At the start of this year, I figured I would revisit how to polish up various facets of my life. With the new year, all kinds of thoughts of rejuvenation and renewal and improvement come into our heads. I’ve been pretty frustrated with diet stuff. I feel like I have a fairly clean diet but I think one I can do is to cook with very high quality oils. I was under the disillusion that vegetable oil, soybean oil and some kinds of olive oil are the healthy fats. Most of these oils are highly refined so you are losing out any potential health benefits and you are better off using grass-fed organic butter than any of those oils. Organic coconut oil and cold-pressed Olive Oil will be my new cooking and salad dressing oil. This is a great tip I got from Mike Geary’s Health Newsletter
I started to look at Amazing Self’s ( excuse the cheesy name….. there are some worthwhile tips in there) about health, wellness, skin, personal finance, relationships and mind-set. It’s a long book, over 100 pages but the writing is a breezy read. I think there are almost too many great tips in here so you start to feel a bit overwhelmed. I wish it was broken out in 8 seperate books so that you can really take it all in and start to make some changes.
For the diet tips, they are pretty adamant about not having caffeine. I know there is a lot of controversy with caffeine and gaining weight. I think we can all agree that those froo froo drinks loaded with high fructose corn syrup and whipped cream will not be kind to your butt or your gutt. There is a big emphasis on eating unprocessed, non-farm raised, organic 1 ingredient food…. eating clean as I like to call it. They actually are pretty anti-vegan and very pro-meat so you won’t have to make any major lifestyle changes for all of us carnivores out there.
I think soda is one of the major downfalls of the American Diet. Cutting out all kinds of soda seems to be one of the first lessons for any wellness or gut-busting plan.
She is also a big proponent of eating fruit, which also has been a somewhat controversial food group in the health and wellness circle since there are sugars in fruit.
Tracy also talks about getting great skin… after all, what one thing makes you more attractive and youthful looking and she recommends to exfoliate like crazy but with only medical grade crystals. I went ahead onto EBay like she suggested and got 2 lb bag of this for $10 ( but the shipping was $12…. YIKES) …I wonder who long that will last me if I exfoliate every day. I love beauty experiments since I used to work in the medical aesthetics industry so this tip will be fun to explore.
Hot Yoga Benefits for Weight Loss
They are also big proponents of using heat when you exercise, meaning you exercise in a hot room or just hang out in a sauna. One of my 5 year goals is to have an infra-red sauna in my house and I know that nothing tones my body and gives me that cut look like a hot yoga class.
You hear so much about interactive meditation and Yoga these days, and there are so many Yoga styles to choose from, that it is advisable to research a particular Yoga style which suits your needs. Some Yoga classes are gentle, restorative, athletic, cerebral, spiritual, meditative, or hot. Therefore, research the style of Yoga which attracts you most. Then visit a local Yoga studio, or wellness center, for further information. If you have any concerns, you could set up an appointment with a Yoga teacher, and share your thoughts about your specific needs. Do research online to see what kinds of reviews the studio and teachers have received. Some people think of yoga as a moving or interactive meditation.
BENEFITS OF PRENATAL YOGA AND PREGNANCY YOGA
A prenatal and postnatal yoga practice can help you
Connect you with other parents who are at all stages of pregnancy
Improve your postpartum recovery
Helps to strengthen the body for child bearing and aids in relieving common discomforts
Alleviate many of the discomforts of pregnancy such as nausea, constipation, varicose veins, swelling, back pain and sciatica.
How does yoga transform you physically, mentally and spiritually?
Release chronic pain, tightness and that frozen feeling in your body through juicy stretching and deep breathing.
Each breath, coupled with movement and intention allows you to create the space for change.
Gain clarity to detach from outcomes during your day so that decisions and obstacles become less stressful, which keeps you off the emotional roller coaster for good.
An uplifting & restful class that will leave you buzzing with vitality & connect you to a deep sense of inner wisdom so you can focus on what you want to manifest in your life
For free articles about yoga mailed once a month, email info at synergybyjasmine dot com with “Request Yoga Tips” in headline.
Reduce Stress through the practice of Yoga. This is a universal benefit of all styles of Yoga. If you have stress, when you walk into a Yoga class, you will have much less when you leave. You might feel sore or invigorated after your first class.Some Yoga schools use a variety of methods to purge stress from the body, but the most common are Pranayama (breath techniques), Asana (posture), Mantra (sound), Meditation, and Relaxation Techniques. After a few classes, you will know what works and what does not.
Positive Thinking is a by product of most yoga classes, with the rare exception of a dogmatic Yoga teacher. If you discover you are in the midst of a “drill sergeant,” disguised as a Yoga teacher, you have to make a decision based on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Do you want to be challenged or do you want to feel supported during your class? Consider this: If you feel negative after listening to your Yoga teacher, you should not return to that class. You may find another Yoga teacher in the same facility or at another Yoga center.
