Reducing Our Toxic Load

As we continue our detoxification and purification theme this month, let’s talk about the importance of reducing our toxic load. We’ve talked at length about plants and their cleansing properties, how they can support our efforts to rid our bodies of unwanted toxins. But let’s ask ourselves … what is the point in cleansing our systems of existing toxins if we don’t do anything to reduce the toxic load we keep adding?

Some of the key toxins that can impact our bodies come from chemicals we bring into our own homes in our cleaning products. Interestingly, our bodies have an amazing system of defense whenever we ingest something that might harm us. However, we are at risk when our bodies absorb chemicals aromatically and/or through the skin, which is exactly what happens when we use typical cleaning chemicals.

Pure essential oils are part of effective and safe natural cleaners that can not only serve to organically clean your mat and yoga studio…they work equally well in homes and cars. Below are some recipes we’d like to pass on so you can put together toxin and chemical-free cleaning supplies for your home. When you replace toxic cleaning supplies with these, you can reduce the toxins in your system (so you won’t have to deal with them later on).

Yoga Mat Spray

·      ¾ cup distilled water

·      ¼ cup alcohol-free witch hazel or white vinegar

·      5 drops lavender essential oil

·      3 drops melaleuca essential oil

·      Glass spray bottle

Combine all ingredients in glass spray bottle, shake until combined. Spray on mat and wipe dry with towel.

All-Purpose Cleaner

·      2 cups white vinegar

·      2 cups water

·      1 teaspoon natural dish soap

·      30 drops lemon essential oil

·      20 drops lavender essential oil

Mix all ingredients in a quart-sized spray bottle. Shake to combine. Spray and wipe on surfaces.

Glass Cleaner

·      3 cups distilled water

·      ¼ cup rubbing alcohol

·      ¼ cup white vinegar

·      20 drops melaleuca essential oil

Mix ingredients in a quart-sized spray bottle. Shake to combine, spray on windows, mirrors or stainless steel. Wipe off with paper towels for a great shine.

Stove and Sink Cleaner

·      1 cup baking soda

·      ¼ cup liquid castile soap

·      10 drops lemon essential oil

·      10 drops lime essential oils

·      10 drops wild orange essential oil

Mix ingredients together to form a paste (adding more castile if needed). Apply with rag or sponge then rinse with clean water.

Tub and Shower Gel

·      1 cup white vinegar

·      ½ cup natural dishwashing soap

·      Squeeze bottle

Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan on the stove until hot but not boiling. Stir in the dishwashing soap until combined, then pour into the squeeze bottle. Squirt onto shower and tub, and allow to sit for 1-3 hours. Wipe off with a scrubber, rag and/or sponge.

Fresh Linen Spray

·      ¼ cup distilled water

·      3 T witch hazel

·      20 drops lavender essential oil

·      15 drops frankincense essential oil

Add all ingredients to a small spritzer, shake well, and spray on sheets, piloowcases and linens.

Goo, Crayon & Marker Remover

·      Lemon essential oil

·      1-2 T fractionated coconut oil.

Mix together, then apply directly to sticker residue, random goo, gum, crayon marks, marker etc. (Suggestion: test in an inconspicuous place first). Rub in with fingers, then wipe away with a clean rag. Repeat as needed.

Citrus Carpet Refresher

·      1 cup baking soda

·      30 drops citrus oil of your choice (lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime)

Combine in a small container and cover tightly with a lid. Shake well and allow to sit for 6-8 hours. Sprinkle on stale or smelly carpet and allow to sit overnight. Vacuum the next morning.

Shower Spray

·      1 ½ cups water

·      1 cup white vinegar

·      ½ cup rubbing alcohol

·      1 t natural liquid dish soap

·      10 drops melaleuca essential oil

·      20 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Combine in a quart-sized spray bottle. Spray daily on shower door and walls after use to help prevent build-up.

Refrigerator and Microwave Cleaner

·      1 cup white vinegar

·      2 cups hot water

·      15 drops lemon essential oil

Combine ingredients in glass spray bottle. Spray mixture inside fridge or microwave, then scrub and wipe using a damp cloth.

Soft Scrub for Bath, Tile and Toilet

·      ¾ rounded cup baking soda

·      ¼ cup unscented liquid castile soap

·      1 T water

·      1 T white vinegar

·      10 drops lemon essential oil

Yield: 2-4 applications. Make in small batches and store in an airtight container. Combine baking soda and castile soap, add water and stir. Add vinegar and essential oil. The consistency should be a soft paste. Apply and let sit for 5-10 minutes and scrub to help get rid of soap scum, remove stains and brighten tiles.

Natural Wood Polish

·      ¼ cup olive oil

·      ¼ c vinegar

·      10 drops of lemon, orange or arborvitae essential oil

Add olive oil and vinegar to glass spray bottle. Add 10 drops of essential oil. Shake well before each use. Apply to microfiber cloth and wipe wood surfaces clean. Repeat every 2-3 months or as often as needed.

We'd love to hear about your successes with detoxing your environment!

And....in honor of earth day, we're doing a special giveaway. Take a picture of yourself doing ANY yoga pose outside and barefoot (connecting with the earth), and everyone who posts will be entered into a drawing to win a 5ml bottle of a beautiful grounding and centering essential oil blend.

10 Essential Steps to Saucha in your Yoga Practice

The Yamas and Niyamas are the first two of the 8 limbs of Astanga Yoga.  The Yamas are the “Restraints,” or “Ethical Principles” and define living with integrity in our relationships with our world. The Niyamas are the “Disciplines,” and define our relationship with our true self as we evolve along life’s journey.   

Saucha is the first Niyama, and translated from Sanskrit, means “purity” or “cleanliness.”  This applies to purity of mind, body and spirit. We can apply saucha in many aspects of our yoga practice.  Initially, we can take the meaning literally, as saucha directs us to create order, to be clean and tidy, and to declutter/simplify our lives physically. If we live simply, we can minimize distractions and focus on being present, think with clarity, and begin to understand what is in front of us. Physically we can use our asana and pranayama practices to detoxify the body, we can take direction from Ayurveda to eat and sleep and massage with herbs and oils, and use aromatherapy to align with our constitution for the sake of wellness practices. We can purify the mind with meditation, directed focus and self-study.  We can refine our spiritual practice with study of scriptures and intention of devotion to our higher power. 

