Category: Latest News

Working for the Dream: Hanumanasana

Even though you know that yoga is never about reaching a final destination, it’s natural to have goals for your practice. The trick is to be able to set yoga goals without becoming attached to an expectation for any particular outcome. Go ahead and practice those inversions, but don’t get caught up in negative self-talk if you don’t achieve those goals according to some pre-set schedule. Go ahead and practice each day with the goal of increasing your flexibility, but don’t get frustrated by the length of time that it’s all taking to see any progress. Set your intentions, but never forget to enjoy the journey!

Monkey Pose (Hanumanasa), where the legs are split from forward to back, is a challenging posture that falls into the category of “Dream Poses” for many yoga practitioners. Not only does this pose require flexibility in the hamstrings (front leg), but it also requires flexibility in the hip flexors (back leg). Whether or not you ever find yourself in the full expression of Hanumanasana, you can still enjoy the journey with these very effective, preparatory poses. Before beginning this sequence, be sure to warm up your body with multiple rounds of sun salutations.

Head-to-Knee Seated Forward Bend

Take a seat on your mat with your legs extended straight in front of you. Bend your left knee and bring the sole of your left foot to the inside of your right thigh. Sit up tall, and flex your right foot to engage the hamstrings. Rotate your torso slightly to the right to align your belly button with the center of your right thigh. If your hamstrings are quite tight, sitting up tall might be enough of a stretch for you. Stay here and take deep breaths. For a deeper stretch, fold over your extended right leg, being mindful to find extension in the spine and avoid rounding the upper back. Hold this pose for 5-10 breaths before releasing the stretch.

Seated Forward Bend

A seated forward fold is an intense stretch that simultaneously stretches the hamstrings on both legs. Sit on your mat with your legs extended straight in front of you. Flex both feet to energize the legs and to engage the hamstrings. Sweep your arms up over your head, find length in the spine, and hinge forward from the hips as you reach for your feet. Rather than focusing on bringing the forehead to the shins, focus on pulling your chest forward to lengthen the spine. Beginners can use a strap around the soles of the feet and hold the strap with both hands. Hold this pose for 5-10 breaths.

Low Lunge

Low lunge is a great front-body stretch that targets the hip flexors. Begin in Downward Facing Dog and step your right foot in between your hands. Lower your back knee to the ground, and untuck the toes. Bring both hands to the top of your right thigh, and begin to bend deeply into the front leg. Be sure to keep the torso upright to get the most effective stretch in the hip flexors. Feel free to keep your hands on your front thigh for support, or extend your arms and lift your chest toward the sky for a backbend. Take 5 deep breaths before releasing the stretch.

Twisted Monkey

From Downward Facing Dog, step the right foot to the outside of the right hand, lower the back knee to the ground, and lift the back foot up so that the toes point up toward the sky. Sweep your right arm back, and grab the outside edge of the lifted foot. Begin to pull the foot in toward the body to stretch the quadriceps. If you are unable to reach your foot with your hand, feel free to use a strap around your foot to make the stretch accessible. Next, begin to roll onto the outside edge of the front foot and allow the right knee to fall to the side for a hip stretch. Hold this pose for 5 full breaths before slowly releasing your back foot and rolling back down onto the sole of your front foot.

Pigeon (upright)

Pigeon pose is an effective hip opener that not only stretches the outer hip of the front leg, but it also stretches the hip flexors with the extension of the back leg. To come into the pose, begin on hands and knees in Tabletop position. Bring your right knee onto the mat behind your right wrist. Tuck the toes on your left foot, and begin to extend the left leg straight back. Sink the pelvis toward the floor. If you find that you are rolling to the right, place a block under right hip. Rather than folding forward over your bent leg, walk your fingertips back and practice sitting upright to effectively stretch the hip flexors. Hold this pose for 10 breaths before moving on to the next pose.

Half Split

From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot in between your hands. Lower your back knee to the ground, and rise onto your fingertips. Draw both hips back in space while straightening the right leg, until the left hip is aligned directly over the left knee. Flex the right foot to energize throughout the length of the extended leg. Begin to walk the fingertips forward. Fold over the straightened leg, while maintaining length in the spine. Focus on pulling the chest forward, rather than bringing your forehead to your shin. Hold this pose for 5-10 deep breaths before moving on.

