One of the best things you can do during the summer is take your yoga practice outside. Whether you’re doing your own flow, or participating in a class, we have some tips on how you can get the most out of your practice.
Happy Mother’s Day from Health Yoga Life! Self-care is important for everyone, but especially for moms. Take some time and choose one of these tips to try and give yourself a break today. Even if you can’t schedule a weekend at the spa, you should find at least a few minutes in your day to take care of yourself.
Meditation is known to benefit the mind and lower stress, but did you know that it can also help improve your health? The benefits of meditation have been studied, so here are four benefits of a regular meditation practice.
We posted recently about adaptogens and how to use them, so we thought we’d share some great recipes for adaptogenic drinks that you can incorporate into your day to get all the benefits and enjoy yourself at the same time.
Winter temperatures and dryness can be harsh on your skin. To keep your skin feeling soft and hydrated, you’ll need to level up your skincare routine during the winter months. We’ve got a few tips on how you can keep a dewy look all year long.
It’s a new year, so it’s the perfect time to try something new in 2022. Sometimes we need a reset, or a jump start. Make the commitment that you’ll try at least one of the wellness trends this week.
We’d all like to use more natural products in our homes, but sometimes it can be daunting to figure out what we can swap with our old products. We’ve got some tips on how you can make the switch and create a healthier home.
Essential oils can be used so many ways throughout your daily routine, but it can be overwhelming trying to decide which oils to use, and what to use them for. We’ve compiled some ways you can easily incorporate essential oils into your everyday life to help boost your mood, increase energy, or help you get a good night’s rest.
With so many options for yoga classes, from in-person to online, it can be overwhelming trying to choose the right yoga teacher. It’s important to find a teacher that is welcoming, qualified, and who supports your yoga journey, whether you’re a beginner or advanced yogi.
A lot of yogis will assume that since they don’t plan to become a yoga teacher, that yoga teacher training isn’t for them. The truth is yoga teacher training can be an incredible way to grown in your own practice and build on your love for yoga.
March 8th is International Women’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than with yoga? Health Yoga Life is proud to be both family-owned and women-owned. Yoga has so many benefits, specifically for women. We’ve got some poses to practice this International Women’s Day with your mom, sister, daughter, friends, or even just by yourself.
Thinking about taking a yoga teacher training program is a big decision. Not only is there a financial commitment, there’s also a time and energy commitment. Here’s how to figure out if a training is right for you.
No matter who you are, you probably need more rest, or better-quality sleep in your life. In addition to having a calming bedtime routine, here are five yoga poses you can do before bed to help you get a great night’s sleep.
Every single body is different, and your yoga practice can look completely different from the person on the mat next to you. Modifications that work for you are key to helping support your yoga practice, and for giving your body what it needs for that day. Here are some tips on how to modify your yoga practice.
We get so caught up in our workdays that yoga is sometimes the last thing on our priority list. Movement is so crucial to maintaining a healthy body and a strong mind, so here are four yoga poses you can do right from your office chair. There are numerous benefits of stretching every day. These are also ideal for anyone dealing with an injury, or someone who wants a more gentle and supported practice.
Fall can be a stressful time. The lazy days of summer are over, and it’s almost time to prepare for the holidays. Sometimes you need a little rest and recovery from the chaos! Yoga is the ideal way to take care of both your body and your spirit.
Here at Health Yoga Life, we know that yoga is for everyBODY, at any age. Yes, yoga is great for kids, teens, and young adults, but the benefits of yoga for those with more life experience are numerous. Many may also assume that they have missed their chance to become a yoga teacher, and that it’s only a career path for the young and flexible. The world needs yoga teachers of all ages who want to spark and nurture the love of yoga in their students.
As the weather makes the turn from spring to summer, we all like to spend more time in the fresh air. Here are some tips for exploring the outdoors safely, for you and your family.
Everyone knows about spring cleaning your house, but what if you took that spirit to spring clean your life? This is the perfect time of year to change up your routine, try something new, and de-clutter every area of your life. Out with the old and in with the new!
Setting yourself up to have good day starts with one thing: your morning routine. Having a bad morning can set you up for having a bad day. Set yourself up for success by creating a morning routine to support having a great rest of your day.
It seems like every year we all sit down at the end of December and set our intentions for the new year, but how do you keep those intentions? We’ve got some tips on keeping your motivation strong throughout the new year.