However, once we begin to deepen our practices, the ultimate path to enlightenment, to Samadhi, is one we journey alone.  In order to succeed, the underlying work is to begin with self-love.  This means embracing the parts of our self that we find messy. Examine the parts of yourself that you might not like, and see them for what they are: clues to the “stuck places.” Herein lies a great opportunity to learn what your body, mind and spirit have to teach you. 

In this spring time of year, when we reexamine the season that reminds us of renewal, here are a few suggestion on how to embrace life’s challenges from the perspective of Saucha. Recognize that in order to make forward progress we must accept, without judgment that we are all equally holy, that all of life is sacred, and that our true essence is pure.

1.  Start by taking care of the body. Practice twisting poses to detoxify the organs and release tension along the spine and back body. 

2.  Love every part of you! 

3.  Be present, build awareness.  Suggestion: use aromatherapy to stay focused using essential oils like rosemary as it supports cognition. 

4.  Use setting intentions to grow and cultivate new healthy habits. 

5.  Use this Niyama literally:  keep a clean and tidy home and work environment. 

6.  Use essential oils to create pure cleaning agents.  Example: a spray bottle with 3 parts water, 1 part vinegar, and 6 to 10 drops of tea tree oil, pine essential oil, or any citrus oil (antiviral agent) will be effective and refreshing. 

7.  Use mudras in your yoga practice, both in asana and in meditation, they affect the energy body.  Example: Lotus mudra is a reminder that a beautiful flower emerges from the muddy waters. Place a drop of an essential oil that is refreshing like peppermint or lemon, in your hands in this mudra, and use as a personal diffuser. 

8. Don’t judge or chastise yourself for non-yogic behaviors or deterred steps. We are all only human and the object is to learn and to evolve. 

9.  Love who you are and let the spark of divinity within you shine. It is only then that the true, pure part of you can lead you forward.

10.  Be patient with yourself. All aspects of yoga practice require patience. 

 Want to win our monthly giveaway? Comment and share – April’s giveaway is a bottle of peppermint essential oil! 

Plants and Detox

In this season of spring cleaning, have you ever considered cleaning of YOU? The toxic load that some of us carry around inside us can be overwhelming to our vital organs, specifically to our liver and kidneys – the organs in charge of detoxification.  Our skin, colon and lungs also play a part in keeping us clear. Because of environmental toxins we breathe in, toxins in the processed and fast foods we eat, even the toxins that we absorb through our skin via personal care products, our bodies can really struggle under the heavy toxic load.

Plants are natural cleansers….they even detox the air! They are programmed to ‘inhale’ and utilize carbon dioxide and leave in its place life-giving oxygen. Essential oils, the aromatic part of plants, can likewise be powerful cleansers as well:

·         Arborvitae is a powerful cleansing and purifying agent. Use it to purify the air, it naturally repels insects. You can add a few drops to a spray bottle with water and spray on surfaces or hands for a protecting solution. 

·         Basil has cleansing properties, and helps to support healthy blood flow. It supports gastrointestinal health and function, and helps reduce gas.

·         Bergamot's also has cleansing properties, and helps support a healthy nervous system, cardiovascular system and cognitive function. 

·         Black Pepper has topical cleansing properties, and contains important antioxidants. 

·         Cassia has strong surface cleansing properties and may help support the health of the liver, kidneys and urinary tract.

·         Cedarwood, cypress, petitgrain and myrrh have surface cleansing properties, 

·         Cilantro has a cleansing and detoxifying effect when used internally (use 1-2 drops of pure, internal-grade cilantro in a capsule)

·         Frankincense and coriander help support the health of the liver.

·         Douglas Fir and thyme are cleansing and purifying to the skin.

·         Helichrysum has internal cleansing properties.

·         Juniper Berry supports healthy kidney and urinary tract function, and has internal cleansing properties.

·         Lemon cleanses and purifies the air and surfaces, naturally cleanses the body and aids in digestion, and promotes healthy functioning of the GI tract.

·         Lime is often used as an internal cleanser, it helps cleanse the air, it may support the health of the colon.

·         Oregano, tangerine and wild orange are powerful cleansing and purifying agents.

Combine these oils with your detoxification yoga sequences and twists, (from our book and DVD, Essential Yoga Practice) and experience some powerful results!  Want to learn even more?  Sign up for our fun, interactive, online 2 week course,  Essential Yoga Sangha !  Next course begins April 9; for completing additional coursework, yoga teachers can earn 10 CECs from Yoga Alliance. Comment, share and retweet our social media to be eligible to win the oils for our Sangha course …who’s ready for some spring cleaning now?!!

5 Ways to Use Yoga to Embrace Change

Staying focused in the present moment is a useful skill to have in this busy world. Many tools in yoga help us to “calm the fluctuations of the mind,” as Patanjali points out in the Yoga Sutras. However that might not be yoga's most important lesson. What is in front of us is constantly changing, and we are constantly changing. This is the concept of impermanence, the temporary nature of all things.

The teachings of Samkhya, an ancient Indian philosophy, is foundational to the spiritual aspect of contemporary yoga practice and teaches that the reality of life is divided into:

     1. prakriti, or matter, which is impermanent, solid, and continually changing form, and

     2. purusha, which is eternal, unchanging, unknowable, yet present in all things.

Our deepening yoga practice allows us to tune inward as we quiet the chatter of the mind, allow the purusha to become evident and understood, thus to observe changing reality in its true nature. Sometimes we are discouraged by change since we want to drive and control it.  Yet this can also be very freeing as our practice can lead us to view change with acceptance, recognizing that what we are also changing is ourself, our reaction to change. Being attached to things staying the same is what causes our suffering – change is inevitable. Adjusting how we accept and react is how we get to evolve and appreciate all of life’s lessons. The physical world, including our own bodies, is filled with impermanence. The lessons lie in the willingness to accept change, and furthermore to embrace the opportunities that change brings, so that we can enjoy what unfolds before us. The requirement is learning to be present. It all comes full circle. Yogic tools that can help us to adapt and to embrace change:

1.  Meditation is not about tuning out, but about becoming present.  The fruit of the efforts:  being able to face reality with acceptance and constructive intention and proactive energy. 