Split with blocks

Begin in a half split, and slowly extend your back leg by pressing into the floor with your hands while scooting back on your knee a few inches at a time. Use a block (or two) under the hip of the front leg to support the body. The extra height from the block effectively lifts the floor by several inches and allows you to practice the full expression of the pose at any stage of flexibility. Sit up tall to get the most effective stretch in the hip flexors, and keep the toes of your back foot tucked to help keep both hips equidistant to the top of the mat. Breathe deeply, and hold this posture for 5-10 breaths. If your body feels ready, and you happen to be using two blocks under your front hip, try removing one of the blocks and holding the posture for another 5-10 breaths.

Split (full expression of the pose)

If and when your body is ready, you will find that the full expression of Monkey Pose is a natural extension of practicing with the support of blocks. Remove the block from under the right hip. Keep your legs active by hugging the inner thighs in toward each other and flexing your right foot so that the toes point upward. You have the option of keeping the toes of your back foot tucked to help keep your hips aligned properly. Leave your fingertips on the floor for support or for a deeper variation, bring your palms together in front of your heart or extend your arms toward the sky. Hold this pose for 5 full breaths before releasing the stretch and repeating the entire sequence on the opposite side of your body.

March 17, 2016
Dream Big in March!

Hello to our online community!

Tonight, we kick off our March yoga challenge on Instagram by posting instructions for the first pose. The theme this month is “Dream Big”. We are gearing up for the launch of our new clothing line with Gaiam in April, and honestly, it wouldn’t be happening if we didn’t start with a dream.

We want you to DREAM BIG, too, and develop a yoga practice that you love. The goal of the challenge is to commit to your practice and to participate in some way, every day. Can’t do all of the poses shown? No problem. Show us what you CAN do. Modify. Get creative. Have fun, and realize that you can be your own source of inspiration!

For complete details about this challenge, follow @twofitmoms on Instagram, and find the full list of instructions for the challenge.

February 29, 2016
4 Ways to Challenge & Enhance Your Practice with Yoga Blocks

If you think yoga blocks are just for beginners that can’t touch their toes or for injured yoga practitioners that can’t sit between their heels in hero pose, think again. There are plenty of ways to get creative and use your blocks to deepen your practice in a challenging, fun way. Here are four suggestions:

Twist & Tap
Fire up your core in boat pose by holding a yoga block. Slowly twist from the lower belly to the right, tap the block on the ground to the right, and untwist your torso, coming back to center. Begin to twist to the left, tap the block on the ground to the left, and come back to center. Consider that to be one repetition. Keep your core engaged, your chest lifted, and avoid collapsing into your belly and rounding the back. The shins can remain parallel to the ground throughout the exercise, or you can extend your legs straight for a more intense variation. Work up to 12-15 repetitions.

Chest & Tricep Opener
Place two yoga blocks on the ground, shoulder width apart. Kneel on the mat, and rest your elbows and triceps on the blocks. Keep your hips stacked over the knees, and begin to sink your chest toward the ground as you bring your hands together in prayer over your head. This pose is very much like puppy pose with the added benefit of a deep tricep stretch. Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths, sinking your chest lower with each breath.

Squeeze a Block in Inversions
If your eyes glaze over when you hear your yoga teacher talking about internally rotating the thighs and hips while performing inversions, no need to worry. This exercise will solidify the concept in your mind, and you won’t forget anytime soon. By squeezing a yoga block between your feet as you slowly lift into an inversion, not only will you train your core muscles, but you will also automatically create a slight internal rotation in your legs that will help you stabilize and build strength. Go ahead and try this exercise with any inversion of your choice.

