We can’t take credit for this – it comes from the Whole New Mom blog - but we are sharing!

How do you celebrate Easter weekend? What healthy changes have you made for you and your family lately?

We’d love to hear from you.

(1) Child’s Pose – Kneel, then place your forehead on the floor, arms stretched out in front of you. Spread your fingers and reach your arms forward. Draw your shoulders onto your back and lift your elbows off the floor. Breathe deeply in and out. (This is a great reset for your spine.)

(2) Side Stretch – In Child’s Pose, walk both hands over to the right for three breaths until you feel a stretch in your left armpit area, then over to the left for three breaths. (Stretches sides of your ribs and hips).

(3) Downward Facing Dog – Come up into Down Dog. Walk the dog by slowly and gently lifting one heel, then the other. Get grounded – spread your toes and fingers. Open your shoulders out away from your ears. Press your front thighs back and lengthen the front of your body. Shake your head yes and then no to completely relax your neck.

(4) Low Lunge – Step your right foot forward into low lunge, back knee off the floor if you can. Draw your belly and pelvic floor up an in. Hold for 3 breaths, then lower back knee. As you inhale, reach your arms up overhead, and as you exhale place both hands on your front thigh. Breathe deeply as your relax your shoulders and stretch your hips forward. Stay for 3-5 breaths. Then, place your hands on the floor, and keeping your hips pressed forward, completely relax your head and neck. Breathe.

(5) Half Splits – Press your hips back until your front leg is straight. Lengthen your spine and fold forward over your front leg. If there is more space, walk your front foot a bit more forward. You can bend your front leg if you need to. Stay for 3-5 breaths.

(6) IT Band Stretch – Tuck back toes under and lift your back knee off the ground. Walk your front (right) foot to the left side of your mat.  Your back foot should be about 1-2 feet behind your front foot, in the centre of your mat. Walk both hands to the outer right leg and fold forward over the outside of your right leg. (This is an amazing IT band stretch -great for runners.) Stay for 3 breaths, then step back into Down Dog.

(7) Repeat – Repeat entire sequence on other side, finishing again in Down Dog.

(8) Shoulder/Neck Stretch – Come to your knees. Stretch your right arm out to the side and lean your head to the left. Press your right shoulder down. Stay for 6-8 breaths. Focus on softening and letting go on each exhale. Repeat on the other side.

(9) Two Knee Twist – Lie on your back and let both knees come to the right side as you look to the left, then switch sides. 3-5 deep breaths on each side.

(10) Savasana (Relaxation) – Lie on your back for 3-5 minutes and completely relax.

I guarantee that if you do this in the morning you will feel amazing before you start your day! After I finished this routine and had a shower I was starving. I had my morning shake and was totally awake, full of energy and ready to go.

What do you do in the morning to get going and wake up?

Lynn Roberts
Director of Operations

Time for a wake up call. Words have energy and are powerful. Do you speak negatively or positively? Do you go on Facebook and talk about how sick you are? Do you tell your friends “Oh I’m so stupid sometimes.”

Each word that leaves our mouths, and in fact each thought that is formed in our brains, absolutely has a distinct energy to it and will create the very reality you are experiencing in each and every moment.

It’s called the Law of Attraction and just like the law of gravity, it is based in science and is as real as the chair you are sitting in. (Which actually isn’t real, but let’s talk about that another day.) It responds to your thoughts and words like a genie in the bottle who grants your  wishes by saying “Your wish is my command.”

So if you aren’t living the life you want, create it. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Fill yourself with love, not degrading words that put you down. (Even if you say you’re just joking.) We’re not saying it’s easy, especially if this is foreign to you, but the first step is awareness. When you notice that you’re thinking or saying negative things, change it right away. In each moment, we have a distinct choice, and we can constantly keep creating a new reality.

What have you got to lose? Try it this week and see what happens. If you’re not sure where to start, the next time you’re looking for a parking spot, think to yourself “I’m going to find the perfect parking spot”, then believe you will find it. You may just find what you’re looking for.

