Yoga Digest

MARCH / APRIL 2016

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I N S P I R E ΄ E D U C AT E ΄ C O N N E C T

Rachel Brathen Heal yourself first, then you can heal others Explore the

Beauty Inside

Cuba

With Robert Sturman

ANDREW SEALY

Poetry in Motion

Michael Frant Sara Agah i

Do it For the

Love

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MARCH / APRIL 2016

Publisher Yoga Digest, LLC Founders & Chief Editors Jenn Bodnar Cody Groth

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Senior Columnists Kurt Johnsen

Cover Photo

by Ben Kane

Senior Contributor Kim Bauman

Magazine Designer Zoran Maksimovic

Contributors Angela Ambrose Cary Caster Tiffany Cruikshank Ryan Glidden Shauna Harrison Danielle LaPorte Jennie Lee Kiera Nachman Cynthia Occelli Victor M. Parachin Lacey Pruett Taz Rashid Andrew Sealy Robert Sturman Shawnee Thornton Cathy Woods

Advertise advertise@yogadigest.com Mailing Address Yoga Digest, LLC 950 E State HWY 114, Ste 160 Southlake TX, 76092 Copyright 2016 by Yoga Digest, LLC. All rights reserved. Yoga Digest is not responsible for advertising claims or health claims. The editorial content of Yoga Digest should NOT be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualiďŹ ed health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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For orr a seed seed d to achieve a its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. he shell shelll cracks, crack its insides come out and everything changes. To someone The ruction n. who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.

—Cynthia Cynthi Occe Occelli Ahhhh, awakening. It can be so painful, yet beautiful at the same time.

In this issue, we spoke to many experts and everyday people alike who share their stories of waking up, discovering their calling, making big changes in their lives and in the lives of others. The common thread among them? The raw, vulnerable and often uncomfortable feelings they experienced along the way.

We can choose to live in fear or we can choose to live in love. When we are ruled by fear, walls and barriers replace doorways and paths. In this protective p mode,, ego g takes over and we are unable to endure ure the exact things we need in order to grow. Proceeding ng with caution may shield one from particular pains and d dangers but at the same time prevents true awakening from taking place.

The result? A life that seems empty, pty, unfulfilling and leaves one always wanting more. The reality? You have enough. More than enough. If you shed hed the layers of darkness: doubt, guilt, conforming and nd confining, your natural spirit will have room to o blossom.

We hope this issue inspires you to strip ip down the chains that hold you back from arriving rriving to your greatness.

Author Danielle LaPorte (page 28) says she is always interested in hearing ng someone’s personal story of sufferingg because it points to their greatest potential to create light. She shares insight on how purification can deepen creativity and how to handle it once you uncover it.

We are so delighted by the inspiring stories of people who have awakened to a greater calling through extreme self-revealing.

See how Michael Franti and Sara Agah (page 70) are making wishes come true and Do It For the Love.

After building a following of over 1.8 million Instagram followers through sharing real life, Rachel Brathen (cover story, page 10) planss to truly make her mark by giving back ck in the biggest way!

Even Yoga Digest has learned some valuable lessons in the game of life. e. We feel blessed to be able to express ourselves urselves WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

authentically through so many like-minded individuals who help us pull it together and bring each issue to life.

Be sure to check out our new events page! We will be out and about in 2016 and hope to Inspire, Educate and Connect with as many of you as possible!

Much Love, Jenn Bodnar & Cody Groth Photo by Owen B odnar

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In This Issue INSPIRE

AWAKENING YOUR INNER CALLING with Rachel Brathen. . . . . . .10

by Jenn Bodnar,

5 WAYS YOU SABOTAGE YOUR SUCCESS & HAPPINESS . . . . 14

by Cynthia Occelli

EXPLORE THE BEAUTY INSIDE CUBA . . . . . . . . . 16 Photos by Robert Sturman

ON BEING THE CHANGE: with Kim Bauman . . . . . . . 24

by Jenn Bodnar

EDUCATE

TAKE YOUR YOGA OUTSIDE . . . . . . . 34

by Victor M. Parachin

PUT SOME MUSCLE IN YOUR FLOW! . . . . . . . 38

by Shauna Harrison

RURAL AMERICA AWAKENS TO YOGA . . . . . 44

by Cathy Woods

AWAKENING WITH THE ESSENCE OF NATURE . . . . . . . . . 46

by Cary Caster

PURIFICATION. PAIN. PASSION. . . . . . . . 28

by Danielle LaPorte

WAKING UP TO A BETTER WORLD . . . . . . 52

by Ryan Glidden

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DO IT FOR THE LOVE with Michael Franti & Sarah Agah . . . . . . . . 68

by Kim Bauman

REDISCOVERING THE PURPOSE OF SUMMER VACATION . . . 72 PASSION. PURPOSE. PROSPERITY. . . . . . . . . 74

by Lacey Pruett

GIVING BACK . . . . . . . . 76 BROS GONE CONSCIOUS . . 80

RIDING THE WAVE OF EMOTIONS . . . . . . . 48

by Angela Ambrose

POETRY IN MOTION with Andrew Sealy . . . . . . 30

CONNECT

ENHANCED BLOOD FLOW, NUTRIENT AND OXYGEN DELIVERY . . . . . . . . . . 54

by DJ Taz Rashid

IN EVERY ISSUE YD WARRIORS! . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 UPCOMING EVENTS. . . . . 78 STUDIO PARTNERS . . . . . 79 STAFF PICKS . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE with Kurt Johnsen . . . . . . . . . . 82

by Cody Groth

5 TIPS FROM MEDITATE YOUR WEIGHT with Tiffany Cruikshank . . . . 57 5 WAYS TO AWAKEN TO YOUR TRUE NATURE . . . . . . . 58

by Jennie Lee

A.WAK.EN.ING . . . . . . . 60

by Shawnee Thornton

SPRING CLEANING: DETOX YOUR MIND AND BODY THIS KAPHA SEASON . . . . 62

by Kiera Nachman

EAT HEALTHY AND HAPPY with Talia Pollock of Party in my Plants . . . . . . . 64

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YOGA DIGEST Erin Sanders An awakening is a recognition. To awaken is to allow yourself to see what you have always had: the capacity, the potential, the ability to see, to do, to be, to create. We can awaken to an innovative idea, or to an awareness of spirit. We can awaken to our own physical capability, to deep love, or to deep loss. It takes active self-work to have an awakening. But it’s always a recognition of what we already have. We have allowed our eyes to open wide enough to see.

Robert Sturman To awaken is to become still enough that time slows down — slows down just enough so that I can become very much aware of what I love in this world. I have grown to learn that being in a state of gratitude is the most awakened state I can be in. Life is tender. Life is precious. Life is sacred.

Life is fleeting. Life is all we have. I do not ever want to regret that I did not appreciate something and someone after it has inevitably gone.

www.ErinTeachesYoga.com

www.RobertSturmanStudio.com @robertsturman

Photo by Jake Spencer

Taylor Harkness Nearly everywhere we look, there’s an opportunity to see both the good and the bad. My man and I are very politically, socially, and environmentally minded and we spend hours discussing topics (I drive him crazy by pausing the debates on tv and ranting every few minutes) and also talking about how we can encourage progress in our community. This is an important step in awakening. When we take the time to actually notice that there are so many amazing things about our community, our city, our country, yet that there is also so much room for improvement -- even simply in the ways in which we all treat each other -- then there is also opportunity to realize that you yourself are a part of that force. It’s up to you to decide if your energy will be a force for good, or a force for stagnation. To me, awakening means getting actively involved and informed, then doing everything I can to tip the scale toward the positive side.

Jonah Kest “Awakening” is to see things as they are.

Not as you want them to be.

Or not even how you think they should be.

But AS IT IS. YATHA BHUTA

www.jonahkestyoga.com @kestyoga

www.taylorharkness.com

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WARRIORS Gina Dunn

Photo by Danielle Doby Photography

In order to sustain an ongoing practice of yoga, we must believe that it is possible to wake up pathways that have been blocked which connect us to our true nature. Every time we step on our mats we invite the opportunity for awakening. Here are just a few things I associate with the “awakened” state: Ř You can handle not getting your way. Ř You are able to authentically both play or be serious. Ř You forgive mistakes. Ř You can rest in the moment. Ř You have the right amount of discipline and you can discern what that is. Ř You allow yourself to experience the spectrum of human emotion. Ř You experience unconditional love.

www.WeYogis.com @AsanaDealers facebook.com/AsanaDealers

Anton Mackey It was August 14, 2008 when I took my very first yoga class. I felt my body in a way I had never felt it before. As a fitness trainer I was constantly focused on my physical body and the body of my clients, but never before had the connection been made between my body, my breath, and my soul.

I took my first class in search of stress relief and better sleep. And what I got was an awakening to my greatest passion and purpose in life.

To be awake to me is to be more aware than I was before. Thats what this practice brings. Awareness, and constant Awakening.

www.AntonYoga.com @antonyoga11

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Awakening Awaken to the breath of a bright New Day Awaken to the freedom of Joy and Play Awaken to the knowledge shows the Way Awaken to the wisdom that comes when we Pray Awakening happens when we practice more than we preach. Awakening is the road to sharing more of what you live, and living more of what you give. Awakening is a process of true self discovery that evolves into effortless influence and true loving inspiration.

Keep Awakening. Reveal True Yoga!

Blessings, Andrew Sealy Written on my 26th birthday at 1:08pm :)

@andrew7sealy facebook.com/andrew.sealy3

Through Your Awakening, You Awaken Others 9

Awakening Your Inner Calling with Rachel Brathen

BY JENN BODNAR, PHOTOS BY BEN KANE

Mention Rachel Brathen, aka @yoga_girl, in the yoga community, and chances are not only will most know exactly who she is, but will respond with ‘I just LOVE her!’

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rathen was wrapping up the final days of her Gratitude Tour when we spoke. “2015 was a really big year for creating new ventures, businesses, relations and projects,” says Brathen. “I felt this overwhelming support from the community and just wanted to give some of that back to set the intention for the year!”

Brathen has become one of the biggest yoga influencers of our time after creating an enormous, loyal fan base on Instagram with her honest, open and true-to-life expressions. Nearly 2 million followers later, Brathen has developed a yoga business empire that includes authoring her first book, Yoga Girl, world-wide tours teaching packed yoga classes to the masses, building a yoga studio on her home island of Aruba, and now actively utilizing her voice to change the world!

Brathen is the Oprah of the yoga world, meaning that when she talks, people listen. You can bet that mountains will be moving as she launches her new project 109. This is not your typical philanthropy foundation, because Brathen is not your typical girl. 109 will touch many pressing issues in our world. Brathen chose not just one, but seven passions for her 109 project! (See full list in sidebar.) And she’s kicking it off with a mission trip to Nicaragua. “It’s kind of like a retreat, but instead of lying on the beach and drinking pi³a coladas all day, you actually work. Our first initiative is to provide a community with potable water for the first time ever, which is really amazing!” says Brathen.

Why 109? The 109th bead of the Buddhist Mala prayer beads is a pause of silence, gratitude and acknowledgment.

109 World is a platform that serves to do just that – make use of what we have to create positive change.

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Awakening simply means to become aware of something. Brathen has laid out a transparent and detailed description through her Instagram posts of how she got here. It was not always pretty, despite the amazing beach photos and sunny skies. It came with a lot of work!

In fact, it’s the exact inner work that needs to be done in order to achieve great things. Yoga starts as a physical practice for many. Then, with regular practice one is able to learn more about their depth, power, vulnerability and gifts. It’s the work that must be done to open one up to their unlimited potential. Brathen’s initial project, One O Eight, does just that. One O Eight has a higher purpose: to enable each individual to find healing and balance on their own. Once they have that, Brathen wants them to use that self love to make a positive change in the world.

That is how 109 was born. 109 is the product of One O Eight, the birth after an internal awakening.

YD: If somebody wants to start a movement, to be the change they wish to see in the world, how do you get started?

RB: People often ask me how they can make a change.

Be inquisitive. Ask questions and be curious. A huge part of it is awareness. That’s where social media really steps in: to enlighten people about what’s happening in the world. In the yoga world, we tend to get all rainbows and butterflies, look at how beautiful my life is, my yoga practice, etc. The reality is that there are urgent things happening in the world that need to be remedied.