2.  Using mantra to come present using a repeated word, sound, affirmation, prayer, intention,.. is another way to use a one-pointed focus to help the mind become free of distractions, and thus invite clarity.

3.  Sound healing using chanting, music, singing bowls, …all have a vibrational aspect which helps to create space, and invite healing

4.  Asana practice – Many new yogis use asana practice to gain strength, flexibility and balance, hence, to change/improve their bodies.

5.  Aromatherapy using essential oils and herbs that wake up the  mind and help with focus.  Great choices are peppermint, tree oils like white fir, cedarwood, spruce, vetiver, and frankincense.

Ready to learn more?  Our Book, Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience with Essential Oils, and DVD, offer great education and a chance to practice 6 sequences, to include a Strengthening sequence! Ready to delve a bit deeper?  Our 2 week online course, Essential Yoga Sangha, begins April 1.  This fun and interactive and comes with essential oils delivered to you!  Yoga teachers will add a study segment to receive 10 CECs with Yoga Alliance! Sign up by March 28 to receive your oils for free! 

Happy Spring Equinox

Happy Spring Equinox, the first day of Spring! As we are transitioning from winter into spring, it is good to acknowledge that spring brings with it a new energy. This is the season traditionally linked with rebirth, renewing and replenishing – and it is a refreshing time of the year as we move forward.

So how do we best harness the new energy that spring brings?

1.       Self care is always a good place to start. When we do the basics, such as getting enough sleep, water, nutrition and exercise, we automatically uplevel our ability to discern our place in our environment. Our mind is clearer, our heart is freer, and we generally experience a heightened sense of happiness and satisfaction.

2.       Aromatherapy is an effective way to harness change – put the tried and true chemical nature of essential oils to work on behalf of your brain and sense of well-being. Some oils that are particularly supportive to supporting change or transition are rosemary, detoxification blend (includes frankincense, wild orange, lemongrass, thyme, summer savory and niaouli), cilantro and frankincense

3.       Yoga is another way we can support ourselves. When we are addressing change, detoxification sequences help us usher out the old to make room for the new.

Together these supports will help you to have more clarity and perspective, to step back and see what’s in front of you so change improves you rather than getting the best of you.

Ready for more?  Our Book, Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience with Essential Oils, and DVD, offer great education and a chance to practice 6 sequences, to include a Detoxification sequence too! Ready to delve a bit deeper?  Our 2 week online course, Essential Yoga Sangha, begins April 9.  This fun and interactive and comes with essential oils delivered to you!  Yoga teachers will add a study segment to receive 10 CECs with Yoga Alliance! Sign up by March 28 to receive your oils for free!

Essential Oils for Vata and Register for Sangha

Essential oils are a natural way to help soothe the body physically, emotionally as well as spiritually.  Even a few breaths of an essential oil can help shift energy, affect mood, and sharpen focus.

Essential oils can be used aromatically, introduced to the body using a diffuser, or diluted in a base oil and applied topically.  Some oils can be taken internally, yet only if they come from a reputable company without any synthetic fillers.  The very essence of certain scents are unique to each person and can activate positive memory and  emotions connected to them. Knowing your unique constitution, your dosha, can help you understand your physical, emotional and spiritual needs which define your wellness practices. Knowing which aromas soothe your dosha can outline your use of essential oils for your self-care.

You are made up of a unique combination of all three doshas.  This is called your prakruti and was determined at the time of your conception. The five elements are present in everyone’s body at birth.  Fire, water, earth, wind and ether comprise the body and spirit and each dosha is resprsented and affected by certain elements.    

Pitta Dosha is represented by the elements fire and water.
Vata Dosha is represented by air and ether.

Kapha Dosha is represented by the elements earth and water.

Do you know your dosha?  Take the Dosha Quiz on pp 19-20 of our book, Essential Yoga Practice to understand more about your unique constitution. As you traverse the stages of life, cultural, social and personal experiences temper your doshas and/or cause imbalances to both the physical and emotional body. Note that seasonal change can also affect imbalance. As we are headed into spring, “Vata season,”as we all have some aspect of vata as part of our prakruti, we must all pay attention to how to keep our vata dosha in check. Generally an imbalance of a certain dosha means that the elements unique to that dosha are in excess. Here are some tips:

Vata imbalance implies that there is too much movement, change and instability. Vata individuals are prone to starting and stopping projects, being easily distracted, not ready to commit, indecisive, and not feeling grounded. They tend to fidget, have sharp racing minds, and are ready to take on more, even when they have too much to manage efficiently.

Essential oils that may help balance and soothe vata individuals: Peppermint, Rosemary, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang and wild orange.  Consider using these any one or a combination of these oils with a carrier oil such as sesame oil. The oils will evoke a sense of love and calm, bring clarity, help memory, and relieve tension.  These oils raise the vibration of the body, thus having a positive effect.

Individuals with vata imbalances would also benefit from regular Ayurvedic treatments to include shirodhara (warm oil poured slowly over the forehead) and massages. Adding the scents of the suggested essential oils in these treatments help to balance vata dosha.  For thousands of years, uch Ayurvedic practices used aromatherapy from plants and herbs. Traditionally this required a great volume of plant material. In this day, the same potent effect is more easily accessed using essential oils, as they are more concentrated and save time. The oils hold the same properties as the plant and are nourishing to the five senses when only pure essential oils are used.

In Ayurveda, three energy points on the body where energy converges, are encouraged for use of self application of essential oils (diluted in the carrier oil).  

Pitta—heart, chest, center of body
Kapha—between the naval and pubic bone
Vata—third eye between the eyebrows

Over time, with practice, you will learn about your unique preferences and also that there are many tri-doshic aromas and carriers, which serve to balance and soothe all doshas. Enjoy your essential oils, enjoy your practice!

