For 18 years, Yoga Journal LIVE has provided the unique top-notch
educational opportunity for yoga practitioners of all levels, from all
over the world, to experience Yoga Journal Magazine LIVE!
On April 24th - 20th, attendees will come
to explore new styles, get inspired and connect with our top-tier
roster of highly regarded yoga teachers and luminaries. Yoga Journal
LIVE - held in Colorado, New York, San Francisco, San Diego and Florida -
feature classes, panels, keynotes, intensives and a Yoga Marketplace
with products and services for healthy balanced living.
I (Robin Downes) will be an attendee reporting for Yoga Flava TV. Let me know if you will also be there, would love to meet and greet! Leave a comment below or email: robin@yogaflava.com
Check out Yoga Flava TV's post popular video coverage of Yoga Journal Live:
FREE & LIVE ONLINE INTERACTION! Join me on the first day of Spring 2014 (Vernal Equinox ) is Thursday on March 20th.
I'm going LIVE at 6am and I would like to share my morning yoga /meditation practice to welcome
in the new season via Google Hangout. My gift to you. Here is the
link: Google Hang Out
Yoga Flava Facebook Event Page: Yoga Flava 2013 Spring Kick Off LIVE Group Google Hang Out
Jenna Bush Hager and First Lady Michelle Obama practice yoga
Michelle Obama is making a pledge: Show us your moves and the White House will show off theirs.
The
first lady wants people to take photos of themselves dancing or working
out. If she gets enough pictures tagged with #LetsMove, she’ll have
President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden shake their groove thangs.
TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager went on the road with the first lady for an adventure airing Friday on TODAY as part of the “Love Your Selfie” series examining society’s obsession with body image and ways people can boost self-confidence. (READ MORE)
The popularity of Yoga has created an industry that is being valued at 27 billion dollars. Yoga studios are popping up all over, yoga gear, books, TV and Radio Shows, DVDs and CDs are just a few of the products fueling the industry. Why is yoga so popular? Here, we look at the top 10 benefits of
regular yoga practice.
1. Stress relief.My personal reason for starting the practice, I desperately needed the tools to cope. A few minutes of yoga during the
day can be a great way to get rid of stress that accumulates daily - in
both the body and mind. Yoga postures, pranayama and meditation are
effective techniques to release stress.
2.All-round fitness.
You are truly healthy when you are not just physically fit but also
mentally and emotionally balanced.
3. Weight loss. What many want! Yoga benefits here too. Sun Salutations and Kapal Bhati pranayama are some ways to help lose weight with yoga.
Moreover, with regular practice of yoga, we tend to become more
sensitive to the kind of food our body asks for and when. This can also
help keep a check on weight.
4. Inner peace. We all love to visit peaceful,
serene spots, rich in natural beauty. Little do we realize that peace
can be found right within us and we can take a mini-vacation to
experience this any time of the day!
5. Improved immunity. Our system is a seamless blend
of the body, mind and spirit. An irregularity in the body affects the
mind and similarly unpleasantness or restlessness in the mind can
manifest as an ailment in the body. Yoga poses massage organs and
stregthen muscles; breathing techniques and meditation release stress
and improve immunity.
6. Living with greater awareness. The mind is
constantly involved in activity – swinging from the past to the future –
but never staying in the present. By simply being aware of this
tendency of the mind, we can actually save ourselves from getting
stressed or worked up and relax the mind. Yoga and pranayama help create
that awareness and bring the mind back to the present moment, where it can stay happy and focused.
7.Better relationships. Yoga can even help improve your relationship
with your spouse, parents, friends or loved ones! A mind that is
relaxed, happy and contented is better able to deal with sensitive
relationship matters. Yoga and meditation work on keeping the mind happy
and peaceful; benefit from the strengthened special bond you share with
people close to you.
8. Increased energy. Do you feel completely drained
out by the end of the day? Shuttling between multiple tasks through the
day can sometimes be quite exhausting. A few minutes of yoga everyday
provides the secret to feeling fresh and energetic even after a long
day. A 10-minute online guided meditation benefits you immensely,
leaving you refreshed and recharged in the middle of a hectic day.
