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Asana, Alignment & Anatomy: Hero Pose

1/30/2015

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Holy wow - I cannot believe January is almost over!  We've come to the last day of poses (asanas) featuring the legs so after focusing on poses (asanas) that work your hammies and quads pretty hard, it's only appropriate that we end with one that offers up a fantastic stretch for your thighs, knees, and ankles.  Hero Pose, or Virasana, is another pose that you'll likely either love it or hate it.  For some people, this pose is heaven on earth and they could (and have) fallen asleep in while lying in the reclined version, Supta Virasana.  For others, though, Hero Pose puts way too much pressure on the knees and/or ankles, making it totally and unbearably awful.  If that's you, though, don't worry - you have options!
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Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero Pose)
How to Get There
  1. Start kneeling, sitting back on your heels with your shoulders over your hips and your knees touching.
  2. Lift your butt off your heels and lean forward slightly to separate your feet just wider than hip-distance apart.
  3. Press the tops of your feet into the mat and slowly lower yourself down, sitting in between your feet.
  4. Sit in this pose for five to twenty breaths with palms resting face-down on your thighs, or face-up with one palm stacked on top of the other in your lap.
  5. When you're ready to come out of the pose, lean forward to lift yourself up out of the pose and come to rest in a cross-legged seat.
Alignment Tips
  • Slide your thumbs behind your knees to move your calves out to the sides to allow more room for you to sit back.
  • Press the outer edges of your feet into the mat - this will help protect your knees from tweaking in and twisting in painful ways.
  • Keep your knees close together - they should stay no wider than hip-distance apart (to keep your knees safe!).
  • Draw your belly into your spine and keep the crown of your head reaching high to help your shoulders relax.
Newbie Modifications
  • Use a Block: Place a block (or a pillow folded in half) on the wide side in between your feet and sit on this.  This will take some pressure off your knees, but you'll still get a nice stretch along your quads (front of your thighs).
  • Use a Towel/Blanket: You have a few options here.  First, you can place a blanket or towel under your shins and knees to add more cushioning.  Second, you can roll up the end of it and place it under your ankles to take some pressure off your ankles/feet.  Third, you can slide the blanket in between your thighs and calves to take pressure off your knees.
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Virasana (Hero Pose) Modification: With a block
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Virasana (Hero Pose) Modification: With a block
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Virasana (Hero Pose) Modification: Towel/Blanket under ankles
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Virasana (Hero Pose) Modification: Towel/Blanket between thighs and calves
Advanced Variations
  • Place your hands on the mat a few inches behind you, fingers pointed forward and slowly start to lean back.  This will get a deeper stretch along your quads and even start to take you into a chest opener.
  • If it feels okay, lower down on to your elbows to open your chest up even more. 
  • If this feels super comfy, lower all the way down on to your back and reach your arms overhead for a shoulder stretch (Supta Virasana).
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Virasana (Hero Pose) Variation: Deeper Quad Stretch
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Virasana (Hero Pose) Variation: Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero Pose)
How does this help our legs?  You're probably sick of reading this, but this really is a great stretch for your thighs, knees, and ankles!  There aren't too many poses that wi

Bloopers
The most common (and most frightening) mistake I see in this pose is people going past their edge.  "Going past your edge" may sound a little too yogi for you and it might not make sense, so let me translate in English: it is doing something your body is not ready for yet.  For instance, say there is yogi trying this pose for the first time in a class, and they see other yogis taking it back into Supta Virasana.  They want to do the same thing everyone else is doing, so they give it a go.  This particular yogi's quads are still a little tight, though, so his/her knees end up popping up off the mat (like in the picture below), and/or his/her knees separate way too far apart.  I'm willing to bet that at this point, this yogi is feeling some serious discomfort and possibly pain, risking long-term injury.  This yogi would be "past his/her edge."  He/she should start off sitting upright with a block and/or blanket/towel, and only move deeper when the body is ready for it, and overtime, it will be!
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Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero Pose): Incorrect with knees popping up
It may be apparent (or obvious) by now that this pose can be scary for the knees, but it really doesn't have to be!  It's a great pose to practice patience and stillness while you explore the modification or variation that makes the most sense for your body.  Try to relax so that you can enjoy the sweet stretch that happens on the fronts of the thighs and into the knees and ankles!  Maybe even force a smile to help take some of the pressure out of your mind...sounds strange, but it really does work!

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DelMarVa Destination: Super Bowl Weekend

1/29/2015

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Photo Creds: Marie Maroun

Happy almost weekend friends!  Here are some suggestions as you're making plans for the weekend...