Sleeping Better is a result of the first two, above-mentioned, Yoga benefits. For the most part, the physical styles of Yoga release muscle tension through Asana (movement) and Pranayama (controlled breath work). The less physical styles may focus on Mantra, Meditation, and Relaxation Techniques and often delve more into yogic philosophy.
Relief from Back Pain is a by product of the physical styles, but choose carefully. The more gentle Hatha Yoga sub-styles such as Restorative, Gentle, and Therapeutic Yoga, cater to students with a variety of ailments, including back pain. Styles such as Ashtanga are usually not a great choice for a yoga newbie since the adjustments can be quite aggressive.
Increased Muscle Tone is also a result of the physical styles of Yoga. If you are searching for a Hatha Yoga teacher, studio, or style, choose one that caters to your physical condition. Do not jump into a physically vigorous Yoga class, unless you are physically active. Most injuries, in the physical forms of Yoga occur, when students push themselves too far or the teacher does an inappropriate aggressive adjustment.
Venus Kriyas are meditations for couples and are excellent as a regular spiritual practice. There are several Venus Kriyas, but they are especially effective if couples choose one meditation to practice consistently for 40, 90 or 120 days to integrate a particular aspect of the relationship (40 days to change a habit, 90 days to confirm the habit and 120 days to make the new habit part of you. These couples’ meditations are an especially beautiful practice that can elevate your relationship to a higher level.
Couples Yoga Poses and Meditation Benefits
For couples who want to explore safe, playful ways of being tender and loving together, couples yoga poses can transform your connection. You will take turns placing each other in restorative poses and then massaging your partner’s hands, feet, neck and face while they simply get to relax and melt. In poses and exercises, partners rely on each other’s support to keep correct body alignment, balance, and concentration. In a deeper sense, this physical support fosters deeper feelings of nurture and acceptance. Couples are reminded to respect their own and their partner’s limitations of stretching and physical fitness and not push beyond them to the point of discomfort.
How does yoga transform you physically, mentally and spiritually?
Release chronic pain, tightness and that frozen feeling in your body through juicy stretching and deep breathing.
Each breath, coupled with movement and intention allows you to create the space for change.
Gain clarity to detach from outcomes during your day so that decisions and obstacles become less stressful, which keeps you off the emotional roller coaster for good.
Feel connected to the ether of the universe and the divine spark that resides in us all
Synchronize through breath, touch, intention, and movement and learn how to be sensitive to your partner’s needs with a healing, soothing practice
For free articles about yoga mailed once a month, email info at synergybyjasmine dot com with “Request Yoga Tips” in headline.
Jasmine Kaloudis teaches couples yoga poses as well as gentle beginner yoga in various Philadelphia area locations and is the author of the top mind body blogs and websites for 2011.
Here is my list….my completely subjective list of the top 100 Mind-Body-Spirit Sites. How did I come up with this list? Many of the teachers, products or retreat centers I have personal experience with. They have shaped my yoga journey and other parts of my non-yoga life. I have taken many of their classes or workshops or bought their DVDs and have practiced to it dozens of times. A few are sites that I regularly read their posts. Some are because the website or author has written an influential book in this realm. Admittedly, some of the sites might be weak on content, functionality or navigation but the site is just an intro to a great holistic resource. A few are places that I write guest blogs for.
Some of them happened to be special because of the key role they played in certain parts of my life. I met my husband at Omega, our romance blossomed at Kripalu and we had our wedding ceremony in a Mexican Cenote (limestone water cavern) with a Mayan Shaman.
I can’t imagine not having music during my yoga practice so there are a few yoga music sites on here as well and I bought many of the musician’s CDs or have been to their concerts. Authenticity and having personal experience with the practitioner, product or institution was part of the criteria for making this list. In a way, it is an “Appreciation” list
I wanted to include a few government sites since those often have all kinds of great research and clinical trials on there. My vision is for this list to be a great gateway into the holistic world, with a strong emphasis on yoga since I’m a yoga teacher. Yogis need special clothes, props, mats, spaces, music and equipment so I wanted to include some of my favorite places to buy all things yogic. If you have been involved with the holistic community for a while you will recognize some of the sites on here and likely find dozens of great resources here
I welcome suggestions for other sites that can be included in next year’s list. While we all value directness and constructive criticism, please be professional and refrain from disparaging comments… no trashing anyone on this list or that will disqualify you from being considered for next year. Ideally, you would nominate another company but I do accept self-nominations. I reached out to the webmasters of most of the sites and if something is in quotes, then it is in their words and not mine.
If you live in Philly or San Diego, then invite me over for a class or workshop so I can maybe include you in next year’s list or blog about it in an upcoming blog. If you have products that you want me to review let me know and I will send you a mailing address in a separate email (press at synergybyjasmine.com) with “Product Review Request” in the subject.
Visit Top 100 Mind-Body-Spirit Websites for the list
