING.

There is very old yogic text called the Yoga Vasishtha. It has one key aphorism that says

ya drshthi – sa srshthi 

Word srshthi (sirsh-thee) means “creation”. Put together, this verse could mean “As is your vision, so is your creation.” Sometimes I have seen it translated as “The world is as you see it.”.

This is a massively empowering teaching.

Our vision determines everything. It determines our state. It determines our choices. It determines our life. And collectively, everyone’s combined vision determines the way the world manifests. More than any practice, more than any strategy, more than any training regimen, “vision work” has leverage.

But like any other yoga practice, it takes a little elbow grease. We have to get in there are work with our vision. It’s one of the first things I establish with the people I work with privately. I help people to identify what their vision is; their vision for their life, their vision for themselves, their vision for their future. We get detailed. It’s not a magic idea of “manifestation” where we just create a vision board and “let the universe do the rest”. No. We may make a vision board, but our vision is our blueprint. Our vision is what guides our intelligent massive action. It guides our choices in the outer world, and it guides the decisions we make about our training.

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of teaching someone to meditate or get free on an inner level, I want them to know where they are headed, or at least where they want to be headed.  Then, all of their practices have a directedness. We know what qualities of being we want to cultivate and what inner enemies we need to eliminate. Then we might see that someone needs more yin practice, more meditation, more compassion and “softening” work. Or, we might see that they need to do more “yang” work, more strength building, or kick boxing, or primal screaming. That’s the great thing about being a yogi in 2016, we have so many different teachings and practices to choose from. But we need to have that clear drshthi first so we know where we’re headed and what we really need.

In addition to knowing what we want to create, part of our drshthi is also what we believe, what our standards for life are, and what our deep values are. Our drshthi is “what makes us tick.”  This aspect of drshthi is about a clear and intimate self-knowledge. Knowing who we are on this level, combined with knowing what we want to create in life, is a VERY powerful combination.

Then, when they get punched in the face, they know what to do (and how to be).

When calamities strike, big or small, local or global, personal or societal, it’s disorienting. It is like a blow to the face. We get scrambled, dizzied, confused and stunned.  If we don’t have vision, we might be apt to get reactive, or shut down and be avoidant. We might even use or yoga or meditation practice like an avoidance mechanism – curling up in our yoga blanket and pretending it all isn’t happening.  But when we have a clear vision – especially one that our heart is deeply connected to – we know where to look.  It’s like we wake up in a pile of rubble, rubbing our eyes. As soon as we can, we get up and start moving forward. If we have that clear vision, that clear drshti, we know which way to go.

David has been teaching meditation and self-empowerment to people all over the world in all kinds of venues since 1994. Classically trained in the Indian wisdom traditions of Yoga, Bhakti, Vedanta, and Tantric Shaivism, his teachings come from his decades of personal transformation and his experience serving others to find their authentic path to deep happiness.

David serves on the faculties of Kripalu, and Omega Institutes, and travels widely working with people from all walks of life. His teaching style is bold, dynamic, and unique, approachable to students from all walks of life. Most recently, David has taken on the mission of serving the transformational needs of men. He is the author of BACKBONE the Modern Man’s Ultimate Guide to Purpose Passion and Power. David currently splits his time between his home in Ojai, California and New York City.

Feeling inspired? Practice with David Today.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/the-massive-power-of-drshthi/

Pose of the Week: Hero’s Pose

In this week’s Pose of the Week, Alex van Frank demonstrates Hero Pose or Virasana. Learn a few great ways to support your body in this wonderful seated pose. No matter what your level, reap the grounding and expansive benefits of sitting back on your heals and breathing deep.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/pose-of-the-week-heros-pose/

5 Yoga Classes for Stamina

“Stamina is the strength and energy needed to exert oneself for an extended period of time. The word most commonly refers to the exertion needed for physical activities like exercise and sports. However, stamina can also refer to the mental exertion needed to perform a task or get through a difficult situation. Improving either type of stamina (or both!) is a great choice if you’re interested in living and feeling healthier.”

Looking to build your stamina? We’ve got the classes for you!