Partner with local organizations or get involved in a big movement like the 109. Share hashtags, talk about it WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

Seven Passions

WATER A collective effort to reduce the pollution of our waters and help othe rs get and maintain safe access to clean wat er.

EDUCATION More than 171 million peo ple could escape poverty if all students in low-income schools had basic reading skills. The goal is to actively raise awareness for an issue that is unquestionably relevant to us all.

ANIMALS Of the 44,838 species on the IUCN Red list, there are more than 16,306 species of animals threatened by extinction.

That means with over 100,000,000 species on Earth, there are at least 10,000 species that go extinct every year. Biodiversity is key to ensurin g the health and livelihood of the planets interconnec ted ecosystems.

Since we are currently using 25% mor e resources than the planet can sustain, many hab itats and communities are under pressure or direct threat. 109 is dedicated to helping animals in nee d.

CHILDREN The goal is to invest in child ren in disadvantaged communities and give them the proper foundation for a healthy , loving and sustainable future.

EN

VIRONMENT Protecting our forests is just one example of how we need to wor k together to protect our mother Earth and alleviate environmental issues. Climate change, protecting biodiversity, hindering deforestation and disaster relief are only a few of the challenges with which we are faced with.

WO

MEN 60% of those living in extreme pov erty are women. 64% of the 774 million globally illiterate adults are women. Women make up over half the population of the world but are mar ginalized in numerous ways. Female infanticide, trafficking, and a lack of access to education are just a few ways that women are disenfranchised in our world. The aim of 109 is to empower women and girls in poverty and nourish the growth and potential they deserve.

FOOD SECURITY Food insecurity is one of the world’s most solvable problems. In fact, the world produces enough to feed everyon e. The problem is twofold: A great amount of food is wasted on a daily basis, and today’s production models will soon be unable to meet the growing glob al demand for food. The bottom line is: It simp ly isn’t enough to provide food; we must invest in new methods of production and find new approaches to distribution, especially on local levels.

WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

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INSPIRE Awakening Your Inner Calling with your own community, and even start a mini-cause that relates to the big cause right in your own hometown. For instance, for the 109 Water initiative, there are ways you can limit your own water consumption or look into the situation where you live. These issues don’t just happen in lands far, far away, especially things like animal rescue, education and poverty. A lot of this happens on our own turf as well. The hardest part is picking the right project; make sure it’s legitimate, that there’s no corruption, and be 100% sure that the money goes to the right place.

YD: What do you most want to be remembered for?

RB: Wow! That’s a big question. I love the idea of going deeper in toward philanthropy, making a difference in the world. I think that coupled with helping others find healing and self love are my biggest passions. One O Eight is an online platform to help people self-heal.

Once that is found, people can take that wellness into the world on a greater scale. It really begins with finding peace for ourselves first. One O Eight is the beginning: work on yourself, then the 109 is what you do with it.

YD: You provide so much for so many. You show up on your tours and deliver. Just following your schedule on social media from the outside is sometimes exhausting. Who do you turn to? Where do you go for your own inspiration and self-healing?

RB: My own yoga practice is definitely a very vital piece to that puzzle. Making sure that I have at least some part of the day to myself to sit in silence and to move my body and just not focus on the million things I need to do or places I need to be. When I lose that I start to become disconnected on more levels, not just physically. It’s how everything started. It’s something I cherish very deeply.

Coconut oil photo by Africa Studio/Sutterstock

YD: What are some of your daily best practices?

RB: I have a few things I do first thing in the morning no matter where I am, one of which is coconut pulling.

It’s a really simple routine that’s stuck with me. I can’t tell you specifically that it changed my life, or that my teeth are whiter or anything, but it’s just a nice reset. I also drink hot water with lemon and I do my practice. I find that if I get to do these three things in the morning, the rest of the day is in order. If I push and say ‘oh, I’ll practice later’, sometimes later doesn’t show up.

YD: What about on the road? Do you have quirky requests or needs while traveling?

RB: I always ask to have a fridge. That really helps, as I can then head over to a grocery store and get some fruit, snacks, juices, coconut water and things like that. And then I travel with a dog, so that’s a little demanding sometimes. But it also helps me feel anchored and at home.

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Benefits of Oil Pulling WHY OIL PULLING?

Oil pulling can really transform your health. With , the mouth as the home to millions of bacteria, fungi he oil acts ns,, the viruses and other toxins like a cleanser, pulling outt the et nasties before they get a chance to spread throughout the body.

The most effective oil pulling is done by placing around a tablespoon of cold pressed organic sesame oil into the mouth and swishing the oil around the mouth for approximately en 10-15 minutes and then spitting it out.

Here are 5 reasons to try oil pulling:

DETOXES THE BODY

The gateway to the body for such contamination at is the mouth. Therefore, in removing the toxins the d, sprea to ce chan a get they e the source befor . detox lete comp a rgoes body unde

INCREASES ENERGY

When the body is working to eliminate toxins, it fits of drains our energy levels. The detoxifying bene to has body our work of nt amou oil pulling lower the do to function.

OVERALL ORAL HYGIENE

, It has been shown to strengthen and whiten teeth ses. disea prevents bad breath and gum

BALANCES HORMONES

Hormones function better when they are not toms competing with foreign substances. PMS symp trual mens have been reported to be more mild and cycles more regular.

CLEARS YOUR HEAD

When the body is stressed, headaches and n migraines occur. Oil pulling reduces inflammatio le and creates an overall more relaxed comfortab state for the body.

WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

YD: What is one item you cannot leave home without?

RB: Ringo, my dog for sure! I bring my yoga mat, a little fold-up one, and I always travel with a piece of Palo Santo.

YD: What’s the most interesting place you’ve been to on tour?

RB: I really enjoyed Dallas, and we had a really nice time there. Minnesota had some of the friendliest people I have ever met! Everyone was so overwhelmingly nice. Sometimes in the bigger cities people are stressed and always on the go, so I really liked the kindness of Minnesota.

YD: So all these tours and missions and projects… where is it all going? What does the future hold for Yoga Girl?

RB: We are finally opening a yoga studio which will also be our headquarters for the One O Eight and 109. I would also like to open a proper shelter for Aruba. Animals are a big passion of mine. Their spirit is so innocent, and there is such unconditional love that no matter what you do or how you feel, they are always by your side. I want to create that same kind of love in the world. I will be solidifying the project I started last year, One O Eight, and really creating the best possible space for people to awaken into their true calling!

www.RachelBrathen.com WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

Palo Santo

Palo Santo is a mystical tree that grows on the coast of South America and is related to Frankincense, Myrrh and Copal. In Spanish, the name literally means “Holy Wood”. It is part of the citrus family and has sweet notes of pine, mint and lemon.

Benefits include relieving and reducing comm on colds, flu symptoms, stress, asthma, headache s, anxiety, depression, inflammation, physical and emotional pain.

Palo Santo is also known to ward rd off pesky mosquitoes and insects ass well as enhance mood, creativity and calm.

HOW TO USE IT

Burn it: Ignite your stick of Palo Santo by holding at about a 45-degree angle pointing the tip down toward the flame. Allow it to burn for about one minute and then n blow out. Move about the area you u would like to clear the energy. The rich smell will also bring peace and clarity ty to the moment along with good feelings. When finished, place the stick in a fireproof bowl. The glow will end on its own unless you blow on the ember, which will keep the smoke going.

Always be cautious when working with fire.

Drink it: Simmer Palo Santo in hot water and you can drink it as a tea. Place 1 teaspoon of Palo Santo shavings into 1 or 2 cups of water. Simmer for 15 minutes. Pour through a strainer. Add sweetener of your choice.

@yoga_girl

facebook.com/rachelsyoga

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5 Ways You Sabotage Your

Success and Happiness Leading a large community of conscious and compassionate success seekers has shown me that virtually all of us grapple with the following 5 success saboteurs. Here are some of the most 5 life-sapping distractions.

BY CYNTHIA OCCELLI

1. Jealousy Whenever you look at what someone else has and yearn for it so badly that what you have or are feels worthless, you’re in the deep waters of jealousy. You’ve taken the appearance of something you think you want and handed it over to your imagination which quickly fills in the gaps in

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with idyllic and unrealistic perfection. You’ve abandoned reality and yourself. The truth is that every wonderful life experience is rife with challenges, discomfort, and work.

The greater truth is that nothing is closed off to you. Your feeling of jealousy is actually the thing that will stop you from creating something wonderful for yourself. Instead, see the thing you are jealous of as an indicator of something WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

you’d you’d like to create in your world. What is it that roty, like to bring into your life? More love, health, beau to e decid mance, freedom? Whatever it is say yes to it and s. dream transmute your feelings of envy into fuel for your from ed Jealousy is the projection of negative feelings deriv a (false) the recognition of our deepest desires coupled with person belief that we can’t have them–it’s not about the to the n you’re feeling jealousy toward–it’s about you. (Liste learn and podcast to hear my personal experience of jealousy ) asset. an my formula for turning any negative feeling into

4. Conditioned Happiness

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“I’ll be happy if _________________ (fill in the blank with something you want) happens.” Happiness doesn’t work this way. You might like it if something you want happens, but it won’t make you happy. Happ iness is an inside job that begins with a choice and the determination to spend the days of your life in grati tude, appreciation and celebration of life. It’s not creat ed by circumstances. Choose to be happy, now. (Liste n to the podcast to learn how I chose happiness while grapp ling with my mother’s brain cancer diagnosis).

2. Regret

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present This sort of regret shows up as spending our lized unrea as see we what at moments looking backward know to ssible impo It’s s. potential and unfulfilled dream r than that the life you wish you had lived would be bette ier. happ no be you’d are ces the one you have lived. Chan by d mine deter is iness happ Studies show that human the not nces, msta circu to nd how we interpret and respo that circumstances themselves. Fantasizing about a past e futur a ages sabot and drain might have been is a colossal that elf yours nd Remi . want that could be exactly what you r of your regret is wasting the extraordinarily creative powe y and energ tion, atten your t imagination on the past. Inves e. desir you e futur ive posit action into the present and the

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3. Comparison

5. Hopelessness Hopelessness is sinking despair that lies over our shoulders like a wet blanket and convinces us that tthings will never change. It’s the bleakness of the belief that our best days are behind us. We’r b e too broken, and things are too bad to shift. It’s neve b r as true t as it feels. As long as there is life in your body , tthere is hope. Sometimes it’s too much to ask some one iimmersed in hopelessness to see a brighter day, but tthere is one indisputable truth that nearly anyo ne can ggrasp: everything changes, including feelings. Not even hopelessness can last forever. The sooner we h accept th truth the sooner hopelessness will lift. this

Cynthia Occelli, Author, Mother, Founder of the Beautiful C

Liife School.

Life

against We all know this game. It’s where we square off tick and another (typically a woman, if you’re a woman) . them to off all they ways we are superior or inferior ‘She’s fat, gorgeous, skinny, hideous, tacky, ugly, rich, trashy, etc. I’m more (or less) beautiful, or fashionable than she is.’ n game is maddening. All players lose ariso The comp ger, sooner or later. There is always someone youn y Ever on. older, richer, poorer, thinner, fatter, and so inner the critique is an attack on the sisterhood and y and self, sending self-loathing messages of inadequac lack.”–Resurrecting Venus, Cynthia Occelli They Our comparisons are never accurate or helpful. stand to t suck us into a mode of thinking that’s tantamoun loses r ing in line for slaughter. Sooner or later every playe elf to the game. When you catch yourself comparing yours ing draw e another person, release it and realize that you’r you ct conclusions based on your ego’s attempt to distra your from your power. You are a unique individual with only ing own interests and path. Your power lies in focus mat.” own on you. As my yoga teacher says, “Stay on your www.CynthiaOccelli.com WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

@cynthiaoccelli

LISTEN TO FULL PODCAST HERE

@cynthiaoccelli

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Prettier to Me than This World Is the World with the Expressive Figurative Poetry of Yoga Dancing within It The Only Thing

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Cuba has always fascinated me - I had taken several photo expeditions there between 2000 and 2002. However, this last trip was different, as my focus was on integrating yoga within the gorgeous 1950’s backdrop of the Revolutionary cityscape. I traveled with and photographed Rina Jakubowicz Bajos, a half Cuban Yogini, who lives in Miami. Through a project called “The Cuba Libre Yoga Project,” we hope to celebrate the rich culture of Cuba and inspire yogis around the world to visit, taking great care to mindfully support the growing Cuban yoga community.