Take a Workshop

Interested in deepening your practice?  Check out one of these yoga workshops:
Yoga Anatomy & Therapeutics Feet & Ankles: Saturday (1/31) 1:30PM  @ Tranquil Space
Yoga Anatomy & Therapeutics Knees: Sunday (2/1) 10:00AM  @ Tranquil Space
New Mom Series: Sunday (2/1) 11:00AM @ Tranquil Space
Yoga Tools for Balancing Your Mood: Sunday (2/1) 2:00PM @ Tranquil Space
A Teacher's Tool-Box Creativity & Mindfulness: Sunday (2/1) 5:00PM @ Tranquil Space
A Winter's Tail: Scorpion's Flow: Saturday (1/31) 5:30PM @ Flow Yoga Center
Donate Blood!: Thursday (1/29) - Saturday (1/31) @ Spark Yoga

Spoil Yourself

Or maybe you're looking to spend some cash dollars...
Athleta: New Markdowns
Nordstrom: New Markdowns
Francesca's: Extra 40% off Sale
J.Crew: Extra 40% off Sale
Macy's: Extra 25 - 40% off Sale
Dick's Sporting Goods: Extra 25 - 60% off Sale
REI: Up to 30% off The North Face items

Catch New Ads on TV

To sports fans, this is also known as watching the Super Bowl.  Need an idea on what to do for the game?  The links below have some great suggestions!
15 Places to Eat on Super Bowl Sunday
10 Best Bars to Watch the Super Bowl
16 Catering/Take-Out Specials for Super Bowl Sunday
However you choose to spend the weekend, be sure to spend some time doing something just for yourself to help you relax and restore (even if it's only 5 minutes)!  And bundle up if you go outdoors -- it's looking to be chilly!
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Healthy Hearts: Easy Organic Chili Recipe

1/27/2015

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In honor of the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, I want to share one of my favorite Super Bowl recipes: Chili!  This is a Reilly household favorite--even the cat loves it.  Just kidding, he doesn't like human food (not even milk), but everyone else seems to like it!  I have been experimenting with chili recipes for awhile now, and I tell you that this is the one. It's really truly SO easy, even if you are modifying around dietary restrictions, and it costs about $10 to make a week's worth of organic chili...not bad, right?  It's so easy that it was my go-to meal during my 200-hr Teacher Training last year: before heading downtown for the long Saturdays and Sundays, I would carve out an extra 15 minutes before heading out the door to get the crockpot started and then when I got home from a long day, dinner was ready!  
Ingredients
  • 1 -  28 oz can Unsalted Crushed (Plum) Tomatoes 
  • 1 - 15 oz can Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes 
  • 1 - 15 oz can Low Sodium Black Beans 
  • 1 - 15 oz can Low Sodium Kidney Beans 
  • 1 - 15 oz can low sodium corn (1 cup of frozen corn will work just fine, too)
  • 1 lb Organic Turkey Meat - leave this out if going Vege or Vegan 
  • Taco seasoning to taste (make your own using this super easy recipe from my girl, Andrea - it's healthier and cheaper!)
  • 2 spoonfuls of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil to cook turkey meat
  • Secret Ingredient: Dry Ranch Mix (make your own sans MSG*)
  • Chili Topping: Sour cream to taste (use this recipe to make your own if going Dairy-free or Vegan)
  • Chili Topping: Organic Tortilla Chips (Optional)
  • Chili Topping: Organic Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend (Optional)

    *Notes on Dry Ranch Mix recipe:
      -You don't need to use dried portabello mushrooms - just chop up regular portabello s'hrooms and throw them in.
      -If going Dairy-free or Vegan, you can also make your own Buttermilk.  It's simple and delish!
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Chili Ingredients
Instructions
  1. If making your own Dry Ranch Mix and Sour Cream, prepare these first and set aside.
  2. Mix Black Beans, Kidney Beans, and Corn in strainer to rinse off sodium with water
  3. Cook turkey meat on skillet in coconut oil until just slightly underdone (you should barely see any pink).  Add at least 2 spoonfuls of taco seasoning, or add more if you like it extra spicy.
  4. Combine ingredients in Crock-Pot in the order listed above
  5. Cover and cook on Low setting for 7 - 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
  6. Store away in glass containers (Pyrex works great!) or enjoy immediately toppings as desired!
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Favorite Finds: "Living Your Yoga" by Judith Lasater

1/26/2015

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Since yoga is about more than just breathing, strange poses, and fun clothes (who knew!?), I want to feature a book review every 4th Tuesday in my Favorite Finds.  Although I'll mostly discuss yoga philosophy books, I'll also include some non-yoga reading, too, to offer a little bit of balance and fun.  

To start, I'll offer up the first yoga philosophy book I read, which also happens to be my most favorite yoga philosophy book eve,  Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater.  To be completely honest, I've never even been a fan of any kind of philosophy so I think it's kind of a big deal that I actually really liked this book!  It introduces you to yoga philosophy in such a subtle and practical way that you don't even realize you're taking in so much philosophy at once. 

