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Daily Practice: Hanumanasana

Hanumanasana, or more commonly known as a split, is named after the Hindu deity, Hanuman. In Sanskrit, Hanuman means monkey…so it is also referred to as Monkey Pose. Without getting into too much detail, the story behind this posture is one of love and faith. Hanuman made a giant leap over land and sea…one leg stretching forward, the other leg stretching back.

Hanumansana is a very deep posture and can take a lot of time and patience to achieve. Just like the story, it will take love and faith within you to achieve it. Consistently stretching the hamstrings, groin and hip flexors is key. Here are four poses (and some tips!) to help you get into the full posture. Keep blocks nearby to help you on this adventure.

Before beginning, take a few minutes to do a general warm up. I like to do five rounds of Surya A and five rounds of Surya B.

#1: Runner’s Lunge

From Downward Facing Dog, step the right foot in between the hands. Make sure the right knee is stacked over the right ankle, hips are square to the top of your mat and you are on the ball of your left foot. Come onto your fingertips and lengthen your spine forward. Sink the right thigh down to release the groin while lifting the left thigh up; keep your left leg straight. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

#2: Anjaneyasana

From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot in between your hands and lower your left knee down. If this bothers your knee, fold up a blanket to add some cushion. Your right knee, once again, stacks over your right ankle. Come up onto fingertips, and scoot the left knee back further and untuck the toes. At this point you should start to feel the stretch in the groin, front of the left thigh and left hip flexor. Bring your hands onto your right knee. Feel free to sink a little bit deeper, but make sure to keep the right heel firmly on your mat. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

#3: Anjaneyasana Variation

From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot in between your hands and lower your left knee down. Come up onto fingertips, and scoot the left knee back further. Keeping your left hand down, pick your left foot up, and sweep the right hand back grabbing onto the outside edge of your left foot. Slowly start to pull the foot towards your body stretching out the front of the left thigh. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

#4: Half Hanumanasana or Half Split

From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot in between your hands and lower your left knee down. Come up onto fingertips once again, and scoot the left knee back further. Slowly start to shift your hips back so they stack over your left knee. Right leg will straighten as you come onto the heel of your right foot. Keeping the right foot flexed, lengthen your spine and then fold over the right leg by walking your hands forward. Feel free to use blocks under your hands to keep the length in your torso. Keep the hips square. Hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat on the other side.

*** If you feel ready, you can start to work towards full Hanumanasana. You may want to repeat the preparatory poses a few times more to ensure that you are warm.

Hanumanasana using blocks!

From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot in between your hands and lower your left knee down. Come up onto fingertips, and scoot the left knee back further. Slowly start to shift your hips back so they stack over your left knee. Right leg will straighten as you come onto the heel of your right foot. Keep your back toes tucked. Pushing into the ground, lift up the left knee and start to wiggle the knee back further moving towards your splits. Try to keep your hips as square as possible…Keeping the back toes under will help achieve this. Once you get to your deepest expression, place a block underneath the upper right thigh. BREATHE! Keep your hands down on your mat or on blocks, or lift them up. Hold for 30 seconds, if possible, continuing to take deep breaths. You should feel a deep stretch but no pain. If you have any pain, back off a little bit! Slowly release by planting the hands alongside the upper right thigh, curling the back toes under and moving back into your Half Split. Repeat on the other side!

Try moving towards the full expression two more times. You may get a little bit deeper each time.

Be PATIENT and listen to your body!

XOXO

July 10, 2014
Herb Marinated Grilled Vegetables

Grilled veggies are a mainstay summer side dish at our house, and the recipe that I’m sharing with you is not just any grilled vegetable recipe — it’s the best grilled vegetable recipe!

It’s based on Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe which I’ve modified. To be honest, the marinade is what really sets it apart. It’s an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing infused with garlic, rosemary, basil and parsley. The dressing brings your grilled veggies to a whole new level!

Cutting the vegetables is a little time intensive, but I promise you will not regret the effort you put into making these veggies. In fact, you will likely get more than one meal out of them — and the longer they marinate, the better they taste.