—Robert Sturman

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Web www.RobertSturmanStudio.com

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Instagram @robertsturman

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Web www.RobertSturmanStudio.com

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Instagram @robertsturman

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On Being the Change: Meet Yoga Digest Senior Contributor,

Kim Bauman Be the change. Often stated but rarely practiced.

BY JENN BODNAR

M

eet Kim Bauman. Those who know her, know that she’s compassionate, giving, inspiring and sincere. She believes in making the world a better place for all, connecting like-minded souls and doing the work necessary to make a change in our world.

Founder of the One Love Movement, an organization dedicated to bettering the life of impoverished children, Bauman is a yogi, visionary, and humanitarian. Inspired by her leadership training with Off the Mat Into the World, she realized that her passion was that she wanted to make a difference. Through service trips to Haiti, Thailand, and Cambodia, working with a huge spectrum of under-privileged youth, she has spent a great deal of time in orphanages connecting with kids.

“I remember the moment so clearly,” says Bauman. “It was February 2012 and we were at an orphanage in Haiti that overlooked the most beautiful landscape. I was sitting on the edge of the property looking out at the beautiful view and it hit me, my story. I was an orphan as a baby in Korea, adopted into a very loving family. This was the first time I had ever been aware of how blessed I was in life. Up until this moment, I had never been exposed to such raw circumstances to understand where I had come from. It was the time spent in Haiti with these kids that opened up my heart to a vulnerable state, to where I now have a responsibility to them, because I have experienced moments of their lives. I see myself in them; I could have been the one to grow up in an orphanage.

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YD Where were you born and what do you remember most about it?

KB I was born in Seoul City, Korea. My mom tells me I was left at the doorstep of an orphanage as an infant.

At 9 months of age/old I was adopted and flown to Minnesota to meet my parents, my mom of Norwegian background and my dad of German descent.

YD What was it like coming to the United States at such a young age? What was the biggest challenge?

How did you adapt?

KB My parents told me that, at 9 months old, I was “needy,” because when they picked me up, I would hang on for dear life, sometimes so tightly I would leave pinch marks. Growing up, my biggest struggle was fitting in, not with my family, but with friends, at school, and in social settings. When I was still very young we moved from Minnesota to Wyoming. I just remember this heart-tugging longing to belong and look like all the other kids. When I was in kindergarten, I wouldn’t play with the other kids because I was too afraid, so I would stand by the teacher’s desk and watch. When I was 13, my dad passed away from cancer and it devastated our family. We then moved during my 8th grade year to South Dakota, far away from the friends I had grown up with, and so I started my freshman year of high school at a brand new school.

My life was full of anguish, heartache, and suffering from trying to fit in, and from still riding off the confusion of witnessing my dad so ill and frail and dying.

I wanted to be anyone but me.

YD Describe your family life. What activities did you enjoy as a family? What activities did you enjoy growing up?

KB My older sister Kari was adopted as well, and my younger sister Kristin is biological. Though we grew up fighting like cats and dogs, I cannot recall one single moment where Kristin acted or thought of me and Kari as different. As a family we used to go to a lake and feed the swans and ducks. We went to the mountains a lot, and on camping trips with other families. Barbies were my all-time favorite thing, as was drawing, and playing with legos. When I was growing up there were no lego “themes.” It was just the blocks, so I would get really creative and build huge houses with rooms.

YD When did you start practicing yoga and what was your initial feeling about it?

KB My first experience of yoga was Bikram. I was introduced by a good friend about 9 years ago. I loved the discipline and how it made me feel afterwards but I didn’t practice consistently until 2007 when I was introduced to Vinyasa yoga by my acupuncturist. I WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

honestly don’t remember how I felt about yoga in the beginning other than the fact it made me feel good.

YD Did you ever think you would be giving so much back to your community and the world?

KB Never in a million years. Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a movie producer. I moved to Long Beach, California in 1994, and 3 years later I dropped out of college to pursue a career in show biz. I moved to Los Angeles, got an internship at Motown Records, and from there I went onto work for Dick Clark Productions and Walt Disney Productions, before landing a full-time job working for a very high-profile movie producer. I was working 80+ hours a/per week, partying nightly, going to movie premiers, and running off of virtually no sleep. I thought I was living the dream, and then I became sad. I was crying all the time, I was giving away my tickets to movie premiers, and I was confused because none of it mattered.

I didn’t want a life that was all about who you knew, or about holding onto an image that made me feel ugly inside.

I was lonely, empty and completely lost in life. I was living my childhood dream of working on movies, and this was it? To think I had worked so hard, finally “arrived,” and now I didn’t want it? I was crushed, and now that this dream had proved to be so unfulfilling, I had no idea what my purpose was in life.

YD What do you think is the biggest obstacle to discovering your purpose?

KB Allowing yourself to feel what it is that breaks your heart the most. Once you can let down your guard and go there, that’s where you find it.

YD What advice do you have for those who want to make a difference but aren’t sure where to start?

KB Just start. It doesn’t matter where, just start. There is no right or better way to give back. There’s this mind

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INSPIRE On Being the Change: Meet Senior Contributor, Kim Bauman

Anytime you judge, you separate yourself from the whole. When you can let all that go,love and compassion is exposed. It’s an authentic space to serve from.

trap we fall for time and time again called, “I’m not enough,” where we judge ourselves as being good or bad. From there we say disempowering or mean things to ourselves like, “I should have done this instead of that.

What was I thinking? Argh! I’m so stupid sometimes.”

YD Why is it important to give back?

KB I’ve developed a very strong and consistent meditation practice, which started just this past summer. If you know me, you know my whole life has been sprinting from one thing to the next, so to be still is a huge milestone.

My biggest lesson learned from meditation is that every thought and action I take matters, and impacts the whole, so it’s not about me it’s about the good of all. Giving back works this same way. When you can start to see that we are all connected and in on this thing called “life” together, then you can see that your actions DO matter.

It’s like the person on the side of the freeway with a flat tire; no one stops because we all think someone else will do it. Sometimes I think to myself, “What does it matter if I buy water versus bring my water bottle to fill up?” If we all thought that way, there would be a lot more plastic bottles out there in landfill. It’s not about you or me or him or her, it’s about “us.”

www.jointheonelovemovement.org

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Purification.

Pain.

Passion.

And marrying your soul.

Or…How to tap your deep creativity.

If you want to tap into your deep creativity — the profound, unbridled, genius, life-infusing, widely useful and healing kind of creativity, then purification is essential.

BY DANIELLE LAPORTE

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T

here’s the planned-for kind off purifying. Think: cleanses, infor-mation-fasting, silence, burning g journals, a sabbatical, closing up shop,, burning bridges, letting go of some beliefs..

And then there’s the “surprise” kind off purification, which is especially effec-tive (and intense). Think failure of most kinds: a business tanks, a relationship falls apart, a tumor needs to be removed, betrayal implosions.

Purification is gutting. Cleansing. Rectifying. Re-orientating. Divine. It can be wretched or graceful, intentional or shocking. Either way, once you’re hollowed out and detoxed you are going to be way.more. real. Which is to say, wildly more creative. Deeper. This is why I’m always so interested in someone’s personal story of suffering — it points to their greatest potential to create light — or more darkness, in the world. Creation.

So, if you want to tap into deeper creativity, you’ll need to get your purification on. We covered that. Now, to get through such purification, you’ll need passion. You already know what that is. Fire, heart, big vision.

And then — are you still with me?

Because deep creativity isn’t for the faint of anything, then you’ll have to:

Purification is gutting. Cleansing.

Rectifying. Re-orientating. Divine.

It can be wretched or graceful, intentio nal or shocking. Either way, once you’ re hollowed out and detoxed you ar e going to be way. more. real.

Do the work. Like a grown up.

Risk being disliked (actually, it’s not a risk, it’s inevitable.)

Risk being very very misunderstood (and you don’t know how much that hurts until it happens.)

Say what you feel — in every possible way.

Burn the draft, the plan, the strategy that you thought was everything.

Pray. On your knees. (When’s the last time you did that?)

Cut people out of your life.

Humbly make amends.

Drop everything and call your energy worker.

Become your own Lover.

Eat your longing backwards.

Keep going, even when it feels like you’re being punished.

Become obsessive.

Move ON. Be truly compassionate with yourself when it’s so hard to move on.

Be incredibly tender, and not just when you’re by yourself, but the exposed with others kind of tender.

www.DanielleLaporte.com WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

Take a hit for the team. You don’t think you’re learning lessons just for your own good, do you? Nah. Healing for one is healing for all.

Thank youuuuu.

Ask for help — the vulnerable kind of asking when you’re afraid the answer may be no.

Be profoundly lonely.

Use your own money.

Feel it all — in one day.

Say Thank You — for all of it. All of it.

Let yourself feel very small next to the size of your dream.

Get bigger than the size of your dream.

Keep doing the work.

In summation: Want to tap the depths of your creativity?

Marry your soul.

facebook.com/Danielle.LaPorte.Inc

See you at the wedding.

True Love,

@daniellelaporte

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Poetry in Motion Water your thoughts? Fluid at mind.

Lucid in action. Consciously Aligned.

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with Andrew Sealy PHOTOS BY LOUIS FISHER

Go into nature and connect with the trees.

Their wisdom is vast and grows with great ease.

Their barks, leaves, and roots cure all disease.

Protect and plant more if we wish to save the bees!

PICTURED CAITLYN TURNER, AKA @GYPSETGODDESS

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The simple things are sometimes really the best.

The feeling of breath that opens up the chest.

The focus of intention that awakens you from rest.

The realization that life is much more than a test.

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Woke up this morning at the opportune time.

Realized that happiness is all a state of mind.

Intention ringing in my ears like a progressive chime.

Knowing that with the next step I come closer to divine.

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Take Your Yoga Outside Great Reasons to Practice Outdoors

BY VICTOR M. PARACHIN “Above all, do not lose your desire to walk.

Every day I walk myself into a state of well being, and walk away from every illness.

I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”

—Soren Kierkegaard

THE BENEFITS ARE IMMEDIATE

Recently researchers explored the question “how much green exercise produces riting in the 19 century, Danish philosothe greatest improvement eme men nt iin nt nm mood and sense of pher Kierkegaard intuitively knew what personal well being?” g?” ?”

H Here’s ere’ er e e’ s t the he vvery e good news for st science in the 21 century is discoveryogis who are crunched nche for time: m e e: : a m mere five minutes of ing, namely, that spending time in nature brings outdoor exercise benefits mental l h health. ealt ea l lt Jules Pretty and increased levels of health, healing, harmony and Jo Barton, researchers at the University i versit ve of Essex analyzed happiness. For that reason, yoga has traditionally ten studies done on 1,252 people e o of f d different ages, genders been done outdoors. Indoor yoga is a recent and mental health conditions.

The he stud studies showed that physical adaptation. Here eleven great reasons to take activity in nature led to mental and p physical health improvements your yoga outside and practice in the beauty in as little as five minutes. es. A es Activities analyzed included of nature: walking, gardening, cycling, ng,, fi ng fishing, boating, ti and horse riding. eat attes e health changes nge ng ge took place in the Interestingly, the greatest enta en tallly iill, llll, b ut p ut e ple eo ple o pl young and the mentally but people of all ages and social THE BENEFITS hel elpe pe ed. d O uttdo u door orr a re eas as with water added groups were helped.

Outdoor areas ARE DIVERSE AND additional benefits. Petty and Barton concluded that IMMENSE abundant scientific evidence shows that activity After systematically analyzing analy a wide in natural areas decreases the risk of mental variety of existing g studies on 833 adults, illness and improves the sense researchers at the Peninsula C College of Medicine of well-being. and Dentistry (in the UK)) cam came to this conclusion: compared to indoor exercise, xercis physical activities done in natural environments produced “greater nmen m feelings of revitalization, energy, and on, increased in positive engagement” t” as well w as “decreases in tensions, confusion, n, anger ang and depression.”