Each chapter explains a verse from the Yoga Sutras or Baghavad Gita (aka the yoga Bible) and offers easy ways to incorporate the philosophies into your life.  The Sutras are traditionally written in Sanskrit and since I'm not even remotely fluent in Sanskrit, I found it so helpful to have Lasater's translations in words that actually made sense.  And if you're sitting there thinking "what the heck are the Sutras?!", you're not alone! I had no clue until I read this book, but Lasater did a fab job explaining them.  
But back to my point on how Lasater turns Sanskrit into words that make sense.  In one chapter, she explains Yoga Sutra 2:5 which states, “anitya-ashuci-duhkha-anatmasu-nitya-shuci-sukha-atma-khyatir-avidya,” or in English, “Nescience is the seeing of that which is eternal, pure, joyful and the Self in that which is ephemeral, impure, sorrowful, and the non-self.”  I mean....what?  Like seriously, that could be from a William Shakespeare sonnet.  Thankfully, Lasater translates this Sutra into understandable English: “when we…think [we] will remain the same, we do not understand impermanence” (Lasater page 95).  She then goes on to discuss how the only thing certain in life is change.  Ah ha!  I get it now: the Sutra is really saying: "change = good."

There are so many tidbits of wisdom in this book, but they're all presented in such a humble and "take what you will" fashion that really resonated with me.  The book was also a pretty quick read.  I read it cover-to-cover (or start to end on my Kindle) over about a week's worth of 30 minute metro commutes.  Side note on the Kindle app: a nice feature is that it lets you highlight passages and take notes that you can then easily search for after the fact.

Anywho, if you haven't done so already, I HIGHLY encourage you get a copy of this book and read your heart out.  It's sure to leave a lasting impression.

Happy reading, loves!
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Asana, Alignment & Anatomy: Warrior III

1/25/2015

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I want to start this week off with a challenge so today's post is all about Warrior III, or Virabhadrasana III in Sanskrit.  Now this is one beast of a pose.  Just holding this pose (asana) is a great workout for your legs, abs, shoulders, and even arms if you engage them enough.  Being a part of the Warrior family, it's no wonder that Virabhadrasana III is a whole body challenge.  
How to Get There
  1. Start in high lunge (Anjaneyasana).  
  2. Begin to shift forward, bringing your weight to your standing leg and tipping your back leg up so that it is even with hip height.
  3. Reach your arms straight out in front of you, keeping your arms alongside your ears.
  4. Firm up through your standing leg, flex your back foot, and draw your belly up to your spine.
  5. After five - ten breaths (or maybe three if you're just starting out!), bend your standing leg and slowly lower back down to high lunge.
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Alignment Tips
  • Firm up through your standing leg by activating your quads, or squeezing your upper front thigh.  If you tend to hyper-extend your knees, keep a micro-bend in your standing leg.
  • Check that your knee on your standing leg is in line with your toes.
  • Try to level out your hips, as if you were balancing a glass of water on your booty.  Most likely, you'll need to engage your core even more to lower the hip of your lifted leg to be in line with your standing leg's hip. You'll know that your hips are even when you feel the outer, upper thigh on your standing leg working...hard.  
  • Pretend that you're standing on a wall behind you to help flex your lifted foot.  This will not only help you balance, but it'll also help keep your spine in one long line.
  • Reach the crown of your head forward and turn your gaze down so that you're looking a few inches in front of your foot. 
  • As always, keep your shoulders relaxed.
Newbie Modifications
Let's face it: this is a challenging pose, and there is no getting around that.  But if you're just starting out, you can help yourself gain some more stability by trying the following:
  • Place your hands on the tall sides of blocks under your shoulders.
  • Stand arms' length behind a chair and hold on to the its back. 
  • Take this pose in front of a wall so that you can step your lifted foot on the wall.
  • Bring your hands together in prayer (anjali mudra) to give your shoulders and arms a break.
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Advanced Variations
  • Play with Jaguar Pose: slowly bend into your standing leg as deeply as your body wants to go, making sure that your knee doesn't knock in or bow out.
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  • Add core work: take a deep breath as you inhale and reach arms and lifted leg in opposite direction.  On an exhale, use your core to draw your elbows and knee into your chest.  
  • Play with transitions: I love using this pose in sequences to build a lot of heat.  It's also fun to transition in and out of this to poses like: Standing Splits, Dancer's Pose (Natarajasana), Revolved Half Moon (Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana), or Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana).
How does this help our legs?  Beyond strengthening shoulders and the muscles in your back and core, Warrior III will improve your balance and posture, both of which are dependent on your legs.  This pose strengthens ankles, calves, and thighs, and when done correctly, it really works the outer thighs and "saddle bags" area :)
Bloopers

Here are some examples of what it looks like when your alignment may be slightly wonky:
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Virabhadrasana III: Uneven hips and dipped shoulders
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Virabhadrasana III: Level hips and back
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Virabhadrasana III: Uneven hips and dipped shoulders
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Virabhadrasana III: Collapsing into it
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Asana, Alignment & Anatomy: Frog Pose