Your fourth chakra, your heart chakra is one of the chakras that we all focus on most. Your heart chakra is the home of unconditional love. When this chakra is blocked, we may feel fear, have relationship stress, or an inability to offer and receive love from others. Here are some tips on how to open your heart chakra.
The approach of the Winter Solstice is a time that, evolutionarily, mammals (including humans) naturally want to go inward (as in hibernation). In our culture, this natural tendency is at odds with the busyness of the holidays and year end. We often resist the colder temperatures and shorter days by contracting our energy, which can leave us feeling down in the dumps.
Alternatively, we can cultivate a wintertime practice (or concept) called Hygge (pronounced Hughga).
Not only can the holiday season be stressful, but it can also cause us to get distracted from our own self-care routines. There’s too much else that needs to be done, and often taking care of ourselves can be the first thing we drop. We’ve got some tips for you on how to maintain your self-care for the upcoming holiday season!
Your third chakra, your solar plexus chakra is all about personal power, motivation, and self-esteem. When your third chakra is blocked, you can have digestive issues, struggling to set personal boundaries, lack of motivation, and low self-esteem. Here are a few ways you can power up your third chakra to increase your warrior energy, find motivation, and increase your personal power.
As a woman who is primarily vegetarian (I eat fish occasionally), I suffer from low iron in my blood. Having low iron levels is literally a real drag. You feel sluggish, tired, and lack energy for normal activities. It can make exercising feel much harder, cause brittle nails and pale skin. Low levels can also cause hair loss. The list of symptoms for iron deficiency is long and unpleasant. Causes of iron deficiency are varied, including but not limited to menstruation, diet, genetics, pregnancy.
At yearly check-ups, my doctor would tell me to take iron supplements to help increase my iron levels. Every pill I popped I stopped taking. Why? Because iron can bind you belly and constipate you. There is nothing worse. I used to think the only choice was either a sluggish body or a sluggish belly. Then I found MegaFoods Blood Builder, and my iron levels increased with no digestions changes. I have been taking it once a day in the morning after breakfast for years now. My iron levels are normal. My energy levels are normal. It is the only iron supplement I have ever been able to tolerate. It even includes some vitamin c which aides iron absorption.
Megafood makes it supplements form whole foods fruit and vegetable sources. With Megafoods headquarters right over the border in New Hampshire, we Boston based yoga sisters love spreading the word about this New England company. We trust their products so much we have recently added them to our boutique at the Health Yoga Life studio in Beacon Hill.
What a better way to spend the night than having fun, doing yoga, mingling, and enjoying treats all while helping a great cause! Well that is what we are going to do Boston! March 24 at the Boston Public Market, join Vyda, co-founder of Health Yoga Life for an event you are sure to remember: Yoga Night Out (for a cause)! We’ll start off with a yoga class for all levels, beginner’s welcome. Then we will enjoy local treats, beer, and wine from the vendors of the Public Market.
So forget your typical Thursday night out. Come stretch, relax, connect and have some fun! All proceeds go directly to the Greater Boston Food Bank!
Event is March 24th, from 6:30-8:30 Bring a Yoga Mat!
Do you feel full? Bloated? Are you irritable from overeating all the delicious foods of Thanksgiving? The typical American consumes 4,500 calories for Thanksgiving. Now that is a collective stuffing! Yoga can be an effective way to help you digest and detox after over-indulging. Even a few minutes of each of these five poses can help you get your belly back on track.
Cat-Cow Pose
Start with a neutral spin on all fours. Inhale drop the belly lift the head and tailbone as you exhale round the spine like an angry cat. By breathing deeply in and out into your abdomen you gently massage the organs and alternate between compressing and then extending the intestines. This helps improve gut function.
Downward-Facing Dog
Press yourself up into an inverted V, hips high and back. Ground your hands and feet into the ground (heels don’t have to touch).Take very deep breaths in and out of your belly. As you breath in pull the belly button in and up. Imagine drawing the belly up and in the direction of the back of your lungs. This helps flush the intestines with fresh oxygen rich blood.
For the following poses twist to the right first then to the left. As you twist right, you compress the ascending colon and as you twist left, you compress the descending colon. This gets everything going in the right direction!
Twisting Triangle
Step your right foot forward and spin you back heel flat. The back toes will point up and slightly to the right. Hips are square to the front. Extend your left arm up and spin your torso over the front leg. The left hand can go on the right leg or to the inside or outside of the front foot. Lengthen the spine as you twist. Repeat on the other side.