Ready for more?  Our Book, Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience with Essential Oils, and DVD, offer great education and a chance to practice 6 sequences.  Opt in to our blog to receive the “Centering Sequence!” Ready to delve a bit deeper?  Our 2 week online course, Essential Yoga Sangha, begins April 9.  This fun and interactive and comes with essential oils delivered to you!  Yoga teachers can pay for an additional study segment to receive 10 CECs with Yoga Alliance! Sign up by March 28 to receive your oils for free!

Spring is Vata Season

Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga and focuses primarily on wellness lifestyle practices that support health, balance, and self-transformation. How we begin to understand ourselves and our needs is determined by our unique constitution (dosha) , and each of us have a little of all three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Take the dosha quiz in our book, Essential Yoga Practice on pp. 15 and 16, to discover your dosha.  Each dosha is made up of a combination of some of the 5 elements:  Earth, Fire, Air, Ether and Water. Spring time is Vata season!  The Vata constitution governs all movement in the mind and body. It is the primary motivating force of the doshas. Vata controls blood flow, elimination of wastes, breathing and the movement of thoughts across the mind.

Since Pitta and Kapha cannot move without Vata, it leads the three “Ayurvedic Principles” in the body. Therefore it is rather important to keep Vata in good balance. A balanced vata allows for mental and physical adaptability, energized body and mind, a calm nervous system, and a grounded (not over-reactive) sense of being/living. Thus a balanced Vata individual experiences ease with adapting and transtionsitioning.  Movement is easy, sensory integration and mental processes flow, and creativity is unhindered.  Breathing is easy and supports the nervous system. There is homeostasis between tissues and organs since life force or “Prana” is regulated by Vata. Whether or not you are a “Vata dominant” individual, maintaining balance during Vata season is important for all of us. 

Here are some things to keep in mind as you anticipate supporting Vata dosha during the change of the Spring season and at any time that Vata is imbalanced: 

1.  Know the characteristics and qualities of Vata Dosha For more information see pp. in Essential Yoga Practice.  Get your copy here or consider the Kindle Version

2.  Learn how to use diet – what to eliminate and what to include.  Tip: Generally, Ayurveda considers sweet, sour, and salty in tastes to be supportive as they  increase qualities of warmth, moisture, and heaviness/groundedness to promote even digestion—which helps to balance Vata. 

3.  Supportive yoga practices include pranayama and meditation for the sake of grounding. Tips for asana:

     a.  Start your practice with one of the following pranayamas for vata :  brahmari (bumble bee breath), nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), or anuloma viloma (forceful alternate nostril breathing).           

   b.  Then  transition to meditation that is structured  and include the use of mantra.

     c.  Asana tips:  Keep the gaze downward for the sake of stability.  Practice at the same  time each day since Vatas respond well to routine. . Use steady, mindful transitions. Include poses that open the hips and charge the legs, like warrior poses,  triange pose,  side angle pose, bound angle pose, and garland.  Include folds that enhance introspection like childs pose, standing forward bend, seated forward bend, and legs up the wall pose.

 4.  Aromatherapy for Vata  Using aromatherapy for vata includes spending time in nature, using essential oils in a diffuser, and in a carrier oil for daily massage.  Aromas that are sweet, earthy and warming such as citrus oils, chamomile, vetiver, and floral oils like lavender and rose are effective in providing support of vata dosha. 

Want to know more?  Join us for a two-week online course, Essential Yoga Sangha, where we will delve deeper and learn more about aromatherapy, yoga and Ayurveda.  Revolutionary transformations occur when we deepen our practice and our knowledge of how to practice.  Each daily lesson is designed to help you access your highest self  by opening up a whole new understanding of the many benefits of  yoga and aromatherapy, while helping you explore new possibilities, whether you are a new or seasoned yogi, a new or experiences essential oil enthusiast. Come join us and learn how to tap into the wisdom that's always available to you. Next course begins April 1, 2018  Yoga Alliance teachers will receive 10 hours of continuing education credit once they sign up and complete the additional material in the Sangha for Teachers. 

Essential Yoga Sangha

Registration link: click here

Helpful tip: Please scroll down to check out the pricing options.

1) To take the course and have a coupon code, enter your coupon code from option 1

2) To have the 12 essential oils we use for this course sent to you click on option 2

3) To get 10 Certification Credits to your Yoga Alliance for teachers click option 3

Essential Yoga Sangha for TEACHERS

Registration link: click here

Awareness

Awareness is an interesting thing. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines awareness as “the quality or state of being aware: knowledge and understanding that something is happening or exists.”  Sometimes we are able to expand our awareness in a way that helps us stretch, grow and understand ourselves and our surroundings better than we ever have before. Sometimes something traumatic or difficult happens, and we find our awareness shrinks to become stuck on only a small area of our lives. This ebb and flow of awareness is normal for most people…and it’s when we notice that we are ‘stuck’ more than we are expanding that we realize that gaining more control of our ‘awareness choices’ is going to have a huge impact on our lives.

Did you notice the word “choices” in the previous sentence? That’s because our awareness is a choice, meaning that what we choose to focus on…or remove focus from…is simply a choice. Think about a conversation you may have had with someone you know in the last year, where either you or they were processing through something that had high levels of emotion attached to it….possibly a breakup, divorce, death, lay-off from work, etc. If there is ever a situation that has high emotion attached to it, it’s a signal to us that our focus and awareness are stuck in a certain place, therefore our ability to expand and grow becomes hindered. We aren’t able to progress, and we are also usually blocked from feeling contentment, peace and inspiration to act.

So how do we release our focus, or awareness from something it’s stuck on? There are many ways to accomplish this. We can do something to distract ourselves, either consciously or unconsciously. (Have you ever wondered why individuals/families going through tough times seem to attract trouble like car accidents, injuries, sicknesses, etc.? Sometimes we just need a distraction from what is holding our awareness captive). We can use many aspects of our yoga practice whether is it the use of meditation, svadhyaya (self-study), pratyahara (mind-withdrawal) or asana practice as the postures of yoga work with different chakras to allow release as well as empowerment/resilience.  (See pp 6 – 9 in Essential Yoga Practice book. Order your copy here today). We can use aromatherapy, which chemically gives our brain new operating instructions. We can work with a therapist or counselor, or use self-help books to process through WHY the situation is difficult due to the underlying beliefs we have about it.