1/22/2015

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Eka Pada Bhekasana (One-Legged Frog Pose)
Today's pose is Frog Pose, or Bhekasana.  We don't see this one too often in class since it's a tad awkward, but it's a great one!  In it's full expression, Frog Pose is an insane quad stretch and backbend (which should only be done after lots of prep).  It also stretches the chest (pectoral muscles) and gently works your upper (thoracic) spine.  Since there's so much going on here, I'm focusing on One-Legged Frog Pose first, with the option to work into the full expression as an advanced variation.
How to Get There
  1. Start lying face down on your mat.  Place your left arm on the mat at a diagonal, with your elbow directly under your left shoulder.
  2. Separate your feet hip distance apart and press your toes into the mat.  Then bend your right knee and reach back for your foot with your right hand, placing your hand on the top of your foot with your fingers pointed back.  
  3. Breathe in to grow your spine longer, and as you exhale, slowly press down on your foot, bringing your heel towards the outside of your right thigh.
  4. Try to stay here for at least five to ten breaths and when you're ready to come out, release your foot and lower your chest back down, rocking your hips side to side to relax your back before taking this on the left side.  
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Eka Pada Bhekasana
Alignment Tips
  • Try to keep your knees no wider than hip distance apart.  If your knee starts to pop off the mat, lessen the pressure on your foot until your knee is back on the mat.  
  • Continue pressing the top of your foot on your straight leg into the mat to activate your back leg and continue to spread energy throughout your body.
  • Draw your belly into your spine while pressing both hip bones evenly into the mat to protect your lower back.
  • Your elbow should be pointed straight up.
  • Press your entire forearm into the mat to lift your chest higher, but remember to keep your shoulders relaxed!
  • Keep your gaze at about 6 inches on the mat in front of you.
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Eka Pada Bhekasana Modification: With Strap
Newbie Modifications
  • Use a strap: If your quads are feeling super tight or if the backbend is just too much, try looping a strap around the sole of the foot on your bent leg and drawing the foot forward by pulling on the strap.
  • Half-Bow Pose: Another option to lessen the stretch on the quad is to work with Half-Bow Pose (Ardha Dhanurasana), which is very similar, but the shin of your bent leg will be perpendicular with your mat and pressing towards the back.
  • Pad the hips: If you're new to this pose, it might not feel too good on your hip bones as they press into the mat.  To overcome this, place a blanket under your hips in between you and the mat. 
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Eka Pada Bhekasana Modification: With Strap
Advanced Variations
  • Explore the full variation by taking this on both sides at the same time.
  • Slowly press your feet closer to the mat outside your hips as you lift your chest a little higher.
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Bhekasana: Full expression
How does this help our legs?  Frog Pose is great for boosting energy and reversing the effects from sitting (possibly all day at work).  It's also one of the best ways to stretch and lengthen our quads and hip flexors.  This is crucial for mobility and helps with running, jumping, or any other physical activity that you're into.  

Word of caution, if you have any knee issues, take this very slowly!  Start with Half Bow Pose and only as your knee allows, start to work into the deeper variations.


Enjoy the frogging!
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Healthy Hearts: 4 Natural Ways to Fight Inflammation

1/21/2015

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Heart Opener: Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (Upward-Facing Two Foot Staff Pose)
Inflammation has a been a hot topic lately and everyone is talking about it.  Why?  Well, frankly, because it can lead to very bad things happening in your body.  Did you know that despite all the bad press, inflammation in itself is actually good?  We experience acute inflammation when we get a cut or scrape and the skin becomes red and swollen.  This is when our bodies go to work producing white blood cells to remove harmful stimuli or irritants (i.e., bacteria and viruses).  

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is not so great.  In a nutshell, this is when your body goes into "fight or flight" mode, but in response to environmental and/or mental stress.  It's different for everyone, but basically, our diets, stress-levels, and exposure to products and toxins can result in our bodies working overtime to protect against real or perceived dangers, eventually leading to chronic inflammation as our bodies work on non-stop overdrive.   

So now we get to why this is a bad thing: chronic inflammation has been linked to just about every disease out there.  For instance, some research indicates that heart disease, clogged arteries, and stroke can result from oral health and gum disease through inflammation (another plug for oil pulling!).  The theory is that as a result of inflammation, the bacteria from gum disease can enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart.  Yikes!  On a broader scale, this theory also speculates that what we eat and how we respond to stress leads to inflammation which can lead to somewhat scary things like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and even scarier things like cancer.  Double yikes.

The good news is that there is hope.  Lots of it.  There are so many things you can do to fight inflammation - some are super easy and some are a little more difficult.  But whatever you choose to do, just do something and do it now.  After lots and lots of reading and talking to my doctors and acupuncturist (Kelly Welch - AH-MAZING), below is a list of the 4 things I'm doing to reduce inflammation in my body.  Some of these things were really easy for me to change, but others were (and still are) very hard so I've made the change gradually.   