With this pose you are alternating between compressing and releasing the colon. As you do this it will stimulate the body to release waste and toxins.
Half Gas Release Pose
It’s all in the name! As you take this pose it compresses the ascending colon on the right side and descending colon on the left. It also stimulates the nerves to help with elimination. Draw your right knee in toward the your right torso. Keep pressing your left leg straight and down. Pull the right knee down. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat on the other side.
Seated Twist
Sit down and bend you right knee and cross it over your bent left leg. Stretch you left arm up as you inhale and then twist your left elbow over your right thigh. Inhale and exhale deeply a few times. Keep the legs as they are and twist in the opposite direction. Come back to center and crisscross the legs in the opposite direction.Stretch you right arm up as you inhale and then twist your right elbow over your left thigh. Inhale and exhale deeply a few times. This pose will rinse out the intestines and stomach and help fire up your digestive track.
As a business owner in the yoga and wellness arena, I practice what I teach. Through meditation, yoga and Health Yoga Life coaching I find a quicker connection to self, can eradicate limiting beliefs and move forward with choice and action confidently. And still we live in world (perhaps cosmically and consciously designed) to take us far from center almost on a daily basis. Recently, I was given the gift from a dear friend to attend a retreat. As I am usually the one leading the retreats these days, I must confess, the first day or so I was continuously nagged by a feeling that I needed to do something. Whether that was to check-in with my sisters about our yoga studio back home in Boston or teach a yoga class to my peers at the program, my mind was like a ping pong ball, back and forth back and forth “what can I do now to distract myself from being present”. As I observed this in my mind and body, I noticed a rushing feeling of thoughts and sensation. It was a slow-leak of my own energy, and it was time I stopped the drain.
Retreats are a wonderful opportunity to slow down and see what is really going on behind the scenes of our own life; what gives us energy what takes it away. If we never pause we simply do not have the time to be with ourselves long enough to know what makes our hearts come alive or what hinders or grows our light. Retreats like our “Ultimate Liberation: Free the Mind, Empower the Body, Awaken the Soul” retreat in Tulum allow for self-exploration at the deepest level. As the resort is right on the beach the ocean waves provide the melody for the week. The water moves in the water moves out. The breath moves in the breath moves out. The perfect reminder that there is an easeful flow to life and if we feel like we are constantly swimming upstream it’s a calling to change direction.
As my time went on at the retreat, I paid full attention to what I needed to do that week to receive the most from my experience. As my life outside the retreat is spent surrounded by people and in constant communication with others, I knew I desperately needed alone time. So I gave myself permission that week to be with me and created lots of moments of being quiet with myself. Through this, pain and grief that I was carrying that was blocking my freedom of being was released and healed.
I didn’t think I needed a retreat when my friend gave me this gift. Of course I was excited to spend a week in a beautiful place, but I didn’t have any intentions for the week. However, as retreats will do, this time away gave me so much more than I ever expected to receive. I am refreshed, more present, and have more energy for the things that are important to me. Join us this winter Jan 21-Feb 5 and be transformed by the journey! Learn More Click Here
Oh, I remember my middle school days. Awkward, although studious, just trying to find my social circle. I also remember physical education class. We were forced to climb the ropes, launch over a vault box on gymnastics day and everyone’s favorite, pop the balloon pinned to the bullseye on archery day. If you popped it, you won a piece of sugarless candy.
And then on we went to high school…
Thinking back, there was one thing definitely missing from the middle school fitness days – yoga! I was an avid dancer and cheerleader for a majority of my life, which included practices four to five times a week. I can only imagine the flexibility I would’ve had if I practiced yoga twice a week like I do now.
Physical fitness aside, there are so many amazing mental benefits that yoga offers. According to a recent Boston Magazine article, more schools across the nation are embracing yoga and incorporating it into the curriculum.
A recent study by Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and Sat Bir Khalsa, an associate neuroscientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital here in Boston, examined the impact of yoga on high-risk students in local schools. Participants completed 32 yoga sessions in 2014 and were then asked to complete a questionnaire based off of their yogic experiences. One result that clearly stood out was a reduction in cigarette smoking.
So maybe it’s time to pack your yoga mat with your notebooks and lunchbox.