9. Better flexibility & posture. You only need
to include yoga in your daily routine to benefit from a body that is
strong, supple and flexible. Regular yoga practice stretches and tones
the body muscles and also makes them strong. It also helps improve your
body posture when you stand, sit, sleep or walk. This would, in turn,
help relieve you of body pain due to incorrect posture.
10. Better intuition. Yoga and meditation have the
power to improve your intuitive ability so that you effortlessly realize
what needs to be done, when and how, to yield positive results. It
works. You only need to experience it yourself.
Remember, yoga is a continuous process. So keep practicing! The
deeper you move into your yoga practice, the more profound are its
benefits.
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” ~Buddha
According toWikapedia - Affirmations in New Thought and New Age terminology refers primarily to the practice of positive
thinking and self-empowerment—fostering a belief that "a positive
mental attitude supported by affirmations will achieve success in
anything." More specifically, an affirmation is a carefully formatted statement
that should be repeated to one's self and written down frequently. For
an affirmation to be effective, it needs to be present tense, positive,
personal and specific.
When I began my Yoga practice in 1995, I immediately noticed the great relief I felt from the movement of my physical practice. My meditation practice also helped to ease the chatter that had been programed into me by my environment. Affirmations help me to reprogram, each day I seek to find the words to feed my mind and spirit to consciously move my life in the direction that I desire.
Each morning the first thing I do to set the tone for my day is read and view videos for inspiration. Recently I started creating affirmations starting with "I AM." Starting an affirmation with "I AM" brings the thought energy directly to me about me. I have been posting my affirmations daily on my Facebook page and they have been receiving the most likes. I will be writing more on this subject.... until then.... Today's Affirmation - Note To Self: "I Am Enough."
Check out this Yoga Flava TV episode: Mountain Pose (A Yoga Pose For Confidence)
How is it going for you this winter? If you are on the east coast you most likely are a winter warrior, figuring out your Winter Wellness Plan. It has been no joke - truly a challenging winter wonderland outside! For most of us it really has an affect on our mind, body and spirit and can result in "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (SAD).
I confess that under the covers has become more appealing than getting on my Yoga Mat. With Spring starting next Month (Thursday, March 20, 2014) let's get ready to spring it on!
Yoga is not a cure for SAD, which is a medical and chemical condition, but
it can alleviate many of the physical and mental symptoms, making
seasonal depression more manageable. Proper breathing (pranayama)
followed by restorative postures may help people with SAD. Yoga helps
you to be positive and motivated during winter. It increases your energy
levels, releases endorphins and serotonin, and can decrease melatonin
(which causes tiredness and mental sluggishness). Yoga eases sleeping
problems, stress, anxiety and depression, as it incorporates the main
drug-free treatments for these – exercise, deep breathing and relaxation
techniques.
Yoga is good for both the mind and the body, being a holistic approach
to SAD, anxiety or depression. It involves no drugs or medicines, and
yogis can feel the physical and mental impact of yoga after just one
class. Check out this episode of Yoga Flava TV and SUBSCRIBE:
De-tox Winter 2014 For A New You! - Happy New Year!
Because the days are much shorter in the Winter, you’re aware of
the need to get more natural sunlight to ward off the effects of
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), caused by light deprivation. And you
take special care to nurture the organs of the season, the kidneys and
the adrenal glands.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS CLEANSING IN WINTER?
The holidays tend to bring on weight gain for most people.
Our bodies are striving for balance with nature, so
as the season shifts to winter, our bodies need support with nourishing
foods that support the kidneys (the central organ of winter).
Winter builds up mucus in the body which can lead to allergies, getting sick, feeling sluggish.
Instead of making resolutions for quick fixes, detox is a way to set an intention for the year. An intention to take care of yourself with a clean-eating lifestyle plan.
You get to connect with the season and start to notice the difference between stress eating vs. real hunger.
4 Session Winter Wellness Program Yoga Flava 2014 Series Package $120.00
(Private and Personalized)
Single Session Winter Wellness Yoga Flava 2013 Session $35.00
(Private & Personalized) Winter Wellness Program With Yoga Flava 2014(NYC in-person or via the internet / anywhere via Skype) That is the link on Facebook, otherwise please email me directly to set up your program: robin@yogaflava.com