4 Ways to Reduce Inflammation Naturally

Diet Mix-Up
Food allergies are a huge cause of inflammation.  Maybe you're thinking that since you have no known food allergies, this doesn't apply to you so you can go about eating any and everything.  I know I used to be that way, but I was oh-so-very wrong.  Did you know that roughly 60% of adults can't properly digest milk?  Scientists believe that this inability to properly digest milk and dairy can lead to inflammation.  Now I'm not saying that you need to go ahead and cut dairy out of your diet right away (though I have been dairy free for 3 weeks now and I feel FABULOUS).  But you could try cutting back, or maybe swap out milk for rice or coconut milk (primarily avoiding casein) for a week and see how you feel.  You could also try incorporating more of the following into your diet:

  • Organic produce (Trader Joe's makes this much more affordable)
  • Fatty fish high in Omega-3
  • Whole grains
  • Leafy greens
  • Nuts (almonds are the best)
  • Tomatoes (cooked and rich in lycopene)
  • Beets
  • Ginger, Tumeric, Garlic & Onions
  • Olive oil
  • Blueberries & Raspberries
  • Dark chocolate (yum!)

Red meat has also been linked to inflammation so maybe try giving steak a break and opt for poultry or, even better, fish every now and then.  I went red-meat free in 2008 after I read the book Skinny Bitch, not knowing that the authors are vegan.  The book made me want to go Vege all together, but I knew that given my lifestyle, it just wasn't realistic to cut out all forms of animals from my diet completely.  So I started small and stopped eating four-legged friends first, only eating organic, free-range poultry and fish on occasion to ensure I was getting the proper nutrients.  I found it relatively easy to stop eating red meat, though I do find myself missing the taste of hot dogs and salami (a.k.a. nitrates) every now and then.  In my opinion, the hard part has been cutting out dairy since almost every food product out there has some form of milk or cream in it!  That, and I really, truly love ice cream.  Like bad.  

But my point here is that you don't need go all in right off the bat.  In fact, if you're anything like me, that is a recipe for disaster because you just end up placing too much pressure on yourself.  Just start with what is realistic to you, even if that's only making one small change like using almond milk in your latte or swapping a hamburger for a black bean burger. Whatever the change, see if you can give it a try for a week, then two, then a month and so forth, and notice how your body feels after each week.  I'm willing to bet that you'll be feeling pretty good!


Try Acupuncture
 

Acupuncture is the best.  It is a great tool to fight inflammation for two reasons: it helps you rest and relax (take that, stress!) and it can help regulate your blood flow.  I walked into my first acupuncture appointment full of anxiety and stressed out to the max.  But after just one 30-minute session, I walked out feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders.  During your first session, you will likely have a consultation with your acupuncturist where I recommend you be completely honest so they can best treat you according to your needs.  And after the consultation, you'll have your first session with needles.  It is not scary at all, I promise. You barely feel the needles, and you definitely can't see them poking out of you while you're lying there.  

If the thought of needles really just freaks you out, you can also try acupressure!

Reduce Toxins 
Most of us value convenience and efficiency, and I am proud to say that I fall in that category.  But what I think we all to often choose to ignore is that with convenience comes a number of harsh chemicals and toxins in our food, home and personal care products.  I bring this up because these toxins are often associated with inflammation.  Toxins are considered foreigners to our bodies (no surprise there), so it's natural and even expected that our bodies may enter the "fight or flight" mode when repeatedly exposed to such dangers through our skin and digestive tract.  So through this ever-so-clever deductive reasoning, I've come to believe that by reducing toxins, we can reduce inflammation. 

As I mentioned before, going organic to reduce toxins and chemicals in my food has been made easy thanks to my local Trader Joe's (I promise, they don't pay me to say this!). As a rule of thumb, I try to limit the number of processed foods I consume and when I do, I only buy processed foods with ingredients that don't sound like a pharmaceutical product.  Stores like TJ's, Whole Foods, and M.O.M. make this SO easy and the price points are comparable or even lower than that of a Giant, Harris Teeter, or Safeway.

On the other hand, I've had a much harder time reducing toxins in my personal care and home cleaning products.  To start with, I was honestly consumed with vanity (rightfully so, IMHO); I worried that without chemicals, I'd be the stinky girl with greasy hair.  And to be fair, with some brands, that was definitely the case.  When that happened, though, I just went back to my chemicals until I found another brand to try.  Little by little and after much testing, I began to swap out one product than another as I found brands that I trust, both for their integrity and ingredients, as well as for the fact that I still feel (and smell) clean.
The other thing I needed to get over was the cost.  I LOVE saving money so am always after a deal, but you just don't see too many sales or coupons on natural health and cleaning products.  After years of waffling, I finally gave in and decided that my health is worth the extra few dollars.  It's not even that expensive!  Stores like Target sometimes offer sales (just check the expiration dates), and of course there is always Trader Joe's (they sell tons of natural cleaning supplies).  But the best place I've found to shop is Bed Bath & Beyond (BBB), thanks to their amazing 20% or $5 off coupons. If you find one that carries toiletries like mine does (I go to the one inVienna/Tysons off of Rt. 123), they will likely have a huge supply of natural self-care and cleaning products.  If you don't frequent BBB, here's a tip: even though the coupons have expiration dates, you can still use them after the fact. My husband was MORTIFIED the first time he went with me to the store and I whipped out a stack of 20 coupons, all years' past expiration.  He didn't believe me when I insisted that they were still good so you can imagine my joy when each and every coupon was accepted!