I generally serve these veggies as a side dish, but they are delicious on a sandwich (with hummus or goat cheese). You can also chop up the leftover veggies and serve over salad greens or mix them into quinoa or farro.

You can modify the recipe based on the veggies you have on hand (e.g., substituting summer squash for zucchini), and you can adjust the quantity of marinade depending on whether you want to make more or less veggies.

Herb Marinated Grilled Vegetables

3 zucchini
3 Japanese eggplant
3 red, yellow or orange bell peppers
12 baby portobello mushrooms (e.g., cremini or baby bella mushrooms)
1 bunch of asparagus
2-3 bunches of scallions
Olive oil (approximately 6-8 tablespoons — but don’t be afraid to use more, if necessary)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the marinade:

1/2 cup of olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Turn on your grill, and set it to high. In the meantime, prep your veggies. You want thick cuts in order to survive the grilling process. Cut zucchini and eggplant in 1/4 inch thick slices (long ways). Seed the bell peppers and cut into quarters (the larger slices will be easier to grill vs. smaller strips). Trim the asparagus (check out our article on how to properly prep asparagus!), and wash and remove the bottom stems of the mushrooms. Trim bottoms and tops of scallions.

Arrange cut and prepped veggies on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil — not a thick coating, but a light coating on all the veggies so that they don’t stick to the grill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While grill is heating, make the marinade.

In a small bowl, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and chopped herbs. Whisk until incorporated. Set aside.

When the grill comes to temperature, arrange vegetables and cook until they are tender and have grill marks. You will likely need to grill the veggies in batches. Once they are cooked, place them on a large cookie sheet and keep adding to the pan as additional veggies are ready.

While the grilled vegetables are warm, pour the marinade over them. Seal the pan with foil and let them sit until they come to room temperature. You can serve the veggies at room temperature or you can place them in the refrigerator for use at a later date. The longer they marinate, the better they taste!

Helpful tips: Make sure your grill is very hot and the grates are clean. Grilled veggies don’t taste good with leftover charred bits on them! Additionally, if you don’t use all of the marinade, use the extra to dress your salad!

July 9, 2014
Falling off the Wellness Wagon

Running a health and wellness website like this one has its unique challenges. We want to post as many articles as we can to keep you motivated and on the path to wellness, but in the process, we don’t want to paint an unrealistic picture of our lives. We are busy mothers, and sometimes, that means skipping a workout to care for a sick child or ordering a pizza on a particularly busy night. Our diets aren’t perfect, our exercise schedules aren’t perfect, and our willpower isn’t perfect. Our goal is to inspire you and to encourage you, NOT to overwhelm you and make you believe that we live perfect lives that you should try to emulate.

Yes, we want you to join us in our daily quest for wellness, but when life gets in the way, and it will, we want you to know that it’s okay. You are normal. You can recover. Don’t throw in the towel. Just acknowledge that life isn’t perfect, and get right back on track the next day. “Healthy” does not mean perfect.

We are ALL human, and falling off the wagon is just part of life. Yes, it would be wonderful if all of our meals were organic, all of our snacks were unprocessed, and all of our cravings were for cauliflower rather than cake. The fact of the matter is, life just doesn’t work that way, and we all slip up.

Everyone has an “off” day. You know the kind of day that I’m talking about. You bolt out of bed and race through your morning routine after realizing that you slept through your alarm. No time for a healthy, home-cooked breakfast. No time for a morning workout either. You start your day with a cup of coffee and large muffin that you buy at the convenience store on your way to work. You end up feeling annoyed and defeated because you ate the muffin and skipped your workout. You decide that you’ve ruined your clean eating plan for the day anyway, so you say yes to the piece of cake being offered at work. You then choose the sweetened chai tea latte instead of the chamomile tea during your break. You eat multiple pieces of bread out of the breadbasket at dinner, order Fettuccine Alfredo instead of grilled fish, and finish off your meal with ice cream for dessert. At this point, you are defeated and disappointed and the self-loathing begins. Maybe you’ll even head home to binge on cookies and chocolate later.