Furthermore, participants reported not only re greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor exercise, but indicated they would be more likely to repeat the activity.

W

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YOU’LL APPRECIATE THE VIEW

EYE HEALTH IMPROVES

Spending more time outdoors can lead to better eye health and vision. ntt off people suffer Approximately 30 percent n as ne from myopia, also known nearsightedness, a ts in the d condition where objects distance are blurry. ion for this disorder d The popular explanation is too much ta g a o “close work” such ass sstaring att ccomputer screens and weve the cause may be too much time smart phones. However, a, where myopia rates a indoors. In China, are very high, a team of researcherss conducted a studyy tha that showed children oors had h lower risk of myopia. who spent more time outdoors hools o They worked with 12 schools over three years, which ade students, st included 1,900 first grade aged 6 and 7.

HAPPINESS d their h first-graders to an Half the school assigned GETS TRIGGERED IN extra period of outside recess every day of the THE BRAIN school year. The other half did not. The Something as simple mple as mer merely looking outdoor group had a nearly 10% out in nature activates tivates parts of the brain lower incidence of myopia. associated with hh happiness a and balance, according to a studyy done do at South Korea’s Chonnam National University. niversity MRI scans showed THE AIR IS that people who saw images image of mountains, BETTER forests and other landscapes dscap experienced A study done on fitness centers heightened d activity ac in the anterior a cingulated across Portugal and Hollan Holland, which gyrus, which is connected con onne n to positive measured levels of commonly common found indoor outlook and d emotional stability and pollutants, discovered red that th they contained high the basal ganglia, an area tied to levels of airborne dust, formaldehyde and carbon the recollection of happy dioxide, especially allyy during evening aerobics type memories. classes when many anyy people were packed inside small Rather than look at the he same sa studio s, outd walls and ceilings, outdoor yoga brings to your vision th the bright sun, a brilliant blue sky, soft clou clouds, rainbows, utterfl tress, grass, birds, butterflies, squirrels arie of other distinctive and a variety s “In all th creatures. things of nature there is something of the marvelous,” noted Aristotle.

CANCER FIGHTING CELLS BECOME OME ENERGI ENERGIZED

spaces. Researchers rcher warned ed tha that these pollutants can potentially lead to asthma ma an and other respiratory problems over er tim time and thatt tthe high levels of carbon dioxide mayy contribut contribute to bodily fatigue.

These dangers increase in fitness centers because people breathe heavier while working out, pulling the pollutants deeper into the lungs.

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Photo by Creative Travel Projects/Sutterstock

The Japanese nes ese ea are re e sso o ffond ond on d of outdoor ha at they have e a phrase called activity that ntt n “forest bathing”. Theyy iintuitively know that eess brings healing to the being outside near trees rcche h body. Now, researchers at Tokyo’s Nippon MORE POSITIVE a produced evidence av Medical School h have THOUGHTS AND isdo is d do verifying that w wisdom.

In one study, women EMOTIONS EMERGE wo o tto four hours in the woods who spent two A recent studyy p published ubliliish ub shed ed in Medicine & ed on ns on two consecutive days experienced Science in Sports rts and a n Exercise, r isse revealed that rc a nearly 50 percent increase in people who walked k ke d o on an outdoor utdo d track moved the activity of cancer-fighting at a faster pace b but u ut t p perceived e v ed t they put out less white blood cells. effort and experienced enc ncced more mor positive emotions than did those who ow walked alke al ke ed o on an indoor treadmill.

Also, positivity iincreased nccre r d ffor or ou outdoor exercisers in rural settings tthan ha for cityy d dwellers we who walked outdoors. For Fo example, ple le, a study done in Scotland, showed ho owe wed tthat ha hat at p people e who walked through a rural area viewed their to-do lists as more manageable than those who walked on city streets.

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EDUCATE Take Your Yoga Outside - Great Reasons to to Practice Outdoors MORE NATURAL VITAMIN D Rather than take a dailyy supplem supplement for Vitamin D, research that ch reveals rev att as little as 30 minutes in the sunlight sunlig can deliver eliver nearly a day’s supply of vitamin min D through skin ski kin n absorption a according to an article Environmental cle published publish in n Env Health Perspectives Journal.

Jou urnal. Vitamin Vitamin D in the ENJOYMENT body contributes to bone health reducing the risk of reduc INCREASES WHILE developing osteoporosis and osteomalacia.

In addition, teo eoma DEPRESSION DECREASES Vitamin D is believed to lower er the risk ri of other disease The simple fact is that an outdoor practice such as multiple sclerosis, sis is,, type typ y e 1 diabetes, metabolic yp will lift your spirit iritt and an boost your our mood more mo than syndrome and heart Furthermore, the UV artt disease. dis an indoor one. A stu study done in the United d Kin Kingdom radiation, which comes from sunlight on a daily compared mental state off dep depressed people red the ment peop who basis, can help reduce an overactive immune took a walk outdoors and a walk inside k in a park o de a shopping system for people with autoimmune center. 71 percent walked in the ntt off tthose who ho wa e park reported conditions such as lupus and that their levels off depression compared de n decreased dec mpare to only psoriasis.

45 percent of the group who walke walked inside a shopp shopping center. e grou In addition, 22 percen percent of the grou group who walked inside a mall ked in reported their levels The ir depression dep evels actually increased. increa same study also revealed that so rev att 71 percent p off the participants who walked less tense while alked in the park reported rted ed feeling les only 50% of mall walkers felt way.

Finally, an that t YOU’LL WORK enormous 90 percent of park walkers noted an OUT HARDER AND LONGER increase of self-esteem compared to only 44 Generally, outdoor exercise tends to be percent of participants who walked in harder and require more from the body than does the shopping center. indoor exercise because s the terrain, weather and d climate

Photo by Creative Travel Projects/Sutterstock

are more unpredictable tab able e than t a room in a fitness esss ccenter. e For example, studiess ccomparing om mpa p ri r exertion on a ttreadmill read re ad dmi milllll compared to the exertion on of of outdoor out utdo ut d orr running clearly do arly ar lyy revealed rev evea ea alle ed that th tread mill runners expended end less en ss e energy ne e covering ng tthe h same me d distance is as those jogging outside on the he ground. grro ou The reason: the e outdoor out u do runners had to deal with wind resistance e is es ista tan n whereas the treadmill ad dm miill rrunners did not.

This is also true of yoga o a practice. og pra Balancing indoors nd doo oors rs on a flat floor can y. B ut,, take the same balance ut nce ep o become quite easy.

But, poses outside and ffer eren en nt experience because se e the the e ground g it’s a completely different is uneven. ro oun und d requires more from muscles mus uscl cle cl e of the feet, ankle Balancing on the ground no rde der,r, sstudies t tu and legs. Not only iiss a an outdoor workout harder, also show that cis ise e outside out u for longer lo on ng periods of time those who exercise tend to do so for mo orre llikely i el ik elyy tto o ccontinue onti on tin n with th h tthe he ea ctiv ct ivit ityy. it y. One sstudy done and are more activity. on older adults, 66 years of age and up, showed that those who exercised outside (usually by walking) were significantly more physically active when compared to those who exercised indoors. The outdoor exercisers completed, on average, 30 minutes more exercise each week than did the indoor exercisers.

As more and more evidence emerges, it seems clear that human beings are wired to benefit from nature and nature responds. This was something observed by scientist and writer John Lubbock, who said: “All those who love Nature she loves in return, and will richly reward, not perhaps with the good things, as they are commonly called, but with the best things of this world, not with money and titles, horses and carriages, but with bright and happy thoughts, contentment and peace of mind.”

Victor M. Parachin is director of the Tulsa Yoga Meditation Center where he teaches meditation and yoga. He is the author of several books including a biography of Swami Vivekananda. His most recent book is GPS For Our Souls: A - Z Coordinates To Enlightenment.

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Beyond the Mat A Complete Yogic

Journey

With International Yogini, Cathy Woods At Hollyhock, Cortes Island, British Columbia, Canada

Explore & experience all aspects of the yogic path. This synergistic program takes yoga beyond your mat & into the rest of your life.

The retreat combines body-mind learning with surrendering to the inner voice of spirit & the intelligence of Prana (life force energy)

“An Authentic Yoga experience!�

w w w. c a t h y w o o d s y o g a . c o m / s c h e d u l e

My signature class is called Muscle & Flow, partially because it’s taught to all Hip Hop music and partially because there are many elements of strength woven into the flow sequences. I love the traditional asanas as much as the next yogi, but I also love switching things up a bit. Here are a few of my favorite strength variations:

BY SHAUNA HARRISON PHOTOS BY MONA LONG PHOTOGRAPHY

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Flying Lunge Start in a Low Lunge position, right foot forward, left knee down.

Arms raised.

Carefully lower down to starting low lunge. Repeat.

Switch sides.

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Press down through right foot as you lift the back leg off and rise to airplane (Warrior III legs).

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Crescent Balance Start in a Crescent Lunge, left foot forward, right leg extended behind you. Arms raised.

Bend your right leg to lower towards the oor. Think like a lunge you would do in the gym.

Repeat.

Switch sides.

Press off the back leg and down through the front leg to come to single leg Mountain Pose.

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Warrior Sides Start in a Side Lunge with right knee bent, left leg straight.

Turn back into a left Side Lunge.

Shift right and then back left. Warrior II on the other side.

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Shift to a side lunge with left knee bent, right leg straight.

Shift back to the right side lunge.

Turn your right foot out and open to a Warrior II.

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Start in a Revolved Lunge, left foot forward, right leg extended back.

Right elbow hooks over the left thigh.

Twisted Taps Look down toward the left foot and step to a revolved Chair Pose.

Step back to the lunge and the immediately back to the Chair.

Continue tapping from the lunge to the chair or you can hover the back leg off.

Repeat other side.

PUT IT TOGETHER From Downward Facing Dog, step right foot forward and go into Flying Lunge → Step left foot back to Crescent Balance → Step left foot back and turn into Warrior Sides → Pivot back foot into Twisted Taps → Vinyasa and repeat other side.

www.ShaunaHarrison.com

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@shauna_harrison

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Rural America Awakens to Yoga

BY CATHY WOODS

A

s you walk through city and suburban streets it is “common place” to see yoga studios, people wearing yoga clothes or yogis with a mat in tow. Most of us don’t think twice about it.

It’s different, however, in rural America. There you’ll likely see a hunter wearing camouflage with a rifle slung over his shoulder. You may find this hard to believe, but there are still residents here that have never heard of yoga. Because of this fact, I feel compelled to share my story as a “Rural Yogini/Yoga Teacher” and tell the story of yoga in the remote parts of our country.

I’m named Cathy Woods and have been teaching and practicing yoga for 23 years. My roots of yoga began at the Kripalu Center with Yogi Desai. From there I continued steadfast on this wonderful journey of self-realization, sharing it with others as my “right livelihood.”

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My teaching formally began in Florida, where yoga was quite accepted in 1990. In 1996 I felt guided to move to the North Carolina Smoky Mountains to an area that is barely on the map. Living in the Appalachians has been a 17-year delight and I have come to love the richness of the local culture and community. Yoga has never been a part of this culture and is actually quite foreign to the folks that reside in these mountains and remote hollows.

When first moving to the Smokies, I kept my practice pretty quiet and dove deep into my personal practice/ Sadhana. After becoming more and more accepted as part of the community, I gradually started mentioning my yoga teaching. Finally a woman said, “Why don’t you teach a yoga class here at our community center?”

I didn’t immediately jump on this opportunity as I heard rumors and stories about the first person to teach yoga

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I have learned that one does not have to even call it “yoga” or teach in a “specific way” to be able to transmit the energy and essence of yoga. and essence of yoga. It is much like the theory of mantra—the student that gets the words wrong but wholeheartedly repeats the chant will often attain the same benefits of the mantra. An adamant ego can insist upon calling it yoga; but a rose by any other name smells as sweet. To me the most important thing is that students are benefiting from this practice in a way they can understand it.

This is not to say that on occasion I don’t hear a comment like, “if you participate in yoga you will go to hell,” not to mention the occasional “Jesus Saves” stickers adhered to one of my flyers. I take it in stride.

On the whole it’s no longer unusual to see yoga flyers posted around town or spot a press release in the paper as the residents have embraced yoga as part of the community offerings.