Often, it’s our beliefs about why something is significant that changes our entire experience of it. For example, let’s say you are going to meet a friend for lunch, but they never show. What thoughts could start forming in your mind? I wonder where they are? Why didn’t they call me? Seriously, this is so irresponsible! I’m never going to plan something with this person again, what a waste of an afternoon! ….you could really work yourself up thinking about this terribly inconvenient experience. Just when you’ve gotten yourself all upset, you receive a phone call from one of their family members telling you they were in a serious accident earlier and were in the hospital recovering. What thoughts are going through your head now? Oh my goodness, I hope they’re okay! What a terrible thing to have happen! How can I help? Chances are, all thoughts of irritation and anger have now been replaced by concern. Was the situation different? No – they still stood you up for lunch. But in the first scenario, you chose to believe that they were irresponsible and wasted your time. In the second, you received additional information to change your beliefs because you now know that they missed the lunch through no fault of their own.

…So what if you could choose to have a different belief without the additional information? Your beliefs will determine your life experience, and you can choose to have whatever experience you want every single day.

How to get started? Start processing either verbally or in writing about the areas you feel stuck. See if you can identify where you have placed your awareness or focus. Ask yourself what you would probably have to believe in order to have __________ outcome. Keep asking yourself this question over and over again, and write down the answers until you feel like you’ve had a shift of insight.

You can also use meditation to accomplish this same type of outcome.  The ideal practice in meditation is to have a one pointed focus so that we take a break from the “fluctuations of the mind,” and over time this will help shift perspective more toward acceptance.  A one pointed practice can be to focus on the breath, on a mantra, on a prayer, on sound healing like a singing bowl or chime, …No matter what what that one-pointed focus is, it gives us a break from replaying the scenario in our head so much that we contort it and in doing so, contort the reality that is there. It allows us the opportunity to create the space around the situations that we replay so that understand them better, have time to accept what is going on and more importantly, have time to choose how to react .

For either of these options, add aromatherapy to help you release whatever limiting beliefs you’ve been holding on to, and let your awareness expand you.

Make sure to comment on "How you use yoga to build awareness" to be eligible to win our monthly giveaway!

6 Ways to Cultivate Awareness

There are many reasons for practicing yoga:  Improved fitness, stress-management, finding happiness, finding balance in daily life,… the list is endless. If we look at the bigger picture, we practice yoga in order to live life to the fullest, with grace and with a relaxed mind. The lessons from the mat are ultimately a practice of self-awareness, and every aspect of the practice is a valuable guide on how to apply those lessons “off the mat.  Whether in asana, pranayama or meditation, the fine-tuned awareness during practice is difficult to simulate outside of yoga practice. That is because there is not as much external stimulation when you are on your mat – your time in yoga practice allows you more self-awareness.   To connect to that heightened sense of self-awareness, spend some time focusing on your intentions as well as your choices, both big and small.  Notice the affect on yourself, your family as well as your community. Your yoga practice leads you to following your intention. Thus, when making choices, tap into your yogic grounding in self-awareness, and this will help to connect your true self to your dharma, your true calling. Live your yoga with these 6 simple ways to connect self-awareness with understanding your place in the world: 

1.  Love Yourself – Begin your day with a Dinacharya, Ayurvedic morning routines based on your dosha/constitution, to include a self massage. Make a salt scrub with equql parts  Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, and sesame oil.  Add a few drops of essential oil and massage the entire body, from the feet toward the heart and armpits and from the hands toward the heart and armpits, to aid in lymph drainage and cleansing of the body. Add a few drops of eucalyptus and/or basil essential oil to support the both the skin and the respiratory system. Shower and pat dry to enjoy nourished skin and continued aromatherapy.  If you need help with access to pure essential oils, please reach out to us. 

2.  Practice Kindness Toward Others – Karma Yoga is defined as action done as self-less service to others as a form of divine worship.  You’ll be surprised at how enriching it is to lend a helping hand and share in someone else’s perspective and existence. Take a meal to a friend, spend time with a shut-in, tutor a child, drive someone to a medical appointment, donate to your local food pantry, serve at a homeless shelter, teach yoga to empower others…the world depends on all of us and those who have less still have much to offer if only we allow them the necessities to support their needs first. 

3.  Substitute a Restorative Practice Once/Week – To become aware of our mind’s habits (ego driven), we must act from our seat of intuition, from our heart. Allow the mind and body to quiet by embracing a restorative practice with regularity.  Begin by sitting in meditation and include awareness of breath, and then a breathing exercise.  Follow your intuition, using gentle stretches and then a restorative pose or two.  For more on restorative poses, see the 6th sequence in our DVD:  Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience With Essential Oils. 

4.  Be Aware of Your Footprint – Being aware of how you live and interact with your world leads to how you share space with others and how you appreciate gifts of the earth. Be aware of how you clean up after yourself, find ways to recycle, use energy wisely, and find ways to support the environment. Saucha, the first Niyama, or discipline for yogic living, includes cleanliness as well as tidiness.

5.  Be Silent – Set aside time regularly to be silent, you’ll be surprised at the rest your body and mind  will find as some perceive silence as a way to conserve prana, energy. Note how this allows energy for your creative side whether it is merely contemplative thoughts or quiet time to engage in actively creating.

6.  Change Your Perspective – Whether you choose to do your yoga practice in a different place, be courageous to trust your body to try new asanas, eat in a new restaurant, volunteer, travel to a new destination, or take a new route to work, changing the path of what is typical will allow you to shift your perspective.  Our world is defined by what we have seen and experienced and there is so much more to learn and to appreciate. Our sense of compassion and empathy will grow tremendously when we allow ourselves to grow our awareness of the world we live in.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day from Essential Yoga Practice!