Full disclosure: there are still some items I use that have chemicals in them because I simply haven't found the right substitute yet.  But similar to changing my diet, I'm in this for the long run and I'm not placing unrealistic expectations on myself. Even just being mostly-chemical free has made me feel better, cleaner, and healthier!

So without further ado, here are the brands/products I use daily:
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Personal Care
  • Trader Joe's Lemon Kitchen Hand Soap
  • Say Yes to Carrots Face Wash 
  • Herbal Essences Naked Shampoo, Conditioner, and Dry Shampoo
  • SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Body Wash
  • Tom's Deodorant (more to come on switching to natural deodorant in a later post!)
  • Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Oil (for lotion and teeth whitening/oil pulling)

Home Cleaning
  • Green Works All-Purpose Cleaner
  • Lemon Essential Oil - great for cleaning surfaces
  • Purification Essential Oil - gets rid of stinks

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Take a Yoga Class (or two, or ten....)
The last thing on my list is YOGA, and I sincerely hope you're not surprised by this :)  Rest and recovery is essential to reducing inflammation - how else is your body supposed to know that it doesn't need to fight anymore?  I think yoga is a great form of rest because in addition to the stretching and physical release you'll find with it, yoga also teaches us to be at peace in our bodies.  Through breath work and meditation (even just sitting quietly for 1 minute can count - it doesn't need to be so daunting!), yoga can help us us calm our minds, which naturally leads to a calmer body.  

Being that this is a yoga blog, I will be writing so much more about yoga so I'll leave the details for a later post.  But in the meantime, see if you can pay a little more attention to your breath next time you stretch.  When you inhale, focus on lengthening your spine or your muscle being stretched and when you exhale, work to let go so that the stretch happens a little more naturally.  These controlled breaths will also help slow your heart rate and trigger your body's "Rest and Digest" phase (think opposite of "Fight or Flight").  

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Favorite Finds: Glyder and lululemon

1/19/2015

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You're probably starting to realize by now how much I love colors.  It's no secret that I've always been a huge fan of any and all shades of pink (I can do a whole load of just pink laundry and I wouldn't exactly be disappointed if I accidentally slipped some pink in with the whites and all my whites turned pink, too).  But I'm also loving the fun shades of greens and blue/greens that have started to pop up everywhere, especially this mint color (or "Toothpaste" as this shirt is called).  So for today's Favorite Finds, I'm celebrating these two vibrant colors.  Don't worry, if pink and/or mint aren't your thing, there are plenty of other choices!
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Utthita Hasta Padanagustasana (Extended Hand-to-Toe Pose)
Tank:             lululemon Power Y Tank in Toothpaste
Pants:           Glyder Mantra Crop Legging in Mojave Dusk Space Dye
Headband:  lululemon Bang Buster Headband (color not currently available) *reversible!
Mat:               Target Yoga Direct Yoga Mat in pink (comparable) 
The Goods

lululemon Power Y Tank in Toothpaste
Obsessed.  I don't think I need to go on any more about how spectacular this color is, so I'll go on about the tank itself.  I have 2 more of these "Power Y" tanks in other colors because they are my favorite.  The production is solid: the material is soft but sturdy and the top is comfortable enough to wear all day.  The straps are also really comfortable and they don't pull on my neck like some of the other yoga tops I have.  I find the cut very flattering on the upper arms/torso, too!  The only potential issue is the level of support; it's listed under the "light support" for good reason.  I've never had an issue with the top, but I do find myself glancing down after a few rounds of jump backs and jump ups to ensure that, um, the ladies are not popping out. So if you've got a little more going on up top, you may want to add a sports bra underneath.  Either way, I think you'll love it. 

Also want this and this (on sale-woohoo!).
 

Glyder Mantra Crop Legging in Mojave Dusk Space Dye
These crops are SO soft.  They also stay put without cutting off circulation or creating a muffin top look.  The yoga studio I practice and teach at (Tranquil Space) recently just got a new shipment of these Mantra Crop leggings, and I seriously had to stop myself from buying up every pair.  I've washed them a bunch, too, and they still look just as new as when I got them last summer.  No see-through issues, either, which is a necessity in my opinion, though I bet you'd agree.

Also crushing on these and these (on sale!)


lululemon Bang Buster Headband
I am normally not a fan of headbands.  Well, I take that back.  I LOVE headbands and how they look on others, but I HATE wearing them because I almost always get a headache.  Whether it's a fashion headband or an athletic one, I can almost always guarantee that my head will be throbbing within an hour of putting it on.  But I found this one on sale one day and it was so stinking cute that I just had to try it out.  And let me tell you what: I am so happy with this purchase.  It doesn't have those little grip things, but it still somehow doesn't slide off during practice, no matter how many times I look up or down or circle my neck.  Must buy.  