I happily believe the new openness to yoga in this rural area continues to expand; it also supports other wellness practices such as acupuncture, massage, Qigong, guest teachers, and workshops. Even some small studios are popping up. It has been wonderful to watch the consciousness rise about self-care, wellness, and soul enrichment practices.

I have participated in a meaningful journey to introduce this beautiful practice to Southern Appalachia where I continue to watch its transformative effects.

So the next time you visit a small mountain town, you may just hear about a little yoga class that meets in the community center—come join us!

Cathy Woods teaches Yoga, Life-Skills & Enrichment Programs Internationally at varied venues. For more information visit

www.cathywoodsyoga.com

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Opposite page photo by 4Max/Sutterstock, this page photo by Blend Images/Sutterstock

here in the 80s, a local, progressive physician who served the community’s medical needs. I heard things like, “the locals think its witchcraft or devil work.” The residents, I heard, were praying for her in church services and some even reconsidered going to her as their doctor. For various reasons, she eventually discontinued the classes. Keep in mind, Southern Appalachia is very much part of the Bible belt and still replete with some very “primitive” churches.

After talking with my husband about being asked to teach, he suggested I lay low and half jokingly made the comment, “we don’t want someone burning down our barn.” I fudged a bit and told the community center I would offer a “stretch class” and not call it yoga. But my local contact (who was born and raised here) exclaimed, “I believe we are ready for yoga.” With that I embarked on my first rural yoga class. About fifteen people attended and in these parts that’s considered a “good turn-out.” I think half came to see if I was doing any sort of hocus-pocus, but a good majority really enjoyed the class and continue practicing yoga to this day, experiencing its many benefits.

Soon after classes started I noticed many students were naturally changing: more exercise, healthier diets, more positive attitudes, and openness to the teachings and philosophy of yoga. I believe these positive life-changes helped the practice of yoga blossom in this rural area. That, along with my dedication and non-threatening style of introducing yoga, and the gaining popularity of yoga in our culture, has made yoga an accepted and valuable part of our community.

I guess you could say I helped pioneer yoga into these mountain towns and hamlets. I began teaching in the village over the mountain as well. Eventually I offered some of my classes through the regional community college, which by institutionalizing it a bit, made people feel more comfortable. Gaining the trust of my students has been a delicate and gentle process. For instance, to promote ease and safety, I initially used English rather the Sanskrit names for the asanas. In my initial classes we did not do any chanting. Once the students became more comfortable, I would gradually interweave the practice of sound while carefully explaining any new concepts or language. I have found it an art to choose the language used to teach and promote the classes, yet still maintain the essence and integrity of the tradition that is very important to me. I feel that it is important for a good yoga teacher to be able to “read their class,” gear the class to the comfort level of the students, and to teach to a wide variety of participants.

Through my many years of teaching, I have learned that one does not have to even call it “yoga” or teach in a “specific way” to be able to transmit the energy

Awakening with the

Essences of Nature Spring is that special time of year when promises of a fresh start appear in the budding of trees and the emergence of delicate flowers from the muddy, thawed earth.

BY CARY CASTER

T

here’s an awakening of the senses that’s stimulated by fledgling birds chirping, colorful blossoms unfolding and floral scents wafting in the air.

This rebirthing is a natural phase of the earth’s cycles, and it’s no surprise that we look inward to once again reevaluate our own state of aliveness, our own “awakening”. This arrival of warmer temperatures and longer days stimulates our internal clocks and shifts us into a new gear.

With Spring “in the air”, we are bombarded with the heady scents of vernal bloomers. Living in cities and not necessarily being free to wander outside during this glorious time of the year, we can improvise spending time in the blossoming gardens by inhaling the essential oils of some of our favorite herbs and flowers. By breathing

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in these intoxicating scents, we can have the experience in our minds of walking through freshly-leaved forests and flourishing garden paths.

Some of the most enjoyable scents that help us feel connected to the earth are the herbaceous essential oils extracted from the leaves of our common herbs, such as Sweet Marjoram, Basil, Peppermint and Clary Sage. Their crisp fragrances renew and refresh with a simple whiff, and although they are all astringent, antiseptic and stimulate circulation, each has its own unique healing properties.

Sweet Marjoram is a wonderful tonic for the whole body’s systems due to its ability to revitalize, strengthen and nourish.

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Not only does Peppermint essential oil support the liver, but it is anti-microbial and analgesic, making it a great oil to use before heading out for outdoor activities.

Diffuse any one or a combination of these essential oils to help awaken your connection with nature and nurture your spirit naturally!

Cary Caster, B.S., LMT, CCA is a Botanist, Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Clinical Aromatherapist who is on a mission to help people be their best self every day. She believes that people can take their health into their own hands.

Cary is not only the founder and expert behind 21 Drops, an essential oil therapy company, but she is also a devoted healer who sits on the board of the Alliance of International Aromatherapists and has been featured as an essential oil expert in the Huffington Post, Vanity Fair and Martha Stewart Living, among others. Cary offers continuing education classes in Aromatherapy at the University of Miami’s iCAMP program, and throughout the country. www.21drops.com facebook.com/21drops Pinterest.com/21drops @21drops

Background photo by Kerdkanno/Sutterstock

Basil is a great essential oil to help clear the head from fogginess and congestion, as well as aiding in digestion.

Not only does Peppermint essential oil support the liver, but it is anti-microbial and analgesic, making it a great oil to use before heading out for outdoor activities.

Clary Sage is an oil that is often selected to bring balance to women’s issues and is ideal for muscular tensions and pain. It is often used in perfumes and soaps to keep oily skin in check.

While the above earthy scents are good for balancing our bodily systems, the headier, floral scents tend to nurture and awaken our spirits, balance our emotions and help to lift the fog and gloom of winter.

Unfortunately, many of the northern fragrant blooming flowers of springtime don’t offer us essential oils, but we can turn to similar intoxicating floral scents of Neroli, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang to substitute their allure.

Neroli creates a wonderful oil that offers emotional support with its ability to calm the nervous system and help reduce anxiousness, Jasmine has an exotic fragrance, and its seductive aroma is effective for calming restlessness and instilling assuredness and optimism.

Ylang Ylang is another tropical flower that’s spicy sweetness can soothe nerves and help alleviate trauma and stress-related agitation. The fragrance has historically been one of the most important raw materials in the perfume industry due its sensual nature and dual actions of calming the heart and uplifting the emotions.

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Riding the

Wave of

Emotions You might feel it in a long, deep hip opener like Pigeon pose or in an energizing backbend like Upward-Facing Bow or in a soothing Child’s pose; unexpected emotions start to percolate to the surface as you open up blocked energy in your body. Sometimes the feelings flow through you like a gently rolling stream. Other times, the emotions hit you hard like wild, raging ocean waves.

BY ANGELA AMBROSE

Y

our body and mind are intimately connected, so when you stretch and open up your physical body, you may start to feel a deep release on an emotional level – ranging from sadness and anxiety to fear and frustration.

“Emotion is energy in motion,” says Mary Bruce, a Level II certified ParaYoga® teacher who leads teacher trainings, retreats and workshops in the U.S. and worldwide. “If you allow the emotion to bubble up to the surface, and then give it time and space to reveal to you the information contained within it, then it can continue to move freely. But if we tamp it down or repress it, it’s going to go and get stuck somewhere else.”

Tightness and tension are often felt in the hips, neck, back and shoulders. Because yin and restorative poses are held in stillness for an extended period, they may be more likely to stir up emotions than fast-moving flowing poses, especially if you hold them to your edge.

Many students find the greatest emotional release at the end of class when they surrender to stillness and lie on their back in a sweet, vulnerable Savasana pose, allowing tears to flow and stress to melt away.

Through the breath and poses, yoga can help transform your emotions, so you feel more balanced, open

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and peaceful. The key is to give yourself time to feel the emotions without judgment and let them move through you instead of fighting or running away from them.

“Your emotions can only be changed by your awareness of them,” says Bija Bennett, author of Emotional Yoga: How the Body Can Heal the Mind. “Instead of being swept along by your emotions and moods, you can learn how to shape them.”

Harness Your Breath Your breath acts as a mirror for your emotions. If you’re overstressed or angry, your breath may become short or irregular, and when you are feeling relaxed and content, your breath is naturally smoother and calmer.

When you explore your emotions, start with a long, steady Ujjayi Breath (see Ocean-Sounding Breath sidebar) and keep your focus on the sound of your breath as you

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6 STEPS TO TAMING YOUR EMOTIONS TUNE IN TO THE SENSATIONS IN YOUR BODY Scan your body from head to toe. Without judgment, notice where you feel tight, achy or open.

BREATHE EVENLY Using the Ocean-Sounding Breath (see side bar), focus your full attention on this steady, long breath.

BECOME AWARE OF YOUR FEELINGS Ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?” Shine the light of your awareness on your emotions and observe with curiosity.

Do not create a story around the emotion. Simply notice what you feel in this moment.

dive deeper into the sensations. To help build your internal energy, breathe only through the nose and avoid excessive sighing out the mouth, which tends to dissipate energy.

“Conscious breathing is the most powerful tool for emotional healing,” says Bennett. “The moment you turn your attention to your breath, you’re immediately in touch with your body, and from there, you can start to be aware of your emotions. You have to allow yourself to feel, bringing your emotional experience into conscious awareness.” As a yoga therapist, Bennett treated thousands of patients at Deepak Chopra’s Ayurvedic clinic and co-taught workshops with him worldwide.

ALLOW YOUR EMOTIONS TO FLOW FREELY If an emotion starts to bubble up, stay with it. Allow yourself to sit with the feeling in stillness. You may feel strong, uncomfortable emotions such as sadness, fear, anger or anxiety, or perhaps the sweetness of gratitude and joy, or the heaviness and dullness of fatigue. Whatever the emotion, accept it and allow it to move through you.

RETURN TO THE BREATH Your breath will keep you anchored to the present moment. If your mind starts to drift away, gently bring it back to your breath until the waves of emotion start to become calmer or for as long as you feel comfortable.

BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF When you give yourself time and space to truly feel, you can open up blocked energy, transforming negative emotions into positive energy.

Take Time Out to Feel and Heal

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ourselves that we’re too busy to deal with it now, but when we resist our emotions in any way, we miss out on valuable information that our emotional energy might show us. Unresolved emotions that linger are toxic and a risk factor to our health.”

Match Your Practice to Your Mood Bruce recommends carefully tailoring poses and breathing exercises to the intensity and quality of the emotions you are experiencing in this moment.

If you are upset, angry or anxious, forward bends can be calming, and gentle twists can wring out negative emotions. Making your exhale twice the length of your inhale can also

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Illustrations by Macrovector/Sutterstock, Wave illustration by Transia Design/Sutterstock

Distressing emotions can spill out not only while you’re on your mat, but also when you’re simply going about your daily life – when your child is having a tantrum in the middle of a shopping mall, when you’re stuck in rush hour traffic after a long, grueling day at work or when you are at a loved one’s bedside. If it’s not the right moment to deal with the emotions, take time later to come back to those feelings by sitting quietly and using simple body and breath awareness (See 6 Steps to Taming Your Emotions sidebar). You can also reconnect with your emotions through other meditative activities such as journaling, chanting, or taking a walk or hike and spending time in nature.

In today’s fast-paced, go-go lifestyle, Bennett says many people choose to stuff their emotions inside them and use escape mechanisms: “It’s easier to turn on the TV or get on the phone than it is to be patient and attend to what is bubbling up inside. We tell

EDUCATE Riding the Wave of Emotions

Wet, Wild, and Windy Unresolved emotions that linger are toxic and a risk factor to our health."

—Bija Bennett have a calming effect and help you let go of pent up feelings. Bruce suggests breathing exercises such as Alternate-Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) to regulate the right and left hemispheres of the brain or the Cooling Breath (Sitali) to soothe fiery emotions and restore balance.

If you are feeling sad, lethargic or bored, you can elevate your energy by doing backbends or breathwork such as Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati) or Bellows Breath (Bhastrika).