Will adding yoga to the classroom reduce anxiety, depression and substance abuse? Only time will tell, but we’re certainly on the right track.
And I can honestly say that yoga would have been more useful than hitting the balloon bullseye!
I’m not sure about you, but I can hardly contain my excitement for tomorrow’s release of Orange is the New Black, Season 3. A newer fan to the series, I’ve had a few favorite characters along the way, but one character always remains the top on my list: Erica “Yoga” Jones.
Yoga Jones earned her spot in the Litchfield Penitentiary after an unfortunate accident many years ago on her farm, but has always tried to make the most of her sentence.
Her fellow inmates can certainly learn a lot from her actions and words. And if you think about it, we can all learn a lot from Yoga Jones. Here are three things that she has taught me these past two seasons.
Do Yoga – Whenever possible, do yoga! Sure, you may not have time for an hour and a half power class, but you can make time for a pose. Stand up from your desk once every hour and do your favorite pose. Or hide in the conference room for a blissful, five-minute Savasana. Jones heads up the yoga program at the prison, and although it’s not super popular, I’m confident we’ll see a spike in yogis in Season 3.
Be Nice – It’s really that simple. Not everyone or everything will make you happy every day. That’s just a fact of life. But by having a bit of compassion and empathy, you’ll find that being a nice person will go a long way. And as a result, it will make you happier. Yoga Jones always tries to take her fellow inmates under their wing, by asking them how they feel. She is always there to listen, add her words of wisdom, and most important, she is nice.
Put Things into Perspective – In the first episode, Yoga Jones tells main character, Piper, to look at her experience in prison as a mandala, which are sand designs that Tibetan monks made, only to be washed away weeks later. She tells Piper to make her stay meaningful, beautiful and know that it is only temporary. So the next time you have a bad day, remember that it is only temporary and tomorrow will be better.
I’m sure after reading this, you’re all jonesing for some yoga! Stop on by Health Yoga Life today and tell your favorite instructor that Yoga Jones sent you!
Boston is Health Yoga Life’s city! The co-founders and sisters of HYL grew up in Boston, love all things Boston and are never shy to sing loudly…”Well I love that dirty water Oh, Boston you’re my home!”
If you consider Boston home, you know exactly where you were on 4/15/13 at 2:49pm when the first Marathon Bomb went off. We, sisters, were there on the streets cheering the runners on at Hereford and Boylston, the iconic corner for completing the marathon. We are fortunate that none of our nearest and dearest were directly affected, but we can assure you everyone, our entire city, was impacted.
Patriots Day/Marathon Monday is a day our city shines. The skies were blue that day, and the human spirit and strength of the first responders and the people of Boston shown brighter than the sun. Boston rallied and we became #BostonStrong.
Today a new tradition begins, Boston is big on tradition, today the Mayor and Governor declared the day to be #OneBostonDay:
“On this day, we remember and reflect. We greet our neighbors. We lend a hand. We reach out, give back, and go above and beyond. We epitomize the spirit of the city we love.”
With this in mind HYL starts a new tradition in support of #OneBostonDay! Today in each yoga class there will be free giveaways. We also will bring a treat and some yoga vibes to our local firehouse, and want to extend a special discount to everyone in our community.
We know that yoga and meditation, heals and transforms! Near or far you can practice yoga with us! For the next 24 hours, take 15% off our Mind, Mood, and Muscle Plan! An on-line yoga, meditation, and wellness program to take you from plateau to peak! CLICK HERE and add to cart to receive instant savings read all about this amazing program HERE.
Halloween can be a fright but yoga should never be! It is true that sometimes you haven’t fully developed the strength or flexibility to move to a more advanced variation of a pose. However, sometimes it is just your ego that is holding you back. Your ego screams at you from within “Don’t try that pose! You’ll never be able to do that. You might fall.” So let’s tackle the ego first. To grow in yoga you must be willing to fall out of poses. In fact to grow in any area of your life you will most likely have to stumble along the way. I have found that the amount of stumbling and fumbling almost always directly correlates with the reward; meaning the more times you fall the higher you rise. In a pose, right at the edge of going too far and falling out of the pose is exactly where you will keep growing and transforming the body and mind. So give up the ego and give yourself permission to fall. And if you do fall out, smile. It will ease the bruise to the ego.
Now let’s tackle some poses that you might find a little scary at first but with a few simple tips you just might be able to master!