Relaxing, Deep Backbend
In my own personal practice, I’ve found this to be the single most effective stretch for the upper back and chest. If you are looking to deepen your backbend practice, it’s so important to stretch in various ways to help create an even backbend through your lower, middle and upper back. Place a block underneath your shoulder blades as you lie on the ground. If you tend to be very tight across the chest and back, start out by placing the block on shortest height. Breathe for 5-10 breaths before turning the block so that it’s resting in its next tallest orientation. Again, breathe for 5-10 breaths, and allow the chest and back to open up bit by bit. Finally, if your flexibility allows, turn the block to its highest orientation, and lie across the block for another 5-10 breaths. Try placing a second block under your head like a pillow for more support.

October 27, 2015
Small Space Yoga

When you’re confined to a small space, you don’t have to give up on your yoga practice! These eight standing poses can be your go-to postures when space is limited, and there’s no yoga mat in sight.

Most of you know that I’ve spent a lot of time in the children’s hospital this past year. I never brought my yoga mat into the hospital, but I always managed to stand up and stretch regularly. (You can get really stiff sitting/standing/hovering at a bedside.) I’m a major germaphobe, so I never wanted my hands to touch the dirty hospital floor. Instead of touching the floor, I managed to get creative and effectively stretch each body part in a standing position with very limited space. It’s this experience of no-mat yoga that inspired these poses below. This is a set of poses that can be done while on vacation in a tiny hotel room or even in the airport. I hope you give them a try and add them to your regular practice. Enjoy!

Dangle Pose
Separate your feet hip-width’s distance apart, bend your knees, and bring your chest to your thighs. Fold forward, grab opposite elbows, and settle into this pose for two to three minutes. While this pose may resemble Uttanasana, which is an active stretch of the hamstrings, the goal in this yin pose is to dangle the upper body for a longer period of time to help release the lower back. Remember to relax your head and neck, unclench your jaw, and release any tension that you might be holding in your face.

Garland Pose (Malasana)
From Dangle pose, bend your knees and lower your hips into Garland Pose. Rotate your feet outwards by 45 degrees, and bring the palms of your hands together. Press your inner thighs back in space with your triceps as you keep your chest lifted. Hold this pose for five breaths before slowing rising to a standing position.

Flying Pigeon Prep (Eka Pada Galavasana Prep)
Cross your right ankle over your left thigh, and flex your right foot to activate the your leg muscles and protect the knee. Begin to sink your hips down into a squat, and extend your arms in front of you to help you balance. You should feel a stretch in your outer right hip as you sink further into the pose. Hold this hip-opening pose for five breaths before rising back up and repeating on the opposite leg.

Lord of the Dance Pose (Natarajasana)
Stretch your entire front body while strengthening your legs and ankles in this standing balance pose. Focus on a stationary point a few feet in front of you to help find your balance, and kick your foot firmly into your hand to create the tension required to lift the leg higher and hold this posture. Maintain your balance for five breaths, and then practice on the opposite side.

Standing Backbend (Anuvittasana)
Choose either of these standing backbends to stretch the chest and reverse the hunching that many of us do throughout the day. In the supported version of this pose, the hands are on the lower back, and in the deeper variation, the hands are actively reaching overhead. Remember to keep your biceps alongside your ears in the deeper version of this pose to avoid neck strain. Both versions of the backbend will stretch the chest and lengthen the spine to relieve tension.

Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)
Yoga twists are thought to massage the internal organs, tone the belly and flush toxins from the body. With the possibility of such amazing benefits, we had to include one strengthening twist in the sequence. Press your palms firmly together to gain leverage for a deeper twist. Lift and lengthen your spine with each inhalation and twist deeper with each exhalation. Both knees should be aligned with one another, and your weight should be over your heels, rather than the balls of your feet. Hold this pose for five breaths before twisting to the opposite side.

Eagle Pose (Garudasana)
This standing balance pose will stretch the upper back and shoulders while challenging your balance and stretching the hips, thighs and ankles. If you have a knee injury or would like a modification, just cross your thighs without adding the element of hooking the raised foot behind the standing-leg calf. Quick tip: Remember that your arms and legs are folded in opposite directions! If your right leg is crossed over your left leg, your left arm is crossed over your right arm. Hold this pose for five breaths and then practice balancing on the other leg.

Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana C)
In this variation of a wide-legged forward fold, not only will you stretch your hamstrings, but you will also get a great stretch across your shoulders and chest. Keep your feet parallel as you hinge from the hips, and allow your clasped hands to fall forward for the deepest shoulder and chest stretch. Hold for five breaths before releasing the pose.

September 23, 2015
Why Naked is Better

A few years ago, I had a fabulous pink bikini that fit well and felt great. Yesterday, I put that same bathing suit on, and I noticed that my skin bulged around the elastic. I felt lumpy and bumpy and became quite critical of myself as I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Here’s an interesting point— I don’t remember the last time I passed judgment on my naked body. I only began judging my body yesterday afternoon when it was clothed in a swimsuit. Without the constraints of clothing, there was no pinching or squeezing or reason to doubt myself. It was only when I shifted the framework and added the constraint of clothing that my thoughts became negative.

This got me thinking—How freeing it would be to just enjoy the stripped down version of EVERYTHING in life—without a framework for comparison.

Think about it: You feel good about your accomplishments…until you shift your framework and begin comparing those accomplishments to someone else’s. You feel great about your morning run…until you realize that it took you four minutes longer to run the same route that you ran last week. You feel great about your body until you try to squeeze it into skinny jeans. If only we could always just enjoy life as it hits us, in its raw, naked form, without judgment, WE WOULD BE FREE!

Here are some tips to free yourself:

-Life is too short for ill-fitting clothes that make you feel like crap. Have you gained a few pounds? Fine. It happens, and you’ll deal with it, but there’s no reason to walk around feeling self-conscious. You should feel confident because you are worthy. Buy a few items that fit well and make you feel like the rock star that you are.

-Try going for a run, going for a bike ride, or doing whatever it is that you like to do as part of your fitness regimen, and do it without timing yourself. Jog until you don’t feel like it anymore. Slow down if you want to. Speed up if that feels good. Lift some weights without counting reps. Elevate your heart rate for as long as it feels invigorating, and then stop. Of course you should challenge yourself and set goals, but once in a while, strip it down to the basics: Enjoy moving your body just because you can.

–“Keep your eyes on your own paper.” Did every elementary school teacher say that before a test? At the end of the day, when you glance at someone else’s work, you just end up cheating yourself. Stop comparing. Your life experience is yours and no one else’s. Don’t take the joy and pride out of your accomplishments because the guy next to you seems to have done more.

–Practice yoga in solitude. This idea is an extension of the “keep-your-eyes-on-your-own-paper” theme. The energy of a yoga class is amazing, and you shouldn’t give it up, but too often, we are distracted by the abilities of those around us. We begin to judge our own yoga skills and wonder if we are strong enough or flexible enough to keep up. By practicing alone, you will learn to keep your eyes on your own mat and build a practice that you love, without negative judgement.

July 9, 2015
Overcoming Perfectionism

Today, I looked out the window and decided that it was going to rain. And then the sun came out, and I decided that it wasn’t going to rain anymore. And then it rained again. And then it stopped. And then it started again. (It’s actually a bit humorous, now that I’m re-reading what I’ve typed here.)

I stuck my head out the front door to check the temperature. It was hot and humid…typical summer weather in New Jersey, and perfect for stretching and yoga. I briefly considered going outside to practice in the heat, but I changed my mind when I looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds. Conditions weren’t perfect, and I could imagine slipping on my mat in the rain, and hurting myself. Who needs an injury on top of the searing pain that I already have in multiple joints?

I looked outside again. The sun was shining and the rain stopped. This was getting absurd. This time, I decided to head out to my driveway to practice. I started with a few rounds of sun salutations, some hamstring openers, a quick flow, and then I rolled onto my side, and got into one of my favorite yin yoga poses (Cat Pulling its Tail Pose), and I settled in for four minutes. Not even 30-seconds into the pose, the sky opened up, and it started to rain. I lifted my head (as you can see in the photo) and looked around. Yes…yes, it was raining. And that was really all I had to say about that. I put my head back down onto my upper arm and continued to stretch. The world was not ending, and I got through my practice in the rain.