• Stand Still Sprint with Darren Rhodes: This standing sequence evenly strengthens more than stretches the legs. This class promotes stamina, strength, and stretch. Each pose is held for one minute to challenge you just enough to asana align your state with sadhana (practice).
• Backbends for Strength, Stamina and Playfulness with Noah: Begin with sun salutations, standing poses in vinyasa, thigh stretches, forearm balance variations, backbends with props (block, strap, folding chairs), into upward bow 1 and 2 and two leg inverted staff pose (dwi pada viparita dandasana) with a strap. This class uses a lot of props, to build opening with support. This class does not include savasana (final resting pose), so take time if you can to rest.
• Down Dog Assist with Claudine Lafond: Give your partner a juicy assist in down dog while you work on building stamina in the upper body. Enjoy this quick exploration into an equal give and take experience. Strengthen your solo down dog, and use as prep for a solid handstand practice. A fun way to connect and build trust with your partner. Power up your arms and shoulders and invite more even more spaciousness in your back body.
• Core & Upper Body Strength Flow with Jason: A straight forward vinyasa flow designed to strengthen your core and upper body. Focus on a well-rounded combination of salutations to warm up before mindfully moving through standing postures, accessible arm-balances and inversions. Gain an awareness of your core through targeted strengthening exercises throughout the practice. Discover how small changes made to your vinyasa practice can lead to greater strength, stamina and balance in your upper body and core.
• The Truth of Life with Marc: Begin with a dynamic sequence to build heat and strength and follow with active restoratives to build strength and stamina. Finish with passive restoratives with pranayama and meditation. Expect standing poses, arm balances, and longer held restoratives to refresh and renew. A comprehensive yang/yin experience meant to nourish your body, mind and soul. Props Needed: A strap, block, bolster and blanket

 

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/5-yoga-classes-for-stamina/

Yoga for the Immune System

The fact that yoga confers some serious benefits, right down to the most minuscule levels of our bodies, isn’t really contested anymore. From all the research that’s been published in recent years, we know that yoga and related practices can change our hormones, our neurotransmitters, and even how our genes are expressed – with some work suggesting that it can also affect our immune systems. Though doing yoga may not ward off major disease all by itself, it may well reduce inflammation and boost the immune system in ways that really do benefit us and are just starting to be mapped out by science.

Let’s look at a couple of recent studies that explore the connection. One from UCLA a few years back wanted to see what molecular changes underlie the reduction in stress response, which yoga and meditation are known to bring about. So they looked at chronically stressed individuals – those caring for family members with dementia, which is one of the most stressful “jobs” there is. They assigned the participants to Kirtan Kriya Meditation or to listen to relaxing music for eight weeks, and for just 12 minutes per day. The team measured a number of different markers of immune function before and after the respective treatments, and found that the expression of 68 different genes was shifted over this period. Some genes were up-regulated – generally those that bolster the immune system in fighting disease. And some were down-regulated, like those that contribute to inflammation. In other words, a huge number of genes serving all different functions in the immune system roles were shifted in beneficial ways by the practice, just over the very short term of the study.

In another study, a review by teams at Tufts and UCLA, also found that various “mind-body interventions” had significant effects on measures of inflammation. The meta-analysis included studies that looked at the immune systems of people who had done one or more of several different practices – Tai chi, Qi Gong, yoga, and meditation – for at least four weeks. There were some beneficial changes in the well-known markers of inflammation, like reductions in C-reactive protein (CRP), and a small reduction in IL-6. There was even some evidence that people who engaged in the practices had a slight boost in the effectiveness of their immune system in response to vaccination.

And this is not the only study to look at the vaccine connection – other research has found the same thing. In one of his earlier studies, Jon Kabat-Zinn working with brain researcher Richard Davidson, found that mindfulness meditation had a significant effect on how well a flu shot worked in the study participants. This was one of the early studies to lay out how meditation could shift brain function, with the additional finding that it also seems to boost a person’s immune response to vaccination.

Finally, other studies have looked at yoga’s role in immunity in different sub-groups of people – for instance, those dealing with health or other issues. One study found that in women who’d recently undergone breast cancer treatment, doing yoga twice a week for 12 weeks was linked to reduced markers of inflammation, including reduced IL-6 and IL-1β.  Another study found that in overweight and obese men, doing yoga for just 10 days let to a reduction in IL-6, and an increase in a protein that helps regulate blood sugar and controls fatty acid breakdown.

Again, yoga is not a panacea for staying healthy or warding off disease. But it definitely seems to play some role in reducing the stress and inflammation that contribute to it. Doing yoga alongside all the other things we know contribute to reducing our risk is probably the way to go. And the science will almost certainly continue to map out just how yoga contributes to the health, on the tiniest levels, of body and mind.

Alice G. Walton, PhD is a health and science writer, and began practicing (and falling in love with) yoga and meditation five years ago. She is a contributor at Forbes.com, and writes for the University of Chicago, as well as other publications. Of all the areas of health she covers, she’s particularly interested in how yoga and meditation affect the brain and behavior. You can follow her on Twitter @AliceWalton and Facebook at Facebook.com/alicegwalton.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/yoga-for-the-immune-system-3/

Turtles, Tapas and Yoga of the Subtle Body

After thousands of chatturangas and over a million OMs, I thought it would be good to write a book on yoga. Because not only have I spent countless hours on the mat surfing the interior of my own connective tissues, but I have also spent hours and hours with my buttock bones on the meditation cushion. All of my inner visions that have steeped inside of me for years like tea leaves, now have found their way into written form.