Crow Pose
The easiest way to learn to take crow or to help yourself out in crow is to put a block under your feet. By lifting the feet off the earth you can begin to play with lifting one shin then the other onto the upper arms. With crow it can be feel scary to be lifted off the earth, but the block underneath your feet acts like a security blanket. You’ll be flying in no time.
Jumping Through
In a vinyasa or flowing style yoga class there is a fun transition of jumping your legs through your arms to come to seated or to transition to your back. If the thought of being able to pike your legs through your arms sounds intimidating and challenging, it is time to face the fear. Grab two blocks. Put one hand under each hand in downward dog, engage the core and jump and shoot your legs through your arms. FUN! If you’ve been sweating and the mat is a little slipperier all the better; your legs will slide right through like a Slip ‘n’ Slide.
Full Back-Bend/Wheel and Dropping Back to Wheel
If you have graduated from your bridge pose and would like to try a full back-bend but somehow your mind still has you pinned to the mat. Here is an easy way to lift off the earth. Bring two blocks to a wall or a stack of sturdy books. Now set your hands fingertips forward away from the wall on the block and push. By having the blocks at the wall you can really push with power. The resistance of the blocks pushing back into your hands will help pop you up.
If you already take full back bend/wheel then your next stage is learning to drop back. WHAT? Through mid-air? Yes dropping back from standing. This requires practice and awareness, and definitely pushing past the fear barrier in the mind. To start working on moving past the fear and conditioning the body, set yourself up against the wall facing away from the wall, but not too far away from the wall. Bring your hands to the wall and walk your hands up and down the wall to mimic dropping back and coming back to standing. Practicing at the wall this way will teach you about the leg and core strength and coordination you need to be able to drop back for wheel pose.
Tripod Headstand
Going upside down onto the top of the head can induce panic and anxiety, mostly because it is just something we don’t have a need to do in everyday life. But finding a headstand inversion is very calming, core strengthening and reduces stress and even stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands.
If you find it challenging to take regular headstand take the fright out by trying a modified tripod headstand. From wide-legged forward fold widen your feet away from each other, keep the finger tips and toe tips in the same direction and slide the hands backs, bring the crown of the head to the ground so that the head and hands make an equilateral triangle(even space between all three sides). Then start to walk your feet in and your knees up onto the upper arms. This will start to familiarize your body with bringing you weight onto your head. But because you also have your hands on the ground, your upper body is bearing some of the pressure and weight. As you feel ready you can draw your legs toward the ceiling by engaging your core body.
Side Crow Extended Legs Variation
Just thinking of coming into Side Crow Variation can make your heart beat faster and the sweat droplets start dropping from your skin. Take a breath and follow these easy steps to try this pose the next time you want to try and fly! Come into a revolved crescent lunge pose. Grab two blocks under your hands and bend the arms to create shelves with your upper arms. Engage the core and gently start to rock your body weight onto your upper arms. Try it and in trying you just might lose the very thing that had you avoid it in the first place, the fear!
Of course if all else falls in yoga remember to just Bee!
Yoga is a part of my weekly routine because of its ability to help me through life’s stressors and challenges. In exactly a year, I will be celebrating one of the biggest and happiest days of my life – my wedding! While exciting and joyful, I am aware that some moments this next year will be stressful, chaotic and overwhelming.
I recently created a “One Year Plan” which includes personal goals to help me look and feel my best on the big day. Number one on the list is to continue with my weekly yoga practices and not letting anything get in the way.
Here are three benefits of a yoga routine to help prep brides for their big day:
Breath – Vendors (florists, DJs, hair/makeup), cake tastings, spreadsheets…Having a perfect wedding requires a lot of planning and can often cause you to feel overwhelmed. By taking three deep lions breaths, you will suddenly feel at ease and back in the zone.
Reduce Toxins – A heated, sweaty yoga class helps release toxins from the body (think champagne toasts at the engagement party and bridal shower) leaving your skin glowing and beautiful.
Toned – It’s no secret that yoga has the ability to give you a strong core, toned arms and an overall leaner look.
Some brides-to-be may strive to lose ten pounds by their big day. My “One Year Plan” is to rather gain all of the benefits yoga can offer so I can look my absolute best in my wedding dress – both mentally and physically.
As the Health Yoga Life sisters approach their three year anniversary, I would like to thank you all for your support to date and I look forward to practicing with you leading up to my wedding!