So, what does this story have to do with you? Well, I’m guessing that I can’t be alone in this— I waste vast amounts of time, waiting for conditions to be perfect before taking action. I am reminded today that conditions don’t have to be perfect to take action. It’s so easy to get bogged down and remain stagnant while waiting for all of the right circumstances to fall into place.

Stop waiting for conditions to be perfect!

Stop placing expectations on how things SHOULD be.

Learn to act today, embracing what IS.

You can thrive in the current environment, and you don’t have to wait another minute, waiting for the stars to align.

Today, I expended unnecessary mental energy, trying to decide whether I should practice outside. All along, the answer was yes, I should practice outside, and once I’m out there, I’ll know how to adjust my plan if necessary. No, it wasn’t perfect, but I got something done.

Ask yourself if you’re holding yourself back in some part of your life because you are waiting for perfection.

-When it comes to your diet, are you giving up on healthy eating for the rest of the day because you “messed up” at breakfast and ate three doughnuts? Are you waiting for tomorrow to start over because you need a clean slate? Why do you need to wait for conditions to be perfect? Can you overcome your desire for perfection and just get started right now?

-When it comes to exercise, are you skipping it altogether because you only have 15 minutes? Have you convinced yourself that a full hour is the ideal workout length, and 15 minutes isn’t worth your while? Ask yourself why you need this perfect amount of time to workout. Can’t you begin to make a difference in your life with 15 minutes a day?

Life is rarely perfect. Usually, I allocate a solid block of time to write for this website. I don’t whip up my articles in 30 minutes, so if I happen to be very busy or traveling, the articles don’t happen. I spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to convey my thoughts with the right words. The perfect words.

Today, I don’t have that kind of time to spend on the website, but in the spirit of overcoming my own issues with perfectionism, I’m going to go ahead and post this piece in its rough, unedited form.

I had two choices when I came inside out of the rain: I could quickly type up these thoughts and share them with you (even though the article is far from perfect), or I could skip writing altogether. In the end, I’m glad I chose to write.

July 7, 2015
10 Simple Tips to Raise an Active Family
Now that the school year has ended, the kids are home, and the temptation to sit in front of the TV watching cartoons all day is great. It’s unbelievable that active, energetic children can turn into couch potatoes so quickly. The good news is that this is easily reversible. Children have a natural inclination to want to move, jump, fidget, skip and dance. Playing outside, swimming, running races and riding bikes are all forms of exercise, and kids looks forward to all of it. It’s all fun and games in their eyes.

The key to raising an active family is to set a positive example as active parents, to surround your children with opportunities to be active, and to harness your children’s natural playful spirit.