Love will save the day, every day, as we recognize that all of us, to some degree practice Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love and devotion. Furthermore, as all of life is a “practice,” let us resolve to practice Bhakti yoga all the more, and especially on this great day that honors “love, the mother of all emotions.”  Bhakti yoga is not always easy and upbeat; rather it requires courage to face our true selves, even the hard and scary places, and offer ourselves to the Divine. It challenges our willingness to be dedicated and to surrender all parts of our life as an act of worship.  It recognizes that all of life is a spiritual practice laced with the challenge to evolve as we learn from our experiences while sharing our gifts.

The Upanishad’s tell us that we do not love others for their own sake but for the Divine that dwells within them. Therefore, bhakti is intense love for God/Higher Power, that which is eternal and constant.  In the practice of bhakti yoga we use all of our senses, emotions and actions to manifest in expressing love throughout our daily actions and relationships, as an offering of devotion to God/Higher Power.  Whether you are folding the laundry, guiding your children, working a stressful job or practicing meditation, do it with love.  On occasion we find ourselves in a hard corner, where our efforts have been challenged and we are empty. When we give in, still with awareness, we are surrendering to “our higher Self,” the Divine within us, an internal, humble surrender that allows us to receive Grace.  Here is where we find renewal in the illuminating light of the Divine, showing us the way out of the corner.  We fall and rise from such hard times throughout life, yet if we are aware, we can embrace the opportunity to receive Grace in a greater capacity each time, overcoming hurdles, as our journey toward enlightenment progresses. This is motivation in itself to deepen our practice. 

Thus, here at Essential Yoga Practice, in this month where we are focusing on intention and awareness, we have arrived at this: if we learn to expand our awareness in our devotional habits, perhaps we can invoke a life of love, happiness, acceptance and peace, for ourselves and for our loved ones. 

We have created a Valentine blend as our February 2018 giveaway.  Share and comment on our social media to be eligible to win an exotic, and mesmerizing blend that will “hold you” and warm your spirit.

Living Intentionally

Attention:  

Being intentional requires paying attention. 

This means paying attention to intuition, emotions, prana/energy, and all of these aspects come from within.  Focusing on our external environment only keeps us living from a reactive perspective, always on the defense, and does not let us connect our true nature to life’s journey. Therefore, living intentionally has as its foundation to live authentically, to be able to tune in to our true self so as to understand where and how we align with the outside world, and therefore to better understand our direction in life. From a yogic perspective, we use the following tools to tune in:  Meditation, breath work and yoga asana. 

Meditation allows us to observe our thoughts without judgment and to reel in our wandering mind as an exercise. With a meditation practice we build focus, self-awareness, and compassion. We can understand ourselves better so that we steer away from stress and anxiety to becoming better listeners, less judgmental, and more open and kind individuals.  

Paying attention to breath allows us to recognize where we habitually hold tension and what that tension might be connected to. Focusing on the quality of our breath during yoga asana shows us what we are arriving with to our practice, both emotionally and physically. Perhaps then we can begin to understand how to let go of things that do not serve us. Paying attention to when we hold our breath helps us to break the habits that are connected to stress and anxiety.  

Yoga asana is designed to help us learn about ourselves as we learn how to tune in to the unique structure and alignment of our bodies, the action within the alignment of asana practice, and how our body opens up with specific postures, preparations, and transitions of movement between postures. We typically focus on the physical body and then learn over time, with practice, to tune into the energetic and then perhaps the subtle body, as we begin to understand ourselves better. 

When we pay attention to what goes on within, we are more perceptive to what goes on around us and can improve how we are able to evolve personally so that we play an effective and proactive role in helping our world community evolve as well.  In order to affect positive change in our world, we must pay attention to all the signs and messages, from deep within ourselves to the far reaches of the universe. There is joy in learning this interconnectedness. Paying attention is the key to learning. Be willing to look with the eyes of a beginner, every day you step onto your yoga mat, so that you might learn something new about yourself, and then take that lesson with you into your daily life!

What have you learned recently from your yoga practice? Share your experiences and share our blog to be eligible for this month’s giveaway.

9 Whole-You Practices to Come Back to Center

As life gets more and more harried, pulling us into seemingly millions of directions, the term “whole” has been tugging at the minds and hearts of many. While we are feeling fragmented with electronic and word bombardment, a myriad of processed and fast food choices, and a fast-pace of life in general…the idea of coming back to center by getting back to the basics sounds better and better. So, what are these practices that help us to find that balance in our lives, that help us carefully fit the pieces back into our whole?

1.       Pranayama, or breath work. There is something solid about focusing on one’s breath, on the inhale and the exhale. Breath work brings a tranquility and peace, and an awareness of our body and the living essence inside of it. It helps us release our minds from the millions of details we sometimes become attached to, and instead, focus on the greater whole inside us and around us.

2.       Aromatic use of essential oils interacts on a chemical level with the limbic center of our brains, and in a very real fashion, uplifts and fortifies emotions and paradigms.

3.       Topical use of pure and potent essential oils works with our cellular structure to help us center and come to balance, thereby supporting all the systems in the body.

4.       Healthy sleep helps us replenish, restore and rebuild on a physical and emotional level. 

5.       Proper hydration helps EVERYTHING in our bodies to function properly. 

6.       Regular aerobic exercise supports a healthy cardiovascular system.

7.       And of course, foods high in nutrition as well as high-quality supplements help give your cells the building blocks they need to thrive.

8.       Practicing daily meditation and gratitude help quiet the mind and put us in a space to balance giving and receiving.

9.  Yoga asana to have intentional postures/sequences that open body, mind and spirit to being receptive to change from a place of grounding. 

We’d love to hear more about YOUR whole-you practices. Please post on our Essential Yoga Practice Facebook, Instagram and Twitter page!

Breathing is the New Meditation: 4 Ways to Use Your Breath in Yoga

Yoga in the west is ever-growing with attention to embracing more than just asana practice, the third of the 8 limbs.  Wellness trends of 2018 show us that focusing on the breath is gaining great attention as both novice and seasoned yogis alike are learning and refining this rather powerful tool. In the practice of yoga we say that we need a one-pointed focus to be able to come to the present moment, and whether we use mantra, healing sound, aromatherapy, chanting, or breath, it is ultimately the focus on the breath that takes the crown as the greatest of all these tools.  Breath allows us to access awareness (blogposts on awareness and attention will be topics in February, stay tuned) and is considered the foremost tool because we can always tune in to the breath, it is always with us.  We can focus on the breath in every aspect of our yoga practice.  Here are some examples:

1.  Use focusing on breath as the foundation of a meditation practice – in yoga we say that “the breath is the home-base of the wandering mind.”