Why will the hypothetical scenario described above resonate with so many readers? It will resonate because it is truly that common. You are not alone. Whether you fall off the wagon for a few hours or a few days, there is no need to feel defeated and angry. Remember that you are in this for the long haul. What you do over the course of a few hours or a few days or a few weeks has no significance in the long run. What matters is the trajectory of your life over months and years. Long-term habits matter, not short-term slip ups. Allow yourself to have an “off” day from time to time. It cannot break you if you maintain a long-term perspective. Forgive yourself for not being perfect, and move on.

July 8, 2014
Daily Practice: 4 Reasons to Practice Backbends

Do you avoid practicing backbends in your yoga practice? They can be uncomfortable, and a little scary, but once you learn to open up your shoulders and the entire front of your body, you will embrace backbending! (If you need help with heart openers check out this article.) In fact, there are many benefits to incorporating backbending into your daily yoga practice. Here are our top four!

#1: Energize!

It’s no secret that backbending can be energizing! After being stagnant all day, stretching out the spine, and thus opening up the heart center, can send waves of energy through your entire body. Notice your body after a series of backbends…You may feel happy!

#2: Healthy spine, healthy body!

Our spines are meant to be flexible and support us in every movement during the day. However, most of us spend the majority of our time bending forward…sitting at a desk, driving a car or even picking up a child. Safely practicing backbends not only helps to maintain flexibility in your spine, but it can reduce the risk of back injuries. Additionally, backbends will stretch out the entire front body from the quadriceps all the way up the abdominal muscles and chest — even into the throat and neck.

#3: Brings attention to your breath

Breathing in backbends can be one of the hardest things to do! It took me a long time to get used to taking deep breaths when doing any sort of deep backbend. However holding your breath can be stressful, restrict your movement and can even break blood vessels in your face and neck. I know this from experience! While practicing backbends, bring attention to your breath and see if you can breath a little deeper. It will feel weird, and maybe hard at first, but it will lessen the stress you feel and possibly deepen the posture.

#4: Overcome your fears

By moving safely and slowly into backbends you will build strength and confidence in yourself! You will slowly overcome the fears and doubts associated with bending backwards. The “I can’t do that” attitude will slowly start to shift to “I will do that” and eventually become “I can do it”!

XOXO

July 3, 2014
Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie

When I was a kid in summer camp, I remember being offered an Orange Creamsicle bar every afternoon. It was such a cold, sweet treat after a long day in the sun. The creamy orange flavor will always remind me of the carefree days of summer. Although I no longer sit around eating Creamsicles every afternoon, I love recreating the delicious flavor of my favorite childhood ice cream treat by blending orange smoothies! It’s a great, healthy alternative to store-bought frozen desserts. Enjoy!

Ingredients
-Zest from 1 orange
-1 peeled orange
-1 frozen banana (sliced before freezing)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 pitted dates
-½ cup soy milk (or milk of your choice)
-Handful of ice cubes

Directions
If possible, use a washed, organic orange for this recipe, as we will include the outer skin in the smoothie.

Orange zest is the top layer of an orange peel and is the source of essential oils, which adds great orangey flavor to your food. In order to zest an orange, use a fine grater and scrape only the orange coloring from the peel. Avoid grating the orange down to the white pith, which tastes bitter.

Add the zest to your blender, along with the peeled orange, 1 frozen banana, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 pitted dates, ½ cup of soy milk, and a handful of ice cubes. Blend all of the ingredients until you have a creamy consistency.

July 2, 2014
Yoga For Everyone

When you gather nearly 200 people for a free yoga event in New York City, you realize that the concept of “yoga for everyone” is possible. In fact, it’s happening. We see this message unfold on Instagram daily. People of all ages, sizes, ethnicities — all walks of life — have embraced yoga. But being able to see this in real life is truly amazing.

As we debriefed after the event, the first topic of discussion was the amazing demographic of our yoga community. It really made us feel proud that we have helped bring so many different people together for the same purpose — yoga!

The event was intended for all levels of yoga experience—Inversions were optional! Whether you were a beginner or a more seasoned yogi, you were welcomed. Many attendees tried AcroYoga for the first time or attempted their very first headstand! It was amazing to see so many people take a leap of faith and soar.