Here are a few of our tips to help you raise an active family. You can do this on a financial budget of any size!
1. Limit your kids’ time in front of the TV. One simple way to reduce TV-watching time is to pre-record your kids’ favorite shows. When it is time to watch a show, you can quickly fast forward through the commercials and cut back on the time that they are in front of the screen. We also recommend setting aside a specific time of day to watch TV. Pick a time that doesn’t interfere with physical activity—Maybe an hour before bed or an hour early in the morning before breakfast.
1. Set a good example. Let your kids see you exercising. If you disappear for each of your workout sessions, your kids are not seeing you being active. Don’t cancel your gym membership, but make it a point to do some form of exercise at home that your kids can witness. Pushups, sit-ups, squats and yoga are all great examples of effective exercises that are doable right in your living room.
1. Get active with your kids. Children get a kick out of seeing their parents playing, and it encourages them to join in. I have my own jump rope in the garage. When I take it out and start jumping in the driveway, the kids run and get their jump ropes, too. It’s just not possible for them to stand and observe. The urge to move is too great, and they join right in.
1. Make it a daily habit. Being active doesn’t mean that you must commit to long five-mile runs or day-long bicycle rides with your kids. You can raise an active family just by making it a habit to move every day. A ten-minute game of tag counts as movement!
1. Create a fun environment at home that encourages activity. Set up a volleyball net in your yard. Install a basketball hoop outdoors. If you don’t have the budget to install any sort of nets or goals, just keep a few different balls on hand in a large bucket. Kick a soccer ball around after dinner or play catch. The idea is that if you build it, they will come. Go ahead and create an inviting area for play.
1. Keep a ball/frisbee in your car. Be prepared for spontaneous fun! You never know when you might run across a large grassy field that is perfect for an impromptu game of catch, kickball or frisbee.
1. Blend inactivity with activity. Think about all of the inactive things that you do with your kids regularly, and find a way to make some of those activities more active. For example, instead of driving to the ice cream shop after dinner, walk there. Instead of parking your car right in front of the movie theater, park on the other side of the mall/parking lot.
1. Research your town’s recreational activities/programs. There are plenty of summer camps, private swimming clubs and sports camps that run all summer long, but if that’s not in your budget, contact your town to find inexpensive or even free activities for your kids. Playgrounds are free, some local zoos have free admission days, state parks offer great hiking trails, and some local bowling alleys offer free bowling for kids all summer long.
1. Build movement into their chores. This will obviously depend on the age of your children, but even little ones are happy to help rake leaves in the fall, plant flowers in the spring, and pull weeds in the summer. Older children can drag the garbage cans to the corner, get the mail from the mailbox each day, scrub bathtubs, etc. Allow your children to build a sense of responsibility while also moving their bodies and staying active.
1. Encourage your kids to get outside every day. With the exception of a few days a year that are dangerously cold or hot, your kids can dress appropriately and do just fine outdoors. What do they do once they get out there? Well, it’s a strange phenomenon, but they always find something to do.
June 24, 2015
Pose of the Week: Vasisthasana

Vasisthasana, or Side Plank Pose, helps to strengthen the wrists, arms, core and legs! Feel free to take any modifications or variations in your practice this week.

1. Start off in Downward Facing Dog.

2. From Downward Facing Dog, pull forward into Plank Pose.

3. Shift your weight onto your left hand, and move the right hand forward about 2 inches so the wrist is slightly forward of your right shoulder.

4. Slowly roll onto the outside edge of your right foot and stack your left foot on top of your right. As you do so, pop up on the fingertips of your left hand. Root down through the right hand, keeping the right arm straight.

