wellness

You’ve seen the classes before. They’re often listed as “Rock ‘n’ Roll Yoga” or another less zen-sounding name. Personally, I teach classes called “Namaslay” and “That Asana Though,” one with a rock playlist and the other featuring rap and hip hop. Of course, listening to pop music while working on your flow is far from traditional. It’s certainly not what the original practitioners of yoga envisioned when they came up with the asanas! However, almost nobody practices yoga in modern times like it was originally practiced. That’s okay!

Welcome to our #WellnessWednesday yoga primer. Yoga is a wonderful way to become attuned to your body and increase circulation and flexibility. Each week I'll offer you a pose with benefits and instruction.

Are you looking for your next big adventure? If so, why not start with your dinner plate? Exploring a plant-based diet may not sound all too adventurous, but it certainly can be. Preparing mouthwatering plant-based meals is far from boring; as I’ve grown older, I’ve become more and more creative in the kitchen, solely with the help of plant-based flavors. More importantly, I’ve lived on a plant-based diet my entire life, and have witnessed the numerous health benefits firsthand.

We have all had to deal with sore, stiff, and achy muscles – they’re a fact of life. It is nice to know there are foods you can add to or increase in your diet to help ease your pain. Any foods that provide a substantial amount of magnesium are great for the muscles. Magnesium maintains proper nerve and normal muscle function.

Here is my list of 7 Natural Muscle Healers and Relaxers:

The pomegranate is native to Iran and grows wild there today. It was first cultivated approximately 6,000 years ago. Because it is a hearty fruit that is easily transported, it soon became known in regions where it could not be grown. It was recorded in the Bible and Greek writings, was popular in ancient Egypt and has been prized in India since the 1^st century. The fruit was used medicinally in ancient times and early practitioners divided the fruit into three juice types: sweet, winey and acid.

Usnea is an incredible lichen that has many healing properties.  Lichen is an organism that grows in symbiotic relationship consisting of fungi and algae. A lichen grows slowly up against other surfaces in the wild. Usnea grows in forests all over the world, and it is known throughout as Old Man's Beard. Many people have likely seen the lichen and walked right past it. There are several hundreds of species of Usnea, but the species that hold the best healing properties are Usnea barbata and Usnea hirta.

Purvottanasana / Intense East Stretch

Benefits:

• Stretches whole front of body.
• Helps strengthen back of body: arms legs, and torso.

Foundation & General Alignment:

Yoga is a great challenge, and that is why it requires so much practice. Even though yoga can be tough, there are some ways to make it less difficult. Here are five tips to make your yoga practice a little bit easier.

Garlic and honey are both individually renowned for their medicinal properties, a few of which include antibacterial components as well as components that increase health. Garlic and honey are both very well-known for being great ancient medicines  Ancient cultures and traditions have used both garlic and honey as staples to holistic healing. Turns out, they can be even more powerful together. When combined, garlic and honey can pack some serious healing power into even just a little spoonful.

Setu Bandha Ssarvangasana / Bridge pose

Benefits:

• Great chest opener.
• Releases tension in upper and lower back.
• Teaches actions for more advanced back bends.

Foundation & General Alignment:

• The back of your head is on the floor while maintaining a curve in your neck.
• Shoulders are on the floor away from ears.
• Press arms down into floor.
• Feet and knees are hip distance apart.
• Chest is up but your chin is not resting on the chest.