Signs of Spring continue to come to life around us, the budding leaves, the burgeoning flowers, the green grass, fresh crisp air and rising temperatures. As the seasons change, especially during this transition from winter sleep to spring renewal, it’s natural for us to reflect on new beginnings and hold a space of gratitude for everything that is going well for us.
Read MoreResearch is catching up to what most of us have known for a long time: we feel better when we spend time in nature. Scientifically-backed reasons to spend time in nature bring us an impressive list:
Evidence shows spending time in nature, specifically where water is present for even greater effects, brings improved self-esteem and mood.
Our blog post focus this April is “Connecting With Nature!” We are eager to embrace spring, to plant seeds of intention for positive transformation on our journey into wellness. Won’t you join us this month and share your transformative experience with us!
Read MoreIn the wintertime we are encouraged to practice back-bending poses, since they build heat and provide the nervous system an opportunity to ground, to be centered and to allow us to be open to the future while we conserve our energy for the coming spring. We constantly recognize that our asanas practice has many lessons for application “off the mat,” and into our daily life.
Read MoreSankalpa, a Sanskrit word which refers to intention, is typically the beginning of each practice, whether you give attention to it deliberately, anmng the intention specifically or whether you arrive at your practice with an unconscious intention. Seasoned students come to understand that all yogic practices are preceded by a Sankalpa and the reason behind this has great depth as each practice is an opportunity to honor the intention and to grow in our understanding of our place in this world.
Read More‘Self-Care’ has almost become a trite expression as we are hearing it more and more often, but interestingly it is anything but trite. Taking care of and nurturing ourselves, even for a few minutes a day, makes deposits that have huge dividends.
Read MoreEach part of yoga practice is just that, a practice. In coming to the beginning of your yoga practice, whether it is meditation, pranayama, asana,…. traditionally there is attention to the breath, for many reasons. Focus on the breath calms the nervous system, since a “watched breath” tends to slow and become full and deep. Where your attention goes, your awareness grows.
Read MoreYoga is a spiritual practice – a surprise to new yogis, yet quickly understood. In all aspects of the practice, we cultivate the habits of coming “present,” using a one-pointed focus to allow both the mind and body to quiet. Most often the one point is to focus on the breath. The one point can also be a mantra, mudra, prayer, … To slow down and release the mind’s eye from the constant thoughtwaves is a great opportunity to appreciate what is in front of us, awaiting our attention.
Read MoreMost people would agree that we find ourselves immersed in the busiest season of the year (unless you’re an accountant!) There are exceptionally long lines at the stores, more traffic than usual, and many of us who suddenly find ourselves with an extra long to-do list in order to finish the year up well and/or make the holidays extra special for ourselves and those around us.
Read MoreMost people would agree that we find ourselves immersed in the busiest season of the year (unless you’re an accountant!) There are exceptionally long lines at the stores, more traffic than usual, and many of us who suddenly find ourselves with an extra long to-do list in order to finish the year up well and/or make the holidays extra special for ourselves and those around us.
Read MoreWe are so glad to be in this circle of yogis/essential oil enthusiasts together with you! At the core of yoga and yogis is LOVE! Therefore we know that you will enjoy our 2018 holiday gift suggestions and we would LOVE your feedback and recommendations too! As we look to treating those we love (self included), here are some of our favorite recommendations accessible to you at the convenience of technology – thus more time for aromatherapy infused yoga practice!
Read MoreThis winter holiday season is a time when schedules tend to kick-up a notch (or ten), we develop a sixth-sense awareness of the needs and feelings of people around us, and we might experience positive or negative feelings as we reflect on our past and current circumstances and how they reflect our personal and family traditions.
No matter what your past traditions have been, and no matter how satisfied or peaceful you feel with your current situation, there is always room to introduce new holiday traditions to infuse your soul with deepened gratitude and peace. Consider choosing one or more selections from our holiday buffet of ‘new traditions’ selections
Read MoreThis is the time of year when the holidays begin to unfold, and it’s well worth noting that as we begin with Thanksgiving, we are in the habit of beginning with gratitude first. How ironic that here is our lesson, since after all, gratitude is the mother of all virtues. Starting from this humble place should help us keep things in perspective. All faith traditions and many mind-body practices encourage beginning and repeatedly coming back to focus on “our blessings.” This is powerful!
Read MoreDid you know that cultivating gratitude is a skill? It’s a mindset, it’s a way of life. It’s also a very worthwhile pursuit because of the incredible benefits of cultivating gratitude – we recommend starting by spending 5 minutes/day in a gratitude journal. Interestingly, we start experiencing MORE of these benefits the longer we consistently keep a gratitude journal.
Read MoreJoin us this November as we begin a mindful practice of gratitude to see what unfolds in life. Lets consider a daily practice so that the conditioning effect on both the mind and the body become more habitual. There are actually many ways to focus on a gratitude practice so we are suggesting something simple and doable, that we might lock elbows together and make it a collective exercise in this EYP community – ready to join us?
Read MoreBreath is life and therefore attention to breath is paramount to how our life will unfold. Everything else can and should supplement the effectiveness of proper breathing – awareness, movement, nutrition and spiritual practices.
Read MoreTo reflect on inner strength from a yogic perspective, we want to consider all the ways we yoke our practice, so that we look from the angles of physical strength, emotional stability, and spiritual steadfastness. We can find that our understanding of Santosa (pronounced Sahn – toe – sha), the Niyama (“rules” for self-observance), which means contentment, holds the key to offering us another facet for contemplation on strength and grace.
Read MoreYoga means to unite or to yoke, but on a deeper meaning, it is the realization of the interconnectedness of everything, from the micro to the macro level. Our practice helps us to understand our place in our world and therefore helps us to rise to our obligations, not in a way that is cumbersome, but with realization that life requires sweet responsibilities.
Read MoreExcess tension is stealing not only our peace, but the quality of our lives. Physically, when the body is under tension, the cardiovascular system is challenged, cholesterol and blood pressure increase, the breath becomes fast and shallow, nutrition is compromised as the body excretes vitamins and minerals rather than absorbing optimally from foods, muscles hold unnecessary tension for prolonged periods, and adequate sleep becomes harder to access.
Read MoreWe can all connect to instances like walking into a room only to forget what we originally came for, or having too many things on our “to do “ list than hours in the day to support successful completion. Technology constantly keeps us over-stimulated. So much so, that our desire for clarity is wishful thinking on a daily basis. Yoga to the rescue!
Read More