5. Find your balance and extend your left arm up towards the sky.

6. Keep your hips lifting, belly engaged and legs active.

7. Stay here and take 5 deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.

June 17, 2015
75 Tips for Your Wellness Journey
Wellness is not just about the weights you lift or the food you eat or the number staring back at you on the scale. Wellness is a state of being that reflects your health in various areas of your life— food, fitness, flexibility, sleep, spirituality, relationships, etc. In order to inspire you to continue on your lifelong wellness journey, we have created a list of 75 tips to help you live a healthy life. Enjoy!
1. Automate your breakfast. Think of a few different healthy breakfasts that you enjoy, and plan to eat one of those pre-selected meal ideas each day. By doing this, you will always start the day on the right foot.
1. Exercise, even if you only have 10-15 minutes. Baby steps count and add up over time.
1. Limit your TV watching time to 1 hour per day.
1. Cook your own food, take-out less.
1. Wash, chop and store your vegetables in the refrigerator so that they are ready to eat. Healthy meals are much easier to create when all of the prep work is done ahead of time.
1. Commit Sun Salutation A to memory so you always have a portable yoga sequence.
1. Develop a relationship with a doctor when you are healthy and feeling well. If you become sick, you will be grateful to have a healthcare professional that already knows who you are.
1. Get up from your desk once an hour to move or stretch.
1. Keep an extra pair of sneakers in the trunk of your car so you always have an option to go for a quick power walk.
1. Set a daily intention. Move through each day with purpose.
1. Carry your own pen— especially during flu season.
1. Get enough sleep.
1. Shop the perimeter of the supermarket for fresh, whole foods.
1. Look for foods in their most natural form. (Veggies instead of veggie chips; fruit instead of fruit juice)
1. Replace all sweetened beverages with unsweetened tea or fruit-infused water.
1. Create a positive affirmations practice. You ARE on a healthy path. You ARE worth the effort.
1. Schedule your exercise session the way you’d schedule an appointment. Take it seriously, and don’t cancel!
1. Turn off all text notifications on your phone to increase productivity and create more free time in your day.
1. Eliminate refined sugar and flour from your diet.
1. Start a meditation practice to lower stress levels.
1. Get some fresh air, even if the weather isn’t ideal. It’s amazing what it can do to change your mood and clear your mind.
1. Do something for yourself each day that is purely for pleasure. Maybe it’s a hot bath, or maybe it’s curling up with a good book. Just find something that brings you joy, and do it.
1. Set a cut-off time each evening for electronics. Unplug from it all, and wind down. It will still be there tomorrow!
1. De-clutter your bedroom to create a peaceful environment for sleep.
1. Eat mindfully— sit down at a table to eat your meals. Focus on your food, not on your phone, computer or TV.
1. Keep a food journal if you find yourself mindlessly eating throughout the day. If you must commit it to paper, you will feel accountable.
1. Call a friend. Make an effort to keep in touch with the people that you care about. You need a strong support system.
1. Find time to give thanks for all of the good things in your life. Maybe even start a gratitude journal.
1. Get the most out of your day by making a to-do list. Live intentionally!
1. Take care of your skin. Wash, moisturize, and protect it with sunscreen.
1. Take photographs to track your progress. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a yoga journey, a weight loss journey, or a muscle-building journey. It’s hard to see the changes on a day-to-day basis, but weekly photographs will help you record the progress.
1. Don’t forget to floss your teeth.
1. When eating out, share an entrée or choose an appetizer as your main meal. Portion sizes tend to be large at restaurants.
1. Chew your food thoroughly. Digestion begins in the mouth!
1. Stop obsessing over the number on the scale. You already know when you’ve been eating well and taking care of yourself. You don’t need a machine to confirm what you already know.
1. Get familiar with the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen so you can make smart decisions in the supermarket.
1. Adopt an active lifestyle. Going to the gym is just a small fraction of the day. It matters how you live when you’re not officially exercising. Take the stairs. Go for walks. Park your car in the back of the lot.
1. Cut out the processed food/snacks from your diet.
1. Listen to your body, and don’t ignore the signals. Sometimes, your body will tell you to move, other times it will tell you to sleep, or heal, or even see a doctor.
1. Try different types of workout programs to keep your exercise regimen fresh and interesting.
1. Wake up at the same time each day to stabilize your circadian rhythm.
1. Find a fitness/yoga/wellness support system on social media. A community of like-minded people will keep you inspired.
1. Use a cold-pressed oil (such as olive oil) to prepare meals. If you plan to use canola oil, make sure it’s organic and expeller-pressed. Many canola oil products have been bleached, deodorized and extracted with chemical solvents.
1. If you have a chocolate craving, choose a small piece of good quality, dark chocolate (greater than 70% cacao) instead of milk chocolate.
1. For optimal gut health, include fermented foods in your diet, which have a probiotic effect: miso, natto, sauerkraut, tempeh, natto, kimchi, etc.
1. Choose wild-caught fish over factory-farmed fish.
1. Reduce your caffeine intake, particularly in the afternoon and evening when it can affect your ability to fall asleep at night.
1. Challenge your mind. Stay sharp.
1. Get out of your comfort zone. Try something that scares you a little. How about a handstand?
1. Save sweets for special occasions—maybe as a treat on Friday night or at a gathering or event. If you must have dessert every night, choose fruit.
1. Check your bedroom for lit-up digital displays on alarm clocks and electronics. Keep these displays covered at night, as the small amount of light thrown off by these devices can affect the quality of your sleep.
1. Make portion control easier by eating off of smaller plates.
1. Each time you shop, buy a vegetable that you don’t usually choose at the grocery store. Gain exposure to nutrients and flavors that you typically don’t get!
1. Take your shoes off at home to avoid tracking in pesticides, fertilizers, allergens and germs.
1. If you carry a purse, keep it off of kitchen counters, dining tables, and other food preparation areas. The bottoms of purses are often places that harbor bacteria, as a result of being placed on floors of public places.
1. For natural remedies for a number of minor ailments, consider using essential oils instead of over-the-counter pills.
1. Get a massage.
1. Looking for natural relief from allergies or sinus problems? Try rinsing your nasal passages with a Neti pot.
1. Wash your hands often to avoid getting colds.
1. If you don’t have time to put on your workout gear, do a few sets of push-ups.
1. Practice deep breathing techniques to alleviate stress.
1. Carry your own healthy snacks from home rather than shopping at the convenience store when you are famished.
1. Listen to a Yoga Nidra guided meditation to experience deep relaxation and stress relief.
1. For the greatest nutritional benefits, replace whole grain products with actual whole grains (ie, barley, whole oat groats, brown rice, millet).
1. Ramp up the number of green vegetables in your diet by making green smoothies in the morning.
1. Read fitness and wellness blogs or subscribe to a couple of health magazines to stay motivated and inspired.
1. If you train hard, remember to include a day of rest. Rest does not mean that you have to give up all forms of activity. Try a restorative yoga class or go for a leisurely walk.
1. Find a workout buddy that will keep you accountable. Even if you’d rather exercise alone, find a friend that you can text or e-mail each day with a workout update. Having to report to someone on a daily basis will help you stay on track.
1. If you are intimidated to attend a group fitness class or a group yoga class, hire a personal trainer or a yoga instructor to work with you for a few sessions.
1. Good health is easiest to achieve when everybody is on board. Include your family in your wellness journey. Allow your children to help you prepare a healthy meal. Encourage your family to join you for yoga, biking, jogging, etc.
1. Practice the Confucian teaching of “Hara hachi bu” and eat until you are 80% full. The goal is to be satisfied, but not stuffed to the gills.
1. Create a playlist of music that motivates you to move your body.
1. If you don’t have time to exercise at a gym or yoga studio, invest in a few good exercise DVDs or an online membership to take fitness/yoga classes.
1. When you don’t feel like exercising, tell yourself that you can stop after 10 minutes. Chances are, you won’t stop once you get started.
1. Consistency matters. Your wellness journey will reflect what you do on a regular basis, not what you do once in a while. Commit to just a couple of healthy lifestyle changes first, and make sure you can incorporate them into your life before adding more changes.
June 10, 2015
A New Perspective