Want to bring a workshop about the Law of Attraction to your workplace? Here’s a Lower Mainland, BC workshop facilitator who I personally recommend.

Triangle

As crazy busy as summer may be, do your best to keep your yoga program going throughout the summer. If your summer is as busy as mine is, you may not always get to do a full class, but something is better than nothing. A short 10-20 minute yoga program can be refreshing and soothing to both your tired mind and stiff body.

Here is a short sequence that you can practice either in your private office, an unused room at work OR at home. No time to do yoga? Get up in the morning 20 minutes earlier than you normally do. You won’t even notice the change, your practice is done before you start your busy day AND you’ll feel calmer and more centered.

Standing – Centering with Breath
2-3 rounds Sun Salutations
Triangle – Warrior 2 – Reverse Warrior – Wide Legged Standing Forward Fold – Take a Twist with one hand on floor, other arm reaching up
Transition to lunge with knee on floor – Pigeon
Downward Facing Dog
Repeat Triangle flow and transition to lunge/pigeon on other side
Downward Facing Dog
Child’s Pose
Sit quietly in Easy Sitting Pose for 1 minute and breathe
Total Time: 10-15 minutes

Have an innergized day!

Today I spoke with someone close to me facing a bit of a dilemma in her life. It doesn’t really matter what the dilemma is, but it was tearing her apart. There were several different levels to this dilemma and she really felt like she was at a crossroads in her life, or would be soon. Some of the concerns she expressed to me were immediate, others wouldn’t be happening until months into the future, IF they happened at all.

She had rationally laid out all possible scenarios, all possible choices for each scenario, and how each might play out. She asked me for advice on what she should do. After listening to her whole story, I did have some advice: Get out of your head, into your heart, take a deep breath and let go.

Let go? What does that even mean?

She was spending so much time analyzing her dilemma that she wasn’t feeling her way through it, she was “thinking” her way through it. And if you think this kind of worrying and anxiety doesn’t cause you physical stress, think again. It’s all connected – mind and body. (She just got diagnosed with high blood pressure – coincidence? She’s 32.)

Letting go doesn’t mean dropping your values and morals, and it doesn’t mean giving up. It means surrendering to the greater flow of the universe and trusting in that process. On the yoga mat, we learn this. We breathe directly into tight spots in our bodies, and as we breathe out, we let go of our worries and fears. We let go, rather than holding on. It’s amazing how many times I’ve seen people come into class worried and tense, their shoulders up around their ears, and at the end of class they look lighter, more carefree and their shoulders have melted down away from their ears, where they should be. The transformation is phenomenal.

So the next time you’re in your head, playing out all the different scenarios of YOUR dilemma, check in with yourself. Do the sorting, organizing and scenario planning that you feel you must do, then take a chance and let go.

Inhale, worry and fear. Exhale, let go.

Cold and flu season seems to be the endless season this year. Catching one of these viruses is inconvenient, makes you feel awful and is likely to put you on hiatus from your fitness and yoga practices.  There are lots of ways to avoid and prevent the spread of germs in your work place. Here are a few simple tips that will keep you feeling your best so that you do not have to rest and stop your asana practice. Remember that if you do become ill, your body does in fact need rest to heal. So do not push your limits, instead, accept what is happening and practice self love and care when you need to.

Wash your hands often. There are likely signs posted in your facilities on how to clean your hands. Soap will kill off those nasty bugs!

Clean your computer. Clean your computer and other surfaces using natural products such as distilled vinegar to keep germs off your keyboard.

Stay rested and well hydrated. Love yourself as you should always do. Ensure you are eating nutritious foods high in vitamin C. There are also teas and tinctures that claim to support the immune system. Do some investigating on your own and with the guidance of your doctor and naturopath on what your body needs to stay healthy.