Transform Your Negative Emotions “Yoga brings the unconscious to the surface,” says Bruce. It’s the process of rearranging energy, so it becomes more available to you in a healthy way.” If you take time to fully experience your emotions, they can be transformed into more positive energy. For example, fear can be transformed into trust, courage or a feeling of protection; grief can be cultivated into acceptance or gratitude; and anger can be transformed into more peace, patience or compassion. When your energy flows freely, you feel lighter, more relaxed and more fully present.

Ocean-Sounding Breath One of the simplest yet most powerful types of yogic breathing is the Ujjayi Breath, also known as the Ocean-Sounding or Victorious Breath. Use the following steps to cultivate this foundational breath on or off the mat.

It can help regulate the nervous system, balance emotions, increase your focus and build internal heat.

1) Imagine you are fogging up a mirror with your breath.

Open your mouth and softly make the “Ha” sound using a mild constriction in the back of your throat.

2) Close your mouth and breathe slowly and evenly in and out through your nose, creating the gentle sound of ocean waves as your breath brushes lightly against the back of your throat.

3) As you continue to make this smooth, steady sound, keep your inhalation and exhalation the same length.

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by Bija Bennett When you look at waves from a distance they almost look still.

Get right down in there and they are deep and daring.

One right after the other.

Breaking wildly turbulent with abandon, with meaning.

Your feelings, when you don’t look at them, when you hide from a distance, they seem to disappear.

And all that is left are your mind-born waves from where you cease to feel.

Don’t be afraid to feel.

Drop yourself into your raging-waves.

You can ride them.

You can cross the sea.

It’s unfathomable.

Be deep and daring.

Stay with your breathing.

And get right down in there.

Feel what it feels like to be tossed around by what you really feel.

Run to the ocean. Meet yourself there.

Many unaware ones never know that the wet, wild and windy waves that feel and heal can surely save you.

Roam your boundless sea.

Reprinted with permission from Bija Bennett, author of Breathing into Life: Recovering Wholeness through Body, Mind & Breath. Website: Bijab.com

“If you can stay steady with your breath and you can stay steady in your mind, then you can have a discerning eye to ride the wave or be a witness to what is occurring and to not get overwhelmed by it,” says Bruce.

The next time you feel tears well up or a feeling of agitation wash over you, try staying with your breath and ride the wave of emotion until it smooths out, bringing healing to both your body and mind.

Angela Ambrose is a Phoenix-based writer with 28 years in magazine, corporate and video scriptwriting. As an ACE-certified group fitness instructor and certified yoga teacher, she combines her writing expertise with her passion for healthy living. The emotional release and the tears that often soak our yoga mats are one of the sweetest gifts yoga has to offer, says Angela, making us feel more open, alive and connected to the world around us. Contact her at

AngelaAmbrose.com

@AAHealthFitness

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Do you want to become a Kids Yoga Teacher?

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You will graduate with immediate tangible knowledge and tons of fabulous ideas to create original, captivating and fun yoga experiences for kids of all ages, anywhere in the world!

The Rainbow Kids Yoga Teacher Training is well-rounded, with practical, theory and discussions plus loads of fun!

Ideal for parents, teachers, specialist educators, and yoga teachers!

For more info and to register visit:

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When You Know More, You Do Better:

Waking Up To A Better World I flipped the last page of my book and closed its cover. The content of what I’d just read was sinking in with profound clarity. I got up from my spot on the grass and started the walk back to my car from Ferry Landing in San Diego.

BY RYAN GLIDDEN

A

s I was walking back, something happened. I felt different. Even though the people that I passed on the sidewalk maintained their own outward appearance, my experience of them was that they were me! It was as if I was looking at a direct reflection of myself in everyone else. It wasn’t me walking past them; it was that we were one, that all of us were connected and that we were all, in many ways, the exact same. It was as if I had awakened to a deeper truth of the world. Even more strange, at the same time, I was having the experience that I was able to maintain an observation of it, as if I myself was somehow looking in upon the entire thing.

It probably only lasted five minutes and was over ten years ago now, but it is etched into my memory as if it were yesterday. I had only just begun my journey of self-exploration. The book I was reading was Power vs.

Force by David Hawkins. I would go on to read more by this author and many others in search of a deeper understanding of myself, others and the world around me.

I had already stumbled upon yoga by that point, and one author changed the way I viewed the world and my purpose within it in a profound way. This author of the Yoga Sutras was the somewhat mysterious yoga sage Patanjali. In the four short chapters of his work, Patanjali lays out a road map of sorts for awakening to the true nature of Self. Within the map he presents an 8-limbed path:

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Yamas The five virtues that govern our relationship with others and the world

Niyamas The five observances that govern our actions with ourselves

Asana The discipline of steadiness and ease in the body (now as practice of yoga postures)

Pranayama The Conscious manipulation of life force energy “prana” through focused breath work

Pratayahara The withdrawal of the senses from the outside world to better understand the inner

Dharana Concentration of the mind upon an object

Dhyana Meditative state of sustained one-pointed focus

Samadhi Enlightenment or Spiritual Awakening WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

He gave the individual the power to heal all that is within them, and at the same time the po wer to heal the world.

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would change the world. BKS Iyengar put it best when he described the nature of a yogi. He said: “[A yogi] uses all his resources – physical, economic, mental or moral- to alleviate the pain and suffering of others. He shares his strength with the weak until they become strong. He shares his courage with those that are timid until they become brave by his example. He denies the maxim of the ‘survival of the fittest’, but makes the weak strong enough to survive. He becomes a shelter to one and all.”

We alone have the ability to make a difference. Patanjali knew this and he understood that he needed to create a system accessible to all, one that was not reserved for a priestly class or a specific religion, but for all to access. I think that he knew that if enough people could be reached then there would be a tipping point in our consciousness. Because we are all connected, if there were enough people pursuing self-awakening to awaken and uplift others, together we would all move towards a brighter future. I see Patanjali not simply as a sage but a humanitarian, a city planner and a visionary. He gave the individual the power to heal all that is within them, and at the same time the power to heal the world.

Ryan Glidden has been practicing and studying yoga for over a decade and is the Co-Founder of MOSAIC yoga. He is a 200-ERYT and a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. He is also the author of Good Being, Good Living: A Modern Model for Sustained Holistic Health. You can connect with Ryan at www.exploremosaic.com facebook.com/ryan.glidden.12 @ryan.glidden

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Photo by Lumena/Sutterstock

The first four give us guidelines of gross action, while the second four are subtle in their workings with the mind. The 8-limbed system is pretty well known in the Western world. However, I’m sure most people think of it as only a self-practice, and one that isn’t even attainable. I don’t think this was Patanjali’s intent.

First, I think the achievement of a spiritual awakening is accessible to us all if we’re willing to do the work.

Second, I think this achievement is not merely for our own personal gain, but for the betterment of society, our culture and the world at large.

When I had those five minutes of clarity, I was the same as every stranger that I passed. The grass was greener, the sky was bluer and the sun was brighter.

The world was a beautifully connected and alive place.

I know that since that experience, I’ve made different choices in my life with a heightened awareness because of the spiritual impact it had, and if I could maintain that clarity I would make even more.

Imagine if the world was lead by spiritually awakened citizens and leaders. We would not harm one another because we would know that it was a direct attack upon ourselves. Sustainable energy sources would not be the other option but the only option, because we would experience the deep connection that we have to the earth as a sacred, living, breathing being. Global warming would not be a debated possibility, but instead an understanding that regardless of the temperature of the planet we are doing so much that destroys it and its natural beauty.

Our desires for fulfillment of our egos would be second to the understanding that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, not human beings with hopes of the occasional spiritual experience. This in and of itself

What You Should Know About

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BEMER, an established approach to Wellness

Enhanced blood flow is known as the main road of health. It is where the cells are nurtured and disposed of.

If one person’s smallest blood vessels were to be strung together, it would equate to 74,000 miles, which would wrap around the earth two and a half times.

Every single living cell in your body needs a consistent supply of oxygen. As our cells receive more

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Dr. Rainer Klopp, world-renowned physician and head of the Institute for Microcirculation in Berlin, has researched this science for many years and has seen no other technology work as effectively as the BEMER.

No other technology compares to the residual results of BEMER as shown in this study: [changes in %] 30

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How it works BEMER has a specific patented signal that activates the body’s amazing powers. BEMER uses their patented signal to deliver the benefits that no other PEMF machine can accomplish.

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How BEMER Supplements Yoga In just one eight-minute session, BEMER effectively optimizes general bloodflow as seen here: Limited circulation

Significantly improved circulation

“BEMER is one of the most effective and widely researched physical therapy methods available today.”

—Dr. Rainer Klopp, Institute for Microcirculation, Berlin, Germany

“I have been using BEMER for quite some time and am convinced that the treatment has greatly relieved the injuries I sustained during the last few years. I have been pleasantly surprised many times to find that I can regenerate far fa more quickly with BEMER af after tough training sessions, m making it possible for me to train more intensively.”

—Tina Weirather Olympic Alpine Skier WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

Practicing yoga helps with general blood flow, but what if there was a way to accelerate enhanced nutrient and oxygen supply and cellular waste disposal even further?

We all practice yoga for our own reasons. One reason is to self-heal. Part of this process is the alignment of our bodies chakras and meridians. Practicing yoga regularly is beneficial to increasing general blood flow, but may be difficult and take longer for some, depending on our bodies biochemistry and underlying issues. By using the BEMER, one can accelerate general blood flow even further, resulting in enhanced oxygen supply fl aand cellular waste removal throughout the body. This may correlate with more rapid chakra alignment. m Yoga studios and wellness centers in Europe have been using BEMER for several years to supplement b ttheir yoga practice. The benefits of increased blood fl flow within the human body are renowned, and the positive results of BEMER have been published in over p fifty medical publications. fi Based on the proven science of beneficial general blood flow along with the research concluding BEMER’s positive effects on the human body, every yoga studio, wellness center, as well as anyone who practices yoga could greatly benefit by using BEMER as part of their practice.

…every yoga studio, wellness center, as well as anyone who practices yoga could greatly benefit by using BEMER as part of their practice.

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Proven Scientific Benefits of Using BEMER Enhanced General Bloodflow & Cellular Waste Removal t Enhanced Cardiac Functions t Better Concentration and Relaxation t More Strength, Energy and Physical Fitness t Sleep Management t Stress Reduction

It can be said without exaggeration that BEMER represents a revolutionary breakthrough in alternative health. It’s one of the most researched physical therapy systems available in the world.

With over a million users in over 40 countries, including Olympic competitors, world-class athletes, and professional sports teams, this is proof of BEMER’s deserved position at the top of its market segment with over 18 years of experience in the development and distribution of this cutting-edge technology.

They invite you to search them on the US-National Library of Medicine’s Medline and Premedline database with more than 24 million citations, literature, life science journals and online books.

Yoga Digest is proud to be the first to introduce BEMER to the yoga community around the world.

“The doctor of the future will give NO medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”

—Thomas Edison You owe it yourself, your family and your clients to research the BEMER. For more information, visit YogaDigest.com/BEMER Or call (949) 346-1020

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5 Tips From

Meditate

Your Weight

BY TIFFANY CRUIKSHANK

Think Small If you are new to mediation, don’t be afraid to think small. Consistency is key, so a short meditation every day is far superior to a longer meditation once a week. Start small and work your way up to longer daily practice.

Don’t worry about perfection Life isn’t perfect. While we would all love to be in a place where we can shut the door and be undisturbed, that isn’t always possible (especially if you are a parent to small children.) Avoid the misconception that you have to find the perfect space or time. Just start. Finding peace amid the din will simply be another element of your practice.

Find a comfortable seat There is not set rule for the position you take while meditating. Find the most comfortable position for you, keeping in mind that you are aiming for conscious alertness. Many find sitting on a chair to be the “just right” middle ground, especially if they are just starting out.

No judgement When you meditate your mind will wander.

Even those with years of experience must face the “monkey mind.” de ers r . IInstead, n te ns tead ad,, Don’t judge or scold yourself when your mind wande wanders. let the thoughts pass. The more you practice, the more able you will be to laugh at these tangents, loosening your attachment to those thoughts and your compulsion to suppress or control them.