I’m a big fan of inspirational quotes. I always have been. Even when I was a teenager, I would cut inspirational images out of magazines and tape them to my bedroom wall. I loved messages of hope, perseverance, strength and overcoming obstacles. My favorite quotes as a teenager/young adult were ones about self-empowerment, and they sounded a lot like this:

“You are only in competition with yourself.”

“The only person you should ever try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.”

Quotes like these drove me to work harder and motivated me to accomplish more each day. These quotes served their purpose at that time because each new day was very similar to the prior day. My body felt good, I was strong, and I was young without a health issue in sight. It was actually possible to be in competition with myself because I was changing very little from day to day.

What I now know is that life changes. Babies are born. Bodies get injured. Surgeries become necessary. Sickness happens.

Right now, I am taking three different antibiotics to fight Lyme disease and two tick-borne parasites. My body hurts more now than it did before I started the antibiotics. (I’m told that this is not uncommon.) I cannot be in competition with the person I was yesterday because I feel so much worse today.

Some days, the stars align, and I can handstand, split, throw my leg behind my head, sit in lotus without pain and run for miles without a problem. Other days, my stress level is high, my mind cannot focus, my knee is too inflamed to bend or even walk without a limp, and my balance is horrific. If THAT is my reality on many days, then I can’t live a life of anger and frustration because I think I am a mere shadow of my former self.

I see now that it’s much healthier to just strive for excellence today, based on today’s circumstances. Competing with a former version of myself is just a recipe for disappointment.

If I have learned anything from yoga, I have learned that all we have is now. The present. Each time I step onto my mat, I focus on the current breath and the current posture. I don’t think about the next posture in the sequence. I don’t judge the postures that I’ve already completed. All that matters is the current moment. I encourage you to live your yoga, too. Live here in “the now”, and find peace.

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.” –Dalai Lama

June 4, 2015