We created this event to help inspire, to build confidence, and to build an even greater comradery. We think we achieved this — and maybe more.

As we sort through all of the pictures we took during FamJam, we see lots of smiles beaming back at us. Pure happiness exudes from everyone in attendance. Meeting the yogis we’ve been following on Instagram, achieving a yoga posture we never thought was possible, learning to trust others to the extent that you’d let them balance you on their feet — all of this was achieved on Saturday.

Thank you to Gaiam, our gracious event sponsor. Thank you to our partners, Claudine and Honza, of YogaBeyond. And, most importantly, thank YOU for making it such a memorable day!

To see the full album of photos from Yoga FamJam, please visit our Facebook page.

Namaste.

July 1, 2014
Daily Practice: Keep It Fresh!

Do you ever feel burnt out or bored in your yoga practice? Don’t worry…everyone does at some point. Life takes hold, you’re tired, and the thought of hitting your mat feels like torture. Here are three tips to help keep you out of a yoga funk.

#1: Consider a location change!

You are probably bored because not only are you doing the same thing over and over again, but you are doing it in the same location. Time to change up your surroundings! Take your practice outside. If you practice at home, take classes at a studio. If you always go to a studio, take online classes at home. A new location offers new perspective and freshens up a dull practice.

#2: Try a new type of yoga!

Try a different type of yoga! There are so many different kinds of yoga. . . from Vinyasa to Yin to Restorative to Acro Yoga to Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Yoga. This past week I had the pleasure of doing SUP Yoga. It was amazing! Along with it being a completely different and new experience, it brought me back to the basics. I never realized how much I took the basic postures for granted until I tried doing them while floating on a board in the middle of water. Get out there and experience something new!

#3: Find a friend!

Doing ANYTHING alone is fun for a second but can get boring after a while. Find a yoga buddy to help you in your yoga journey. You can inspire one another and also keep each other in check. If you’re anything like me, your practice with your yoga buddies turns into a practice full of laughter, love and fun!

XOXO

June 27, 2014
Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato & Arugula

No one wants to turn on the stove to make tomato sauce in the summer. And, while the tomatoes are ripe, it’s the best time to try your hand at a fresh, uncooked tomato sauce. All of the ingredients in this sauce are raw. The only thing you need to cook is the pasta — the heat of which will help bring these raw ingredients to life and create a “sauce”!

The beauty of this dish is that it can be made in less than 30 minutes. And, you can decide what type of pasta works for your diet. I used a multi-grain pasta, but you can use any type of pasta that meets your family’s needs (just be mindful that not all pastas will translate well once cooled, such as corn pasta which may get gummy).

That being said, you can serve this pasta hot or cold — although I prefer eating it warm.

Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato & Arugula

Serves 4-6 people, dinner portion

3 cups of chopped tomatoes (I used three medium-sized vine tomatoes)
2 cups of arugula, chopped
10 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste
1, 1 lb box of penne pasta (my box was just under 1 lb and it worked perfectly fine!)

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

In the meantime, chop the tomatoes, arugula and basil and add to a large serving bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and crushed garlic in a separate small bowl, creating a dressing.

Cook pasta according to directions, remove once it is cooked al dente and drain in a colander. Add cooked pasta, while still warm, to large serving bowl with tomatoes, arugula and basil. Top with dressing and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Enjoy!

June 25, 2014
So You Can Crow…Now What?

Recently, I wrote a short article about the empowering nature of an arm balance practice. If you’ve taken that article to heart, you may be just beginning your arm balance journey with Crow pose. For a beginner, Crow pose (bakasana) is a seemingly impossible arm balance. I still vividly remember the struggle—sweating, engaging every muscle in my body, and trying to balance without tipping forward onto the pillow on the floor in front of me. I assure you that with consistent practice, it will stop feeling impossible, and one day, it will somehow feel comfortable! When you get to that day, you will be excited to move on to the next challenge. This article is for those of you who are ready and eager to move on.