Also love this and this.


Target Yoga Direct Yoga Mat in pink (comparable) 
The mat pictured above is my very first yoga mat, ever.  I bought it in 2007 in Williamsburg at the local Target, I think for $12.99 at the time.  I don't think the company that made it even exists anymore, but the one I've included in the link is the most comparable mat I can find (aside for the price increase - thanks for that, Inflation!).  If you're just starting to explore yoga, no need to spend heaps of cash on a mat because this one will do just fine.  It'll give you the cushion you need and it's not too heavy or slippery.  I still use this mat during my home practice at times and it still works just fine!  Yet another Target win. 

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Asana, Alignment & Anatomy: Chair Pose

1/19/2015

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Chair Pose.  Utkatasana.  Everyone has their one or two most-hated pose(s) and this one is mine.  No matter how many times I do Chair Pose, I still frown and groan whenever it is called out in class.  I even get annoyed with myself when I add it into my home practice.  And I don't really know why, either.  It's definitely not the worst.  I guess it is just that this pose works my ankles, calves, thighs, and core all at once and in a way no other pose can compare.  
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So if I hate Utkatasana so much, then why do it?  Because it's good to step outside comfort zones and find a challenge!  In life, we are constantly coming up against things that are hard, uncomfortable, scary, or just unpleasant, and one of the best parts of yoga and doing poses like Chair Pose is that it teaches you resilience and strength in moments like these.  Yes, yoga is about poses and alignment and controlling your breath, but it's also so much more.  It is the best teacher I've found to help me overcome challenges.   
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How to Get There
  1. Start standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with your big toe mounds touching, heels slightly apart.  Arms are at your sides with palms facing forward.  The crown of your head is reaching high, shoulders are over hips, hips over ankles.
  2. As you inhale, reach your arms out in front of you at shoulder height with palms facing one another, pinkie fingers rotated slightly inward towards one another.  
  3. On your exhale, bend your knees and sit your hips back, as if you were sitting in a chair,  Stay here for at least 5 complete breaths.
  4. To exit, on an inhale, press into your feet and straighten your legs, coming back to Mountain Pose.  Lower arms back down to your sides with palms facing forward.
Alignment Tips
  • Scope out your legs.  You should be able to see (and wiggle!) your toes.  If you don't see your toes, send your booty back a little bit more.
  • Check that your knees are directly in line with your toes. Your inner thighs and outer thighs will both be working hard to keep you in this correct alignment.
  • Use your abs to draw your belly button up and into your spine.  If you were wondering why Chair Pose is good for your core, well this is it!.  This will also protect your lower back and help you find the right curve of your spine for your body.
  • If you can feel your lower back in this pose, it is most likely because you are booty popping.  Just because you want to reach your booty back, it does not mean this is your chance to booty pop!  You want to keep the natural curve of your spine and you can do this by drawing your belly in even more.
  • Wiggle your toes to practice lifting the arches of your feet. This will help you find your center of gravity or balance while also helping send energy up through your legs into the rest of your body.
  • Relax your shoulders!  Create as much room for your neck between your shoulders and your ears as you can.
  • If you find your shoulders scrunching up when you rotate your pinkie fingers in towards one another, try separating your arms a little more.  This is very common for athletes and anyone with strong shoulders, but using this trick will help make it more accessible!
  • Reach up at a diagonal with your arms to bring energy and resistance into your arms.
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Utkatasana Modification: Using a wall
Newbie Modifications
  • Start at the wall.  With your back up against it, walk your feet out slightly and then bend into your knees. You can stay here for a wall squat, or raise your arms overhead, leaning slightly forward so that just your tailbone is on the wall. This helps learn the placement of the tailbone.
  • Use a block. Place a block (or pillow or book or anything) in between your thighs to help activate them.  
  • Step your feet out a little wider, but no wider than hip distance.  For some people, it is just not cool to have your thighs pressing so closely into one another so it's okay to take a slightly wider stance at first.  
  • If your shoulders start to get tired, bring your hands together in prayer at the center of your chest.
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Utkatasana Modification: Using a block


Advanced Variations
  • Hug your ankles together and rise up on to the balls of your feet. Bend your knees a little deeper, firing up your thighs.
  • Focus on internally rotating your thighs, but keeping your legs symmetrical (shins pointed forward) to further engage your legs.
  • Keeping your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears, narrow the distance between your hands, working to bring them together. 
  • Take micro-pulses in the lower body for 30 seconds to a minute to really work the muscles in the quads and the bum.  
  • Flow from Utkatasana to Hastasana on your toes.  From Utkatasana, inhale and press evenly into your feet, lifting your kneecaps and squeezing your thighs and bum as you lift up on to your toes, keeping arms overhead.  As you exhale, lower your heels to the mat and sink back into a deep Utkatasana.  Repeat this at least 10 times. and then release into Uttanasana (forward bend).
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Utkatasana Variation: On toes
How does this help our legs?  Utkatasana falls in that "work every piece of the body" poses, but specifically, it can increase ankle, knee, and hip mobility.  It also works to strengthen and tone the quads while also teaching good posture and confidence!