2.  Focus on the breath in asana practice, to deepen the experience of the pose we focus on the breath to see where does that take take our awareness, where are we holding unnecessary tension, where is our body opening, what comes up for us to learn when our breath allows us to be more present.

3. The art of breathing is the foundation of a pranayama practice:  There are hundreds of pranayamas, breathing exercises, to be learned in yoga.  They allow us to strengthen our cardiorespiratory system, build lung capacity, affect bold pressure, heart rate, make the respiratory system more resilient, and most importantly cultivate a refined connection of mind and body. For more on pranayama, see Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Practice With Essential Oils

4.  Apply the habit of finding refuge in breath awareness throughout the day – this is how we take our yoga practice “off the mat,” and into our daily life. Our breath mirrors our state of mind, so to steady your breath will allow you to steady your mind. This comes in handy when the mind is stressed or overwhelmed. To be able to do this is a refinement of a true yogi, aiming for the goal of being able to stay present while life revolves around you, so that you get to appreciate and learn from what is happening and thus to have an opportunity to evolve based on how you learn to control your reaction to life unfolding. Working from a breath-centered practice can help to dissolve the habits that become our obstacles to learning new habits that serve us better.  Holding back from habitual reaction by taking time to take a deep breath, allows the body to soften, creating clear pathways in the subtle energy channels of the body. Then the life force can flow freely, unobstructed, and decisions may come with clarity, from an unhurried reaction. The results may be more positive, though intangible, yet at times rather noticeable. Feeling more sure, acting from a positive outlook radiates a healthy mind and body connection, and the prana, life force comes from one’s true nature.

So how does focusing on the breath really work? Conscious breathing activates the diaphragm and stimulates the vagus nerve, effectively shifting the body from sympathetic, anxiety filled overdrive to the parasympathetic relaxed stage. Using specific breathing exercises, one can affect personal chemistry and well-being, and even take a shortcut to meditative states.  When we learn to control our breath, we can ease anxiety by turning our attention inward and access our intuition and true nature. 

Aromatherapy allows is to enhance using breath as a tool in the following ways: Essential oils like eucalyptus, ravinsara, cardamom, laurel, fir, myrrh, will open the respiratory tract and allow us deeper breathing. Essential oils like peppermint will support wake up the mind as well as support the opening of  respiratory channels.  As you focus on breath you can use aromatherapy to calm and soothe,  energize,  or assist in a myriad of ways to help you address challenges you might be experiencing. For example, if honest communication may be difficult, use lavender together with pranayama to bring light and awareness to your communication patterns. If you are feeling rushed or have anxious feelings, use a citrus oil such as wild orange to help you ease the pressure you are placing on yourself. Breath paired with intentional aromatherapy is a powerful tool.

A Simple Breathing Exercise:

Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet, uninterrupted place.  Apply a drop of essential oil from the above mentioned suggestions, to your hands, and bring your hands into Lotus mudra, at your heart.  Using this “personal diffuser,” take a deep breath. (If you want access to pure essential oils, please reach out to us). Notice the depth of your breath, the tension that you hold, the places your breath “goes.” Notice how your body begins to quiet from just one deep breath and how in turn, your mind begins to quiet. Continue with slow deep breathing for several minutes. Every time your mind begins to wander, come back to your breath. This is a practice of using the focus on your breath to help deter the habit of your mind from always racing. With practice, you will find less tendency of the racing mind in your daily life. And, when the overwhelming aspect of the mind’s scattered habit reappears, simple return to this simple breathing exercise. “Breathing is the new meditation” because it is accessible and effective!  We would love to hear about your experiences with breath work and aromatherapy. What essential oils work for you? What is your favorite pranayama?

Comment and/or share to be eligible for this month’s giveaway, a bottle of Grapefruit essential oil.   

Essential Yoga Sangha

As most people look forward to and start a new year, self-care comes foremost to mind. Weight loss, healthy eating, exercise, and living with a focus more centered in gratitude, service and joy are some of the topics freq, uently visited. Why do we tend to reflect on these things? Because these activities clear us, help us connect better to the people and activities most important to us, and help us raise our personal vibration.

Raising vibration, awareness and learning to be present (our only true moment of power) are results that both focusing onyoga and essential oils can bring. We invite you to join us for our  2-week Yoga Sangha, March 12, 2018…gift yourself this experience for self nurturing. In this Sangha course, you’ll deepen your knowledge about essential oils and how they can benefit your yoga practice and daily life, you’ll learn to identify your Ayurvedic constitution and apply the information for a higher level of self-care, you’ll review chakra balancing, you will learn how to live and practice yoga in a toxin-free environment, and more.

Yoga Alliance registered teachers can opt to receive 10 CE credits upon completion of thisSangha course, and will receive additional training on incorporating essential oils into their yoga studio and classes. Best of all, all Sangha participants have direct access to Mona and Asti and can get questions answered in a fun, supportive environment. 

We hope you put this experience on your bucket list for this year!

Essential Yoga Practice for Healing and Transformations

Yoga Asana , the sequence of yoga poses that you practice are tools to use to undo the stresses of life that are held in the body.  Many mind body practices agree that the body is a reflection of the state of the mind and of emotions.  When we begin a yoga sequence, it is very useful to use aromatherapy to bring the mind to a present state.  The aromatherapy could be chosen to compliment the theme of the practice,  to deepen the breath by relaxing the respiratory passages, to counter negative emotions or invoke positive emotions, to help the ease stress or simply to clear the air of airborne pathogens.  But once the mind has a “one-pointed” focus, then both the mind and body will quiet. 