My journey started with a really heavy hitting practice. This is where many of us start, doing a practice where you sweat so much that your mat becomes like a waterslide. At first I thought that the more I cranked on myself, the more progress I would make. This is familiar to many. It is called in yoga, tapas, literally to burn up. Then after 30 years, I figured I did not have to
burn myself up or exhaust myself in order to make progress. My practice became a lot slower and more intricate.

The change in my practice was like the difference between listening to bone rattling drum beat (think of the rock riffs to rouse the crowd during sporting events) versus listening to the melodious sound of the flute. This is the way the classic texts of yoga describe the evolution of yoga; movement from gross to subtle, from outer to inner and from the density of the physical to the levity of spirit.

My book, Yoga of the Subtle Body, describes this very journey. In writing the book, it became clear to me that in the eyes of the ancient seers of India, the form of the body is not simply utilitarian, whose purpose is to eat, sleep and reproduce. Rather the body is a sphere where cosmological and elemental energies get played out. It is a site where sun light is reflected, wind roams, rivers flow and flowers bloom. It is where lotus flowers, turtles, serpents and dragons dwell. In this sense the body is never to be taken literally, but figuratively. In the book, I take the reader on a little pilgrimage through the connective tissues, the bones, nerves and glands and end up with Light on Infinite Space (my title for the last chapter).

On the tour through the body I talk about Gandhi’s fasting, the microbes of the gut, the tortoise who holds up the world on its back, and my experience of having my feet washed at a traditional Indian wedding. Readers are taken on a tour through the chakras, starting at the feet and spiraling up to the top of the skull. In this sense the book is an excellent primer for my upcoming YogaGlo course, the Anatomy of the Chakras, I am offering this winter. In this course we will discover how the chakras are like power spots in the body, charged with vitality, vibration, color and feeling. Like any power switch, the chakra centers can be amped up or turned down. Through visualization, meditative focus, sound, and movement one can impact the flow of vitality through the chakras. In my on-line course students will come to a clear understanding of how the chakras get distorted, blocked or constricted and how to regenerate power and flow within the chakra.

I so look forward to being on the mat with you soon….

Two Hands Together,

Tias

TIAS LITTLE’s unique and skillful approach enables students to find greater depth of understanding and awareness in their practice, both on and off the mat. His approach to the practice is inter-disciplinary, passionate, intelligent, innovative and full of insight. Tias synthesizes years of study in classical yoga, Sanskrit, Buddhist studies, anatomy, massage and trauma healing. Tias began studying the work of B.K.S Iyengar in 1984 and lived in Mysore, India in 1989 studying Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with Pattabhi Jois. Thus his teaching brings together precision of alignment, anatomical detail and a profound meditative experience. 

Tias is a licensed massage therapist and his somatic studies include in-depth training in cranial-sacral therapy. His practice and teaching is influenced by the work of Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais and Thomas Hanna. Tias is a long time student of the meditative arts and Buddhist studies beginning with Vipassana and continuing in Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. His teaching style is unique in being able to weave together poetic metaphor with clear instruction filled with compassion and humor. Tias earned a Master’s degree in Eastern Philosophy from St. John’s College Santa Fe in 1998. Tias is the author of three books, The Thread of Breath, Meditations on a Dewdrop and Yoga of the Subtle Body.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/turtles-tapas-and-yoga-of-the-subtle-body/

Pose of the Week: Side Crane Pose

In this week’s Pose of the Week, Tias Little demonstrates Side Crane Pose or Parsva Bakasana. Enjoy this flight seeking pose that is sure to create strength in your upper body and psoas areas. A great asana to do if you are exploring crow pose. Make sure you breathe!

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/pose-of-the-week-side-crane-pose/

6 Yoga Classes to Cultivate Strength

Whether we realize it or not, we all face various challenges each day. Many of them are just minor challenges that we deal with automatically and easily, but some of them require more mental, and physical strength. As we undergo changes in our life, it’s important to learn to build that strength in order to effectively deal with all of the difficulties and challenges that will come our way. This requires a certain degree of perseverance, will-power, and discipline.

There are many different ways in which a person can develop their strength and  practicing yoga is just one of them. So this week’s featured classes will help you build physical and mental strength, on the mat and off.