Learn to recognize ALL stress If we’re not careful, even healthy “stress” such as endurance exercise and training can turn into a negative stress — especiallyy when we overestimate what our system can handle — wreaking havoc on our health and resulting in increased cortisol, weight gain, lost sleep and more. Learning to recognize stressful situations and the time to pause, breath and th a nd nd shorten your fight-or-flight response will do wonders in d decreasing d the negative effects of stress to your body and mind.

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5 Ways to

Awaken to Your True Nature

BY JENNIE LEE

T

he purpose of all yoga practice is to awaken to whom we truly are, beyond our stories and roles, beyond our ego and beliefs, beyond all the temporary things that eventually fall away. In the classic text the Yoga Sutras by Sri Patanjali, we find that the fundamental reason for doing any asana, pranayama or meditation practice is to realize our true spiritual nature. Postures stabilize our bodies and energy control practices help us manage our moods and thoughts, and over time we release attachments to external desires and possessions.

By practicing with consistency and devotion, we achieve the goal and experience the unification of our individual consciousness with Universal Consciousness, the animating principle within all life. In this state of being, aware of who we are beyond any ‘I, me, my’ needs of the moment, we feel great peace and deep love. We recognize the Divine nature of our true Self, and know that we share this with all other beings. Through the practice of all eight limbs of yoga offered in the Sutras we journey home and awaken to our true nature. The five points below will help you begin.

Background photo by Patrick Foto/Sutterstock

Ask sk k the most mo important question In order to get ge anywhere you have to know where you want to go. The pr practice of Self-inquiry is known as Swadhyaya in the Yoga S Sutras. Ask yourself, ‘Who am I really? Why was ated? For F what purpose am I living this life?’ There will I created? be manyy layers to your answers depending on your state of awareness att this time. Keep asking, and allow the deeper truth of your being to emerge like a blossoming flower.

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Breathe reathe with intention Ourr bre breath iss the link lin between the physical and the etheric pects off Self. The Life Force Energy that comes into physical aspects manifestation nifestation in our bodies as breath is directed through the practice of Pranay Pranayama. By paying attention to your breath and to its exchange with w those around you, you start to appreciate a shared life wi within all beings. As you practice living from this perspective of oneness, you recognize that what you think, say, or do affects everyone around you, for better or worse.

Embracing a unified state of awareness you know that helping your neighbor helps you as well, and harming another through word or deed harms you too. Conscious, intentional breathing helps you recognize that we are all connected at this most intimate level of life, and sense the interplay of being both human and Divine.

Move into stillness stil Set ett aside asid time me each eac day to focus inwardly rather than on the outer game off life. life You can begin the practices of Pratyahara (sensory soryy restraint) restrai and Dharana (inward concentration) as simpl simply as pausin pausing for five minutes when you wake up, before checking texts or o making coffee. Just sit up in bed, breathe intentionally ntentionallyy a and concentrate on a simply mantra such as So Hum (I am That). Invite your intuitive mind to guide your day and then be still and listen. Throughout the day, find moments to stop, get quiet again and listen within. Eventually these mini meditations add up, delivering mountains of inner strength and equanimity. Stillness is essential to awakening true nature.

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Open your heart hea

Surrender rrender the ego

As you u practice st stillness and breathing mindfully, regardless of whatt mightt be racing through the mind, a higher wisdom takes over.r. The part of Self that watches all the human drama swirling around steps step forward in your being and wraps a passionate inner in compassionate hug around the circumstances and relationships tionships that may feel challenging. Sometimes called ‘witness consciousness’ this watchful essence holds space for everything. It invites love to enter where conflict has been and the heart opens in empathy and forgiveness. The outer story may not change immediately but your inner experience becomes one of unlocking and accepting.

Ass the Divine w within you is offered more time and space, he small selff or o ego often puts up a fight for dominance. It the fears that its personal per needs will be forgotten if you focus on oneness o ss and compassion. This is a critical juncture in the process off awakening awa that holds the key to full realization off true Self. Y You must surrender the incessant thought of “I.” One way to do this is by acknowledging that life is both given and taken away. Accept that you are not in ultimate control.

As you totally let go into the trustworthy embrace of your Creator, (and not a moment before) you will be caught up and assured of complete peace and safety.

Although the initial stages of releasing the ego and getting still can feel challenging, awakening comes with pure joy. All the masters who have achieved Samadhi consciousness attest to the bliss that lies beyond the human field of experience. Your job is to ready yourself to take it all in. This is why you practice asana, pranayama, purification, devotion and meditation - to be ready for the beautiful gift of remembering that you are not your body but the Spirit that lives within and around, now and forever.

BETTER LIFE IS

IN COLOR

let us take care of all your printing needs MAGAZINES | CATALOGS | POSTCARDS CALENDARS & BROCHURES

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Jennie Lee is the author of the new book True Yoga: Practicing With the Yoga Sutras for Happiness and Spiritual Fulfillment.

A Yoga Therapist who has shared the healing benefits of classical yoga and meditation with thousands of clients over the past 17 years, Jennie helps people conquer anxiety, depression, grief, post-traumatic stress, attention deficit issues, eating disorders, and challenging relationship dynamics. She is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, Mind Body Green, Yoga Therapy Today and more. Jennie coaches by phone and Skype internationally. www.jennieleeyogatherapy.com

a.wak.en.ing An act or moment of becoming suddenly aware of something

We all have moments of awakening. Perhaps it’s a moment sitting silently in a field of green grass and suddenly becoming aware of the quiet sounds of crickets and rustling of leaves in the far off distance or perhaps it’s a moment of connection to your thoughts and emotions in a stressful situation that leads you to take a deep breath and just sit in observation and awareness, without reaction. This awareness is a deeper connection to ourselves, an awakening of our spirit.

BY SHAWNEE THORNTON

Everything is energy, your thought begins it, your emotion amplifies it, and your action increases its momentum.

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com Photo by Tim Hardy / www.shotbyhardy.

or many of us, this awareness and the notion of taking the time to slow down and observe our thoughts and emotions can be very challenging. We live in a world filled with over-stimulation.

We have to make a “conscious” effort to be present.

We have become a fast-paced society consumed with filling up our time with work, “to do” lists and responsibilities. Even when we are away from work and responsibility, our minds are in a constant state of “thinking”, quite often “anxious thinking” of what happened yesterday and what could happen tomorrow, rather than allowing ourselves to experience the moment we are actually in. This energy of anxious thinking creates a feeling of anxiety, anger, frustration, fear or worry, which in turn brings about actions in our life that are not being made consciously or with a sense of awareness.

Children with autism not only have the challenge of coping with an over-stimulated environment due to their sensory processing difficulties, but they often experience a significant amount of anxious thinking and feeling. These anxious thoughts and feelings can dramatically impact not only the way they experience the environment around them but how they are able to integrate and interact with others. Their anxious

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The C.A.L.M.M Yoga Toolkit The C.A.L.M.M Yoga Toolkit is designed for children of all abilities. The Toolkit teaches yoga poses, breathing strategies, body awareness, self-regulation, social skills, how to identify and cope with uncomfortable emotions and how to feel calm and focused. Step-by-step program and curriculum for teaching children mindfulness, self-regulation, connecting to sensations in the body and how to find their C.A.L.M.M The toolkit provides visuals and tools to easily implement a yoga program in the home, school, group, therapeutic or studio setting. Great for yoga teachers, parents, educators, occupational and speech therapists, behavior therapists and P.E. teachers! www.asanasforautismandspecialneeds.com

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Shawnee Thornton Hardy has worked with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other special needs for over 16 years. Following her experiences as a special education teacher and behavior specialist and her training in yoga, she has combined her two passions to teach yoga to children with autism and special needs. Shawnee has a Master’s in Special Education, she is a 500 hour RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher), RCYT (Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher) and a member of IAYT (The International Association of Yoga Therapists). She is the author of the book Asanas for Autism and Special Needs – Yoga to Help Children with their Emotions, Self-Regulation and Body Awareness and the Creator of the C.A.L.M.M. Yoga Toolkit, a toolkit and curriculum to support children of all abilities in finding their CALMM. She lives in San Diego, CA. www.yogabyshawnee.com

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Background photo by Mark Carthy/Sutterstock

thinking and emotions can often lead to impulsive actions or behaviors that are not the truest reflection of their inner most being.

When children with autism are able to have moments of calm, when they are able regulate their emotions and responses to stressors, they are more able to communicate and express their thoughts and ideas. Teaching children with autism self-regulation and self-calming strategies supports them in reducing anxious thinking and feeling so they are happier, healthier and more present and grounded in their day-to-day lives. It is when children are feeling calm and free of anxiety that these beautiful moments of awakening reveal themselves, just as we experience these same moments of awakening as adults when we are able to pause and connect to our bodies and breath.

Self-regulation is the ability to self-monitor and self-manage our emotions and impulses. For children with autism, this can be very challenging. Often times they struggle with sensory processing, how they receive and process external environmental information as well as their own internal information. Sensitivity to environmental stimulus as well as difficulty with processing feelings and emotions can lead to internal anxiety, impulsive behaviors and feelings of fear, worry, anger and frustration.

The first step to teaching children with autism self-regulation involves teaching them to pause before reacting when they become over-stimulated, agitated or

aanxious. This can be attained by teaching the child tto take a deep breath in and a deep breath out. This brings the child out of the anxious thinking and feeling b aand brings their attention to their breath. The next sstep would be to help the child identify the feeling or eemotion they are experiencing and how that feels in their th body. This connection to the sensations in their body b brings them back to their body and supports a feeling of grounding and stability. The next step would fe be to suggest a movement and breath that allows the child to release the tension and anxious energy from their body. These steps of breathing, connecting to the body and releasing tension can reduce impulsive reactions to situations as well as support the child in feeling more present and grounded.

Teaching children with autism self-regulation allows for their inner light to shine through and brings a sudden awareness of their truest essence. When we observe these beautiful moments of awakening; when a child with autism connects to a peer, shares a beautiful smile, shows engagement and interest in an activity, communicates their thoughts, feelings and ideas and shares the most beautiful parts of themselves, these are moments of awakening in their hearts as well as ours.

Spring Cleaning:

Detox Your Body and Mind This Kapha Season

BY KIERA NACHMAN

I

t is important to regularly detoxify your body throughout the year, and Ayurveda – India’s 7,000year old health system - traditionally recommends cleansing at natural transition points like the change of seasons. Springtime is the most important time of the year to do this. Spring is nature’s season of

cleansing, detox, and rejuvenation. In Ayurveda, the human body is a microcosm of nature - and when you look around at your environment during springtime, you will notice that the earth is rejuvenating itself - and so is the body.

We know that the three doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha – correspond to our minds and bodies. But did you know that they also correspond to the seasons?

Throughout the year, especially in the winter, toxic buildup accumulates from poorly digested food and exposure to toxins in our food, water, and environment.

Pitta season occurs during the hot, humid summer months. This makes sense, as Pitta essentially represents the fire element. Vata season begins as soon as you feel that first fall breeze, and Vata (represented by the air element) domi-

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DIY Purifying Face Mask t 2 tsp green clay t 1 tsp arrowroot powder t ½ tsp honey powder t ½ tsp castor oil t Blend with one egg white

nates all fall and winter long, during the driest and coldest months. Kapha season lasts from approximately mid-February to early May, when the body is transitioning out of a long winter into the lightness of spring and eventually summer. It is the transition from heavy winter into spring - think of that sluggish, damp, cold time of slushy winter snows into spring showers. We often feel heavy physically, mentally and energetically, and have excess mucus at this time.

If we don’t take care to balance Kapha during Kapha season, we might end up depressed, congested, and lethargic.