That's all on Utkatasana for now, but I'm sure we'll explore it more in the future!  Enjoy these options for now, though.  Hope you have a lovely Monday!

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Asana, Alignment & Anatomy with Anahita: The Splits

1/16/2015

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What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the splits (or Hanumanasana, in Sanskrit, after the Monkey God Hanuman)?  Ouch?  If so, you're not alone.  This is a much dreaded and despised pose, but it really doesn't have to be!  You may even be thinking, "why bother? I'm not naturally flexible so it's never going to happen," but that's not necessarily true. There are many modifications and steps you can take to work into this.  Let's begin! 
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Hanumanasana: Full Version
How to get there
  1. From a low lunge (hands on the mat, framing your front foot), lower your back knee down to the mat and uncurl your toes.
  2. Shift your weight back to straighten your front leg while drawing your hips up and over your back knee.
  3. Slide into your front leg to slowly straighten your back leg.
  4. Reach arms overhead for a slight backbend.
Alignment Tips
  • Your front knee should point straight up while your back knee should be aimed straight down into the mat. 
  • Work to make your hips even so that they are both parallel with the front and back edges of your mat. It's common for your back hip to want to open out (you can see that I'm guilty of doing this a little bit above!).
  • Lift your knee caps to help activate your legs.
  • Press through the balls of your feet to activate those "yoga toes"!
  • Hug your belly up into your spine as you reach your arms overhead to help protect the lower back.
  • As always, remember to relax your shoulders!
Newbie Modifications
  • Use blocks or books or kettlebells or anything sturdy you can find!  Place them on the outsides of your hips and press your hands into the blocks to hold yourself up (I had to do this for 3-5 minutes every day during my days as a dancer growing up!).  This will help you learn the correct position of the hips and also help open up the hips a little more.
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Hanumanasana Modification: Blocks
  • If you're hamstrings are super tight, stay in Half Splits (Ardha Hanumanasana) to focus on stretching the legs. When you breathe in, reach the crown of your head towards the top of your mat to grow your spine long and then fold over your front leg as you breathe out.
  • If the mat feels crazy far away, place your hands on blocks (or books or kettlebells or anything!) on either side of your front leg.
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Ardha Hanumanasana Modification
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Ardha Hanumanasana Modification with Blocks


Advanced Variations
  • Play with a backbend and quad stretch by exploring a Dove variation.  Bend the back knee and use the same hand as foot to bring the foot in closer to your booty.  Your other arm can reach overhead or reach back for a bind.  This also tests your balance (especially with the bind), but activating your legs will help you stay upright!  And try to remember to keep your hips and shoulders evenly pointed forward.
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Hanumanasana: Dove Variation
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Hanumanasana: Dove Variation with bind
  • Take it into a deeper backbend by hugging your belly in even more and reaching your arms back.  The full variation of this is to grab your back leg with your arms, but that is a work in progress for me.  Some days, it actually seems achievable, but others (like today), not a chance!
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Hanumanasana: Backbend
How does this help our legs?  Hanumanasana is a great pose for lengthening the leg muscles.  It also stretches the inner thighs/groin area and loosens the hips.  These things are crucial to mobility and making sure that we can still move around on our own two legs as we get older!  Plus, it's a great party trick to whip out in the middle of a dance floor!

Bloopers
More often than not, I see yogis with uneven hips in this pose, and I'm guilty of that, too!  It's easy to do and it's not so easy to know when you're doing it.  It's also pretty common in Ardha Hanumanasana (Half Splits).  Take a look below - do you see how in the picture on the left, the left side of my body is higher?  I'm bent further over my knee here, but my hips are definitely not in line.  In the picture on the right, I've lifted up a bit so that I can pull my front hip back in line and my back is more level.
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Ardha Hanumanasana: Uneven hips
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Ardha Hanumanasana: Even hips

As is the case in most hamstring stretches and hip openers, you will most likely either love or hate this pose.  But if you hate it, I guarantee you will come to love it after more and more practice!  Next time you practice the splits, notice if you're frowning or tensing up through your legs, shoulders, hips, or anywhere else, and then try to relax some of that tension so you can let some resistance go.  It'll make the whole experience much more enjoyable, maybe even fun - I promise!

Hope you have a lovely, splits-filled weekend!
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    Namaste.

    I’m Anahita Reilly, a Type-A, native Northern Virginian, happiness lover.  This blog evolved out of my longstanding desire to share this beautiful thing called yoga with others.  Click here to read more...

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