Next comes the attention to the breath, which in turn allows the mind to relax, to allow the student’s own Divinity to connect to what is at the surface.  Starting with light asanas or preparations that begin to warm the muscles, tissues, joints and glands is typically a methodical way to allow a centering effect.   We use asana to strengthen the body as each asana is profound in its ability to unfold the constrictions that we place on the mind, and then the mind imposes restrictive habits on the breath and body. So we use asana practice to invite an opening of the body which is healing, and that becomes a habit as it replaces the habits of constriction.  So then, we do asana to unfold the beauty of the mind, the heart, the joy, the self.  We turn our reflection then inward, as we end with restorative asanas, to see where the breath needs to be, so that it does not come from the surface, or from stress or negative emotions.  A natural, organic unfolding begins and we cannot help but want to practice more. 

Want to learn more?  Get your copy of Essential Yoga Practice:  Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience Using Essential Oils, buy the DVD of 6 essential sequences and a lecture on the use of essential oils, and join us in our online course, Essential Yoga Sangha, where we will interact and build dialogue around this movement.

Our Essential Yoga Practice

We started Essential Yoga Practice 4 years ago, and published our book and DVD two years ago, because both yoga and aromatherapy have had a great, positive impact on our lives, on our wellness, and we wanted these practices to help you too!  We wanted to start a movement across the yoga community of the west that it is not just ok, but very traditional to use aromatherapy in yoga because yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda, gives us direction on how and why to do so.  Wellness is a key word and “the” word for 2018! As a western society we have come so far in learning about integrative mind-body practices, yet we have so far to go. There is a great, growing gap between those who have access to fresh food and herbs, education, clean water, and health care.  Mind-body practices like yoga, are ever growing and accessing pure, organic food and plants for self care, and health care is ever so important too.  We grew Essential Yoga Practice to include an online course called Essential Yoga Sangha (tribe/community), to educate you and to continue to grow together, understanding the many limbs and facets of the 5,000 practice of yoga, Ayurveda and incorporating aromatherapy and essential oils. This course is meant to help yogis and essential oil enthusiasts to deepen their wellness practices, yet yoga teachers will get 10 hours of continuing education credit. Join us by opting in to receive our weekly blog and then, share and comment, help us build a dialogue, and be entered into our monthly giveaways. Join us by introducing our book  and DVD to your favorite yogi or yoga teacher.   Join us in Essential Yoga Sangha, a fun interactive way to learn more and grow our wellness practices. Let’s evolve as yogis and help transform ourselves and our world to a more healthy and happy 2018!

Our giveaway this month, Grapefruit essential oil,  an aroma that helps us to feel grounded as well as ready… to take on the world, to enjoy life!

A Year in Review

Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year! It's been a great one and we can't wait to see what 2018 has in store. Here is a video of what this year has meant to us. Enjoy!

We are helping you to gift your favorite yogi (that might be you)!

Gifts for our Essential Yoga Practice community!  Reflecting on this year we are certainly grateful for our growing community of followers who share our passion for yoga and aromatherapy and our quest to learn more about yogic and Ayurvedic traditions for deepening our understanding and our practices.

The forward steps of this year have included a two-week online course which helps our audience delve deeper with us, and a tear sheet pad (carried by Aromatools.com and oillife.com, meant for people looking to build an essential oil business in the company of yogis).  This course was written for all yogis and essential oil enthusiasts, and is approved by Yoga Alliance for 10 hours of continuing education credit for yoga teachers.  As you look ahead into your 2018 journey, consider joining us for the next “Essential Yoga Sangha,” which begins January 15.  The prerequisite for this course is to have a copy of our book .  Purchase a hard copy  or the Kindle version here and receive the Centering Sequence, a sequence on practicing various Sun Salutations, and a Chair Yoga Sequence too!  Purchase the Essential Yoga Sangha course and receive a copy of the DVD that goes along with our book ($11.99 value)!  Simply forward your purchase confirmation/email receipt to us at essentialyogapractice@gmail.com, with your address, so we can send these gifts to YOU!

In addition, share or tag (or retweet) to be entered into this months giveaway, a bottle of Wild Orange essential oil, the oil of generosity. Namaste friends and Happy Holidays! 

Give Yourself the Gift of Generosity

Would you think it ironic to read the phrase, “Give yourself the gift of generosity this year?” Give yourself the gift of generosity? It seems to be common knowledge for most that generosity makes us feel good…but it goes much further than that.

Studies are actually finding that generosity gives us benefits so great that it may be one of the major keys to living a happy and healthy life. On a physical level, generous living enhances our physical health, lowers blood pressure, fights depression, reduces stress and even enhances our lifespan! On an emotional (& mental health) level, it helps us connect to our purpose, helps us feel better about ourselves, boosts our confidence and combats tendencies towards self-hatred and/or self-sabotage. Socially it provides a sense of connection and well-being, it enhances relationships, allows us to love those we serve even more than before, encourages us to see the best in others and allows us to bask in a sense of community.  

What’s encouraging is that we don’t have to go into generosity “hyperdrive” in order to experience these benefits. We can do simple acts, such as smiling at someone, making someone cookies, giving up our seat, visit someone who is lonely, or do any other number of small actions. As long as our brain and heart are active in planning and carrying out generous acts, we benefit….and it’s the ultimate gift because it causes a ripple effect.

People are more likely to serve others once they’ve experienced some type of generosity, their feelings of love increase for the person who serves them, and literally helps us “spread sunshine” everywhere we go.

We love partner yoga as a representation of how powerful generosity is. With partner poses, we learn that giving by committing more deeply to the pose actually creates greater stability for us and the person we are partnering with. It is a great reminder that when we are more isolated, working on our own poses we must be much more tuned inward to focus on balance and technique. And certainly individual practice is beautiful, relaxing and benefits personal meditation practices. But partner yoga enhances connection, fun, and stability as we allow ourselves to learn the fine art of giving and receiving.

We’d love to hear how your practice of partner yoga has taught you lessons about generosity you are able to carry into other areas of your life.

Generosity Sequence

As we enter our second week in our generosity series. We wanted to share a practice sequence with you! We hope this sequence helps to enhance your practice and to be more generous this month. Enjoy