Avoid stress and maintain a yoga practice. If your body is not well, practice stillness and meditation rather than a full blown asana class. Practice a laughter yoga workshop every now and again to boost endorphins and increase immune function. Laughter is the best medicine after all.

Stay healthy this season!

Traditionally, yoga practitioners would adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. The reasons for this are multi-fold.  Being vegetarian aligns with the yogic values and lifestyle principles of ahimsa (non-harming).  Also, adopting a lighter vegetable based diet which is not stimulating, such as a sattvic diet, helps to lighten the body and keep the mind sharp.

Ahimsa means providing kindness to all living things; therefore, not killing or eating animals. Ahimsa is defined in Patañjali’s “classical” Yoga Sutra. It is one of the five Yamas (restraints) which make up a code of conduct. Mohandas Gandhi was a huge proponent of ahimsa. He taught that it precludes not only the acts of inflicting a physical injury, but also mental states, hatred, unkind behavior, dishonesty and lying, all of which he saw as manifestations of violence incompatible with ahimsa.

A sattvic diet can also be called a yoga diet or sentient diet, is a diet based on foods which lead to clarity and equanimity of mind while also being beneficial to the body. There are many resources and recipe books on sattvic diets in the Ayurvedic, Jain, and Yoga traditions.

As a yoga practitioner it is your choice to eat what you want – vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore. Know that there are nutritional options and resources that will line up with your health and lifestyle. And remember it is always fun to try new foods. So enjoy your yoga practice and your food every day.

Often is a question from new practitioners of yoga… “what do I wear?” The answer is quite simple but here are a few tips to remember:

Choose clothing that is comfortable, stretchy, breathable and modest. Remember to respect that others can see you and they are trying to focus on their own practice.

Yoga can be practiced almost anywhere and does not need special attire. However, know the environment that you are practicing in. If the room is cool and practice is slower, choose jogging pants and a sweatshirt. If the practice is warmer and fast paced choose a t-shirt and leggings.

You may wish to remove jewellery, watches or rings. Keep things simple.

Yoga is traditionally practiced barefoot; however, socks or soft-shoes can be put on.

Finally, remember that Yoga is not a fashion show. You do not need to wear a particular name brand. The practice is an internal and physiological development – you do not have to deplete your bank account on clothing to participate in a yoga class.

It’s a pose we may all be familiar with. But did you know that Tadasana is an extremely complex and challenging posture to practice? The posture will look slightly different on each practitioner; as we are all slightly different in body shape and balance.

Tadasana, Mountain Pose in English, is sometimes known as Samasthiti. It is a foundational standing posture and is often used as a transitional posture in flow sequence or into any other standing posture. It is said to create a sharp and clear mind when you stand in perfect Tadasana.

Mountain Pose is the ideal standing posture for your body in anatomical neutral. Different teachers and yoga styles can have slightly different positioning of the feet and can describe features of the posture in their own way. However, your body should be in ideal alignment for your proportions. You will standing as tall, balanced and confidently as you can; like a mountain.

Here are a few resources you can use to practice Tadasana on your own.

Yoga Online NewZealand Mountain Pose

Yoga Journal Mountain Pose

Prana is life force. It is what makes you animated or alive. In simple terms it can be understood as the breath. Whereby, everything that lives breathes. Every plant and animal, every cell and tissue will go through an exchange process of one element (oxygen) for another (carbon dioxide) – otherwise thought of as a movement of energy. When that energy stops moving, you stop living.

Pranayama is the science or practice of breathing. Which may seem like an overly simple idea; however, consider your breathing when you are angry, tired or happy. Listen to the breathing of your children, partner or pets throughout the day. Your state of being is reflected in the breath. When you learn to practice and control the breath you can learn how to reflect and control your state of mind and even physical health. You can use your breath as a meditative practice to tune into your life force.

If there are terms you hear in your yoga practice that you may not fully understand, feel free to discuss terminology and your questions with your Innergy Corporate Yoga teachers.