Once you are able to balance in crow pose for 4-5 breaths, you are ready to add an element of difficulty. Rather than introducing you to one-legged crow (eka pada bakasana), which is the typical progression, I recommend trying a slightly less challenging, core-engaging crow exercise, which I call “sliding crow”. The mechanics of this exercise are similar to one-legged crow in that you must engage your core muscles and lift one knee off of your tricep, but it will feel less intimidating because your knees will not move more than an inch or two off of your arms.

To begin, start off in crow pose, and review your alignment checklist.

-Are your fingers spread wide and gripping the mat?

-Is your upper back rounded like a cat to help engage the core and redistribute your weight on the back of your arms?

-Is your core engaged?

-Are your thighs squeezing inward?

-Are your elbows squeezing inward?

-Are you pulling your heels up toward your bottom?

-Are you gazing forward past your fingertips?

If you have answered “yes” to each of the questions above, your crow is in good form, and you are ready to move on.

From crow pose, begin to shift your weight onto the back of your left tricep without actually lifting a knee. To an observer, your weight-shifted crow may look no different from your regular crow. This is just a shift in weight. Pause here, and find your balance in this variation of crow, where the majority of your weight has moved onto the back of your left arm.

If you feel stable, the next goal is to lift the right knee from the back of the right arm by just an inch or two. In order to accomplish this, pretend that your belly is connected to your right knee by a string. I know it sounds odd, but this visualization works. You have the ability to lift the right knee from the back of the right tricep by engaging your core even more than it currently is, and pulling your knee up using the imaginary string.

If you are able to lift your right knee about an inch, slowly begin to slide that knee over to the left tricep. The end goal of this exercise is to ultimately be resting with both knees on the back of the left arm.

Pause for a moment, and return the right knee to the right tricep. Repeat this sliding crow exercise, but this time, shift the weight onto the back of the right arm and slide the left knee to the right tricep.

Once you develop the balance and control to do this exercise, your crow will be ready to take flight into one-legged crow (eka pada bakasana). Good luck, and have fun!

June 23, 2014
Daily Practice: Take a Seat

I am not one to meditate. The concept of sitting for long periods of time to clear my mind is foreign to me. I have little time between work and taking care of a family for a long meditative process. However, I can build in a few minutes each morning and evening to take a seat, close my eyes and just be. These moments, while short, are restorative. Here are five reasons why you should take a few moments for yourself each day. And, remember, you can take this mental time-out wherever you are — you don’t need to be in lotus or even on your yoga mat!

#1: Set the tone for your day

Taking 3-5 minutes in the morning to close your eyes and be at peace can significantly change the tone of your day. Think about when you oversleep. Your morning is rushed. Your attitude is rushed. Your driving is rushed. You rush your family. Your patience is non-existent. We’ve all been there. Instead, make a point to get up a few minutes earlier each morning so that you can squeeze in a restorative moment. It will help clear your mind, reduce your stress level, and start your day on a much calmer note.

#2: Set an intention

While setting the tone for your day, you may wish to set an intention. It could be as simple as completing all of the tasks on your to-do list that day. It could be to breathe a little bit deeper when you are feeling stressed and angry. It could also be as simple as being kinder to yourself and the people around you. Your intention does not have to be life changing or huge. It could be just something little you work on that day.

#3: Ground yourself

Take a moment to ground yourself and check your ego. Remember that we are all made up of the same stuff…you are not better than anyone, and no one is better than you. Take this moment to release any negative energy you are storing away so that you can go about your day positively. Celebrate your accomplishments but also celebrate other people’s accomplishments without jealousy or the need to diminish them. Ground yourself to your mat, to the Earth and release judgement and criticism.

#4: Heighten your awareness

Take these few minutes to be aware of your body. Feel your breath, your life force, move in and out through your body. Feel your lungs expand with each inhalation and contract with each exhalation. Feel your heart beating. Take a moment to notice how you are feeling that day… Are you sore? Are you tired? Are you feeling great? Take that moment to take inventory of your body to see what it needs that day.

#5: Let it go

At the end of the day, maybe right before you go to bed, take a moment to close your eyes and let go of everything that happened that day. Take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments but more importantly to release any stress or problems that occurred. Tomorrow is a new day, a new adventure.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

XOXO

June 19, 2014