• Strength & Grace with Jo Tastula: Although seemingly contradictory, these two elements compliment each other and when practiced in harmony. A strengthening class without being too strenuous or heated, focus on masculine and feminine energies while stepping lightly with control and moving with grace. Peak postures are vashistasana, side plank with leg extended and pincha mayurasana. Mix in restorative postures and leave with a sense of inner balance and calm. Props Suggested: A block.
• Yoga Workout with Stephanie Snyder: This sequence focuses on strengthening and toning while maintaining flexibility and balance in your body. Less talking and more doing for when your yoga is also your workout.
• Secret Strength with Richard Freeman: Exercises for the Apana pattern. Apana is the pattern throughout your body controlling exhaling and grounding. A practice that reveals the pattern and movements of apana and shows the secrets of how to train it. Open and feel the channels which allow you to drop your breath. Standing poses, core strengthening poses navasana and bakasana are included.
• Mobile & Strong Side Body with Dice: In yoga, stretching and strengthening the front and back of your body is often the focus. Both are equally important, but being aware of your side body is just as essential. Move through a specially curated series of poses including supine twists, forearm plank variations, and some funky down dog play that focus on your sides. Feel more mobile and strong in your side body when all is done. Props Needed: A block.
• Build Strength & Confidence for Arm Balances with Jason Crandell: Developing your core, shoulder and arm strength establishes confidence and skill in arm balances and inversions. Strengthen your body where you need it the most for these postures: your abdominals, hip flexors, shoulders and arms. You will tackle a few arm balances, but focus more on strengthening postures that will build your skill and confidence for arm balances in the future. Props Needed: A block.
• Strong & Grounded with Annie Carpenter: An accessible and deliberate class that will leave you feeling strong and grounded. With an emphasis on Apana in breath and sequencing, you’ll move through forward bending standing poses, malasana and bakasana, camel pose and some seated hamstring and hip releases. Sighing is allowed. Props Suggested: One or two blocks and a blanket.

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/6-yoga-classes-to-cultivate-strength/

Give the Gift of Glo

Ask and you shall receive! So many of you have recently asked about the ability to Give the Gift of Glo to others this holiday season and we heard you! Purchase YogaGlo credit for a friend or treat yourself to more time on the mat.

And to celebrate, we’re giving you eight great reasons to Give the Gift of Glo:

1. From tight hip flexors and hamstrings to achy knees and low back pain, running can take a toll on the body. Give the Gift of Glo this holiday season to any runners in your life.

2. Restore, renew and get centered before, during and after long journeys. Give the Gift of Glo this holiday season to anyone you know who travels.

3. Want to introduce someone you love to yoga? Give the Gift of Glo this holiday season to help get them started so they can step confidently onto their map.

4. Know a momma who needs some time to herself on the mat? Give the Gift of Glo this holiday season to all the hard working moms in your life.

5. Yoga can strengthen both your body and mind quickly and effectively. Give the gift of Glo this holiday to someone who needs to be reminded of their strength.

6. You can calm anxiety and soothe your nerves. Give the gift of Glo this holiday season and share a sense of calmness with the ones you love.

7. If you or someone you know claim inflexibility as your excuse for avoiding yoga, think again. Give the gift of Glo this holiday season and get ready to touch your toes.

8. Whether you are gifting the Glo to you or someone you love, it will be the best gift that keeps on giving.

Click here to gift card page now and start gifting the Glo!

 

 

 

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/give-the-gift-of-glo/

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Figs and Goat Cheese

This recipe was kindly donated by my ever creative client Charlenne Carl. Create this at Thanksgiving to delight your family. Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Figs and Goat Cheese CourseVegetable Dish CuisineDairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Southern Home Cooking, Soy Free, Vegan Ingredients 4small organic sweet potatoeswashed 5tablespoons Organic extra virgin olive oil 3tablespoons balsamic […]

source http://unlimitedenergynow.com/recipe/roasted-sweet-potatoes-with-figs-and-goat-cheese/

source http://unlimitedenergynow.blogspot.com/2016/11/roasted-sweet-potatoes-with-figs-and.html

7 Counter-Intuitive Life Lessons That You Need to Know

The process of maturity allows us to look life as it really is. The truth and nothing but. Through that process, we learn that common sense really isn’t so common. We learn that no, you probably won’t be the greatest basketball/football/baseball player ever. We even learn that our parents are humans and they make mistakes

source http://wealthygorilla.com/7-counter-intuitive-life-lessons/

POW: Spread Hands Headstand

In this week’s Pose of the Week, Chelsey Korus demonstrates Spread Hands Headstand or Prasarita Hasta Sirsasana. Check out this headstand variation if you are exploriding advanced (level 3) inversions in your practice. Find someone to spot you, build strength in your back body and core, and as always, play!

source https://blog.yogaglo.com/2016/11/pow-spread-hands-headstand/