Why Fall and Yoga Go Hand-In-Hand

I LOVE FALL! It is by far my favorite season! Boots, changing leaves, pumpkin cookies...and YOGA! Now while yoga might not be something you typically associate with fall, I'm here to tell you why you should.

First of all, I have learned that it is very important to follow the seasons. For most of us, summer is very active (get-it-all-in mentality). Fall on the other hand tends to slow down, some of us go back to school, and we tend to get into more of a routine. It is a reflective time of year. For me, it used to be very difficult to say goodbye to summer, and as a result I would drag on that summer mentality all the way through fall. I would skip over the slower, reflective part of fall and before I knew it....BAM, it was the holidays, and life was hectic again. I suffered from this because my life felt like a constant GO-GO-GO. I never had a time to relax. I tell you this because I feel like it is very important to honor each season and recognize what each time of year has to offer us. If we don't, we may feel out of balance, get sick, or just feel overwhelmed like I did.

So lets talk about fall for a minute. Fall is all about change. It's energy is shifting; ryping. There is a shift in weather. The leaves start to change colors, the days get shorter, and the temperature drops. The message of autumn is learning to trust this shift. We also need to take this time to reflect on aspects of our life that need changing. If we honor fall, we find that it is a great time for a clense, a shedding of bad habbits, and setting new goals. This is where yoga fits in. There is not a more perfect time to start a yoga practice or to improve the one you already have. Yoga and meditation is one of the best ways that I can think of to honor this wonderful time of year.

So if any of you have wanted to try out yoga, or just want to improve your practice there is no better time! Do it now! Dont know where to start? I can help. Ill be trying to set up classes within the next few weeks. Stay tuned for dates and times! Until then, go outside, enjoy the beatuiful fall weather, and get that yoga mat out of the closet!!

namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

9 Surprising Benefits of Yoga Practice

So lately, a lot of people have been asking me "why yoga?" Why have I decided to dedicate so much time to one thing and what are the benifits. Well the answer that I give everyone is that the benefits are numerous. There are many reasons for why I chose to get certified, but there are also many benifit to practicing yoga. In this post I will summerize a few of the unexpected benefits that you will get from a regular yoga practice.

Benifits:

1. Healthy skin! Yoga can help you achieve a healthy glow helping your body detox through sweating, balancing hormones, and boosting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the skin. Also yoga movements help the body produce collagen which is essential to the formation of hair, skin and nails. So why spend hundreds of dollars on creams or supplements when yoga will do it for free?

2. Helps supply oxygen to the blood and as a result, oxygen to all parts of the body. Why is this important you ask? Well, here is a quick anatomy lesson. When we breath, oxygen is carried to all the tisues in the body via red blood cells. Without oxygen we go into an anaerobic state. According to some theories, when oxygen doesnt reach the tissues, the tissues go into a unhealthy state in which they survive on fermentation rather than oxygenation. It is believed that cancer thrives in these oxygen deficient conditions. In other words, without oxygen, cells will weaken, die, or may mutate into something that can survive without the normal flow of oxygen, like cancer.

3. A better functioning digestive system.  Yoga practice can help to oxygenate, tone and clear the digestive system. It is a natural cleanse to the GI tract and a healthy way to stimulate a balanced eliminative practice.

4.  Balances hormones. We all have them and we all blame our worst moments on them.... Yoga can help balance the hypothalamus, pitutatry gland, thyroid and also the adrenal glands. How important is this you ask? VERY IMPROTANT. These glands influence almost every cell, organ, and function in our body.  They are crucial in regulating mood, metabolism, sexual and reporductive function, tissue function, our flight or fight response, and sleep patterns. Basically everything you would want functioning well.

5. Helps you handle stress. Yoga helps to balance the sympathetic and parashympathetic nervious systems and heightens awareness and relaxation of the mind.  In other words, it will help increase your brains ability to focus better when in stressful situations.

6. Improves mental functionin and abilty. A balanced practice can help increase concentration, focus and awareness. Regular posture repitition helps to connect the right and left hemisphers of the brain which in turn enhances brain coordination, its ability to conceptualize, and opens the channels of awareness. This repitition can even "re-wire" the brains thought patterns and can take positive experiences and patterns and hardwire them into your daily living.

7. Mindful eating. Studies show that those who practice yoga regularly are genearlly more aware of the food they are putting into their bodies. They also tend to eat healthier and eat right size portions.

8. Confidence. Yoga is beautiful and and as you practice it you will begin to feel that beauty within yourself. With determination and persistance, the balance that yoga brings helps you realize that you can do anything you put your mind to.

9. FINALLY, it can give you a KILLER body! Yoga can be a great cardio workout while toning all the muscles of the body at the same time. It can help you build muscle and lose weight! Everybody's dream right?

So now you have my answer to why yoga, and in return I ask you why not yoga?

Namaste

www.gobodhiyoga.com

Sleep Better With Yoga!

So I learned an interesting little trick yesterday involving yoga! In our training session yesterday we talked about a specific pose that, if performed before you go to sleep, can actually put you into your REM cycle two hours earlier than your body normally would. What this means is you will have more time to be in that deep stage of sleep throughout the night, resulting in a better nights rest. Who wouldn't want that?

So here is the low down: The pose is called Vparita Karani and this is what it looks like...doesn't that just look relaxing!?

 It has several health benefits in addition to helping you get a better nights sleep. It can improve concentration, spinal alignment, and digestion, as well as strengthens your abdominal organs, lungs, and your core muscles.

To perform this pose you will want a round bolster or pillow for your lower back. your legs and bottom should be right up against the wall and your arms should open comfortably out to your sides.  You may experience a tingling feeling in your legs but it shouldn't be uncomfortable. For modifications you can drop your legs wide or even bring your knees out and feet in together.

For the best results, practice RIGHT before bed, holding the pose for 15 minutes. Make sure you get into bed right away after! if you stand up and stay vertical for too long after performing this pose, it will give you a burst of energy, making it difficult to fall asleep. In other words, make sure you have brushed your teeth before doing this pose!

Being a wife and mother of an 8 month old, I could DEFINITELY use a better nights rest. So seeing as it is 11 pm, im going to go get myVparita Karani on and hit the sack.

Namaste

http://www.gobodhiyoga.com

Why Yoga?

I am just your average mother, struggling to find a balance with the ever-waging battle of work and home life. Just a few months ago, I was experiencing uneasiness about the career choices I had made and felt like I was in dire need of a change in direction. I needed to find a job that I not only loved, but that allowed me to put my family first. It was during this crisis when I discovered my true calling in life. I wanted to teach yoga. I couldn't think of a better "job" than to be able to share my passion and the beauty of yoga with others, while still being able to be home with my family. So, similar to how I act with many major life decisions, I acted on an impulse, and enrolled at Bodhi Yoga to pursue a career as a yogi. 

Yoga has been a part of my life for the last 6 years. I started practicing when I was going through, what I thought at the time, the greatest trial of my life. Yoga was my therapy, my peace, and my home. Through this trial I developed a deep love and appreciation for yoga. After the trial passed, yoga had become a part of me. I practiced often, and it wasn’t until recently that I realized how much yoga had prepared me for where I am in life now.

Remember that little part about the greatest trial of my life? Well just so you know, I was wrong about that.  One month ago my father passed away unexpectedly from an aortic aneurism. Since then, I have felt more sadness than I will ever be able to put into words. I have experienced overwhelming loneliness beyond that of description. The reason I am sharing this with you is not to receive your sympathy, but to let you know that with yoga, I will be able to get through this. I will be able to heal. The last physical gift my father gave to me was this opportunity to teach yoga.  After realizing this, this experience transformed from just merely an opportunity to teach something I enjoy and love, to finding a way to honor my father, to give it my all, to make him proud.

I know that this certification and where I am in my life now is no coincidence. I know that this is where I am supposed to be. After the sweat, blood, and most certainly tears, I will not only be certified to teach yoga, but I will be able to draw closer to my Dad through the process.

Namaste

http://www.gobodhiyoga.com