Throughout the year, especially in the winter, toxic buildup accumulates from poorly digested food and exposure to toxins in our food, water, and environment. These toxins inhibit proper performance of the body’s tissues and organs, right down to the cellular level, and need to be cleansed. Signs that toxic residue has accumulated in your system include a white, heavy coating on the tongue, sluggishness after eating, foggy thinking, joint and muscle aches. The ama, or toxins, that have accumulated all winter long in our system need to be flushed out.

rnally and Here are ways to cleanse both inte externally during Kapha season: ove circulation in 1. Exercise at least 30 minutes daily to impr the lymphatic system. sugar, dairy, cheese, 2. Follow an anti-Kapha diet. Limit intake of salt during this season. butter, eggs, fatty meats, lard, and ed oil, such as grapeseed, 3. Use a light and stimulating plant-bas daily, during an Abhyanga, or mustard seed or almond on your skin from the tissues, helping with self-oil massage. Oils mobilize toxins the body’s natural cleansing process. s with warming and 4. Eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetable y from within. stimulating spices to detoxify the bod be thinking light and 5. For skincare during this time, you want to n clay mask. Green clay is stimulating. I would recommend a gree and has the ability to remove one of the best detoxers for the skin, skin. impurities from the basal layer of the

Kiera Nachman is an Ayurvedic practitioner based in New York City, where she has a private practice. Kiera created Sundara Holistic, an Ayurvedic skincare and wellness brand, with a commitment to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. Sundara Holistic products are 100% natural and non-toxic, using only food-grade and plant-based ingredients. www.sundraholistic.com @sundraholistic facebook.com/sundraholistic

nel - CCF) Detox Tea (Cumin Coriander Fen Bring water to a boil. Add a mixture of the below seeds in equal quantity to the water, bring to a simmer, let simmer on low for 10 minutes with the lid on the pot. t Whole cumin seeds t Whole coriander seeds t Whole fennel seeds Strain out the seeds and pour the liquid into a thermos.

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Proportion: use 1/2 teaspoon of the spice mix per every 12 oz of water. It is best to make 3-4 cups of the tea in the morning. Take the tea in a thermos with you and drink throughout the day to flush toxins out of the body. Add a licorice tea bag to a cup of the hot tea mixture to add sweetness.

Alternatively, add raw honey.

Drink this Detox Tea daily throughout Kapha season.

Because this tea detoxifies the entire system, it can also help with digestion, acne, weight loss, immunity and generally unclogs channels in the body. If you drink this tea regularly for at least 3 months, you will notice many benefits in your overall health.

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Lime and mint photo by zarzamora/Sutterstock, woman photo by Subbotina Anna/Sutterstock, mug photo by Nadir Keklik/Sutterstock

Apply on face, keep on for ½ hour, and you will cleanse your skin from the inside, out.

Eat Healthy and Happy with

Talia Pollock of Party in my Plants

I

eater. Well look at it this way: in yoga, do you have to be able to hold crane every time you practice to be considered a yogi? In a marriage, do you have to never disagree to be considered a good spouse? In college, do you have to never get less than one A to still graduate cum laude? No way: in all the above, it’s your most of the time that matters. Same goes with healthy eating, when your ‘most of the time’ is plants, those occasional ice cream indulgences can happen for you to still be considered a healthy eater. The following meal plan shows you a practical day of insanely simple and delicious plant-based recipes so you can make eating plants your ‘most of the time.’

Breakfast

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n a world where, “the only thing constant is change,” the definition of “healthy eating” is no exception. One day “healthy eating” is defined as low fat, the next it’s low carb; one day whole grains are the good guys, the next gluten is the devil! That’s why I keep it as simple as possible and take “healthy eating” to mean: mostly plants. (Plants being fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains; basically anything that’s made by mother nature, NOT by a manufacturing plant.)

A lot of people worry that healthy eating has to be all-or-nothing; that they have to eat perfectly, one hundred percent of the time, to be considered a healthy

Quinoa Chia Chilled Porridge

Serves: 1

Ingredients ⅓ cup quinoa flakes 3 tbsp chia seeds 1 cup almond milk

Directions 1. Really thoroughly mix the above 3 ingredients in a bowl, jar or mug and then place in fridge.

2. Let sit in fridge for 20 minutes (whi ch is a perfect time to get dressed for your day!).

3. 20 minutes later, give your porridge a stir and add in any of your favorite toppings . Some examples: fruit (dried or fresh), cinnamo n, sweetener (stevia, coconut sugar, map le syrup, agave), granola, nut butters

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Zoodles (zucchini noodles) with Pesto

Serves: 2

To make the zucchini noodles Use a spiralizer* to spiralize zucchin i into noodles.

Ingredients

Lunch

Pesto 1 cup basil leaves (can sub parsley or cilantro) 1 cup spinach (or kale) ½ cup avocado (which is basically ½ an avocado) 1 tbsp miso paste ½ lemon, juiced 1 garlic clove 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions

can sub cooked quinoa or a sprouted grain or gluten-free pasta for zucchini noodles if no spiralizer.

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*

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1. Process all the pesto ingredients in a food processor until smooth and then mix into your noodles!

2. Top with a few pumpkin seeds (opt ional) and enjoy.

Healthy Cinnamon Rolls Makes: 12 + rolls

Ingredients

W

VID

Topping 1-2 tbsp coconut sugar ½ - 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

ews alone until 1. In a food processor, pulse the cash sand. rse they›re similar to the texture of coa process until and nts 2. Add in all the rest of the ingredie ain. rem nks everything is mixed and no big chu cinnamon. and ar sug 3. In a small bowl, add the coconut ose). cho so you Mix it together (using your hands if r into esso proc food 4. ROLL the batter that›s still in the the in them L little cinnamon ROLLS and then ROL cinnamon sugar mixture. That›s it! ss.

5. Store in the fridge for max freshne

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EO

1 cup cashews 8-10 dates 1 cup medjool dates (pitted!) about 1 tsp vanilla er der 2 tbsp unflavored plant-protein pow TCH A rior) war (I prefer Sun 1 pinch sea salt 1-2 tsp cinnamon

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EO

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Dinner

Bean Chili Pumpkin Black B

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil, divided into separate tablespoons 1 sweet white onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp salt, plus a few additional pinches 1 package tempeh ½ tsp + 1 tsp chili powder 1 bell pepper (any color), diced 1 zucchini, chopped 1, 15-oz can pumpkin puree 1, 28-oz can diced tomatoes, with juice ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice ½ tsp dried sage 2, 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup frozen corn

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, add 1 tbsp coconut oil and melt it over medium heat.

2. Once the oil is heated a little, add the onion, the 4 minced cloves of garlic and 1 pinch of salt.

3. Sauté all that together on medium heat until the onions become translucent and really soft.

4. Meanwhile, while the onion mixture is cooking, melt 1 tbsp coconut oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.

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t mpeh with your fingers 5. Break up the package of tempeh pan. Mix in ½ tsp chili sauté the to that and add and sauté on medium salt of pinch a and r powde d. browne little a heat until 6. While the tempeh cooks, go back to your stock pot with the onions and add in the chopped bell pepper.

Sauté that for a minute or 2. Then add the chopped zucchini and sauté that for another minute.

7. Now add in the can of pumpkin, the can of diced tomatoes with their juice, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp sage, ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1 tsp salt.

8. Stir all that together.

9. Now the tempeh should be perfectly cooked.

Add that to the large pot and mix everything together again.

10. Add the drained black beans and the cup of frozen corn and mix everything together really well.

11. Cover the pot and turn the heat up to high until the chili starts to boil (rapidly bubbles).

12. Once boiling, turn the heat down so the chili simmers (lightly bubbles). Simmer for 30 minutes.

13. Serve and eat!

14. Best served over cooked quinoa or brown rice. Also awesome to add chunks of avocado and a handful of crushed baked tortilla chips!

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Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

Dessert

Serves: 2

Ingredients 2 frozen bananas 1/2 cup frozen strawberries 2-4 tbsp almond milk 3-4 tbsp dark chocolate chips (opt ional)

Directions 1. Process all the ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) in a food processo r.

2. Make sure only to add as much almond milk as needed to get a smooth text ure.

(Add little splashes at a time and then process again until you reach the prefect ice cream consistency.)

3. Add the chocolate chips and puls e a few times to break them into smaller bits . (Don’t fully process because that will turn the chips into chocolate dust inside the ice crea m!)

4. ENJOY!

Fun Drink

Easy Matcha Cinnamon Latte Ingredients 1/2 cup water 3/4 cup almond milk 1 heaping tsp matcha powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon stevia or agave, to taste

H VIDE TC

O

WA

Directions

n and 1. Blend water, almond milk, cinnamo matcha powder in a blender. slowly 2. Transfer to a pot on the stove and it!) burn heat it up. (CAREFUL not to sweeten 3. Pour into your favorite mug and g. ENJOY! likin r with stevia or agave to you

Recipes by Talia Pollock of Party in my Plants, who's motto is "Healthy Eating Doesn't Suck." Motivated after years of struggling with undiagnosable digestive distress, food addictions, weight issues, chronic lack of energy, emotional problems and a lot of anxiety, Pollock adapted a fully plant based diet. Feeling somewhat ostracized by her "clean eating," she decided to take the "hell" out of eathing "hellthy."

Now she has made it her mission to share how fun it can be to boost your healthiness without compromising your happiness.

www.partyinmyplants.com WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

facebook.com/partyinmyplants

@partyinmyplants

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Life Is Better You may know and love Michael Franti for his chart-topping hits “The Sound of Sunshine”, “Say Hey (I Love You)”, and “Life is Better with You”.

BY KIM BAUMAN

I

was excited to get to interview Franti not just because I love his soulful music, but also because I knew he was adopted, and I was too. I wanted to learn about the Michael behind his music. Does he ever feel like he doesn’t belong? Has he met his biological family? How does this all connect to his non-profit Do It for the Love, which he co-founded with his wife, Sara? How did he and Sara meet?

Michael shares, “Being adopted has led me to be a more compassionate person.

There was so much of my life that I was wondering about before I met my birth parents; who my family was, where I was from, what happened. Growing up, I often felt like an outsider, as you can’t help but wonder who and

Co-Founders, Michael Franti and Sara Agah

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With You where your biological family are. I always knew that I was adopted because I was a different color from my parents and siblings, and also because they adopted another son after me, so I knew from about the time I was a toddler. Feeling like an outsider led me to feel empathetic for others who may also feel that way. And that’s what’s at my emotional core… empathy for people.

I can feel others’ pain and suffering. With my music I always try to express love and empowerment for people.”

I went on to ask Michael and Sara how they met.

Their story is a true fairytale. Once upon a time in 2008, Sara went to Michael’s concert at a festival in Canada.

At the time Sara had not heard of Michael Franti, but her friend was a fan and really wanted to go, so Sara went with her. After every show Michael walks off stage to say hello to all the fans; he saw Sara there in the crowd of thousands, invited her group of friends to hang out after the show, and the rest is history.

Sara says, “Michael and I had a really great conversation after the show and we created a strong friendship over the next 3 years. Then we took the leap to

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Wendy, living with cancer, meets Michael Franti at Wanderlust.

nds Music connects people, it transce rds language and helps give people wo otions. when they can’t express their em boyfriend and girlfriend, and we said we really wanted to build something worthwhile together. The beautiful thing is that what we each wanted to do for the world to serve the greater good was very much in line with how we wanted to create our lives together.”

Michael and Sara’s non-profit organization Do It for the Love, is all about granting wishes for severely ill adults, children or wounded veterans by gifting them lasting memories through live music concerts. Sara shares, “music connects people, it transcends language and helps give people words when they can’t express their emotions. We had the dream to do this in April 2013, started in August that year and have since done over 500 wish grants. We are just so grateful.”

In my conversation with Sara, she shares the story behind Do It for the Love…

“In April 2013 we met a couple, Hope and Steve, who were always asking Michael to retweet for their social media account, Hope for Steve. Before a music festival in Florida, Michael said, “Hey you know that couple I’m always retweeting for, they’re gonna be at the show tonight, we should check them out?!” So we went online to look at their website and watched their wedding video, which was so beautiful and emotional.

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14 year old, Will, completely blind since birth, wished to meet Stevie Wonder.

Th h SSteve was diagnosed d d with h ALS A S while hl Their story is that they were dating, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

He told Hope, “If you want to leave I totally understand, it’s going to be a tough journey.” Hope said she wanted to stay and so he proposed and they got married.

When we met them at the festival Steve was in a wheelchair; he couldn’t walk or talk. It was actually Michael’s birthday that night as well, so we invited them to come on stage. When Michael played “Life is Better with You” Steve wanted to dance, so Hope picked him up and held him, dancing in front of 20,000 people. It was very touching for them creating that memory and for us in realizing that we could do this for people. We were all in tears. Do It for the Love was created from this heartfelt evening with Hope and Steve.”

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Our goal is to engage as many people, volunteers, and artists as possible. It’s not just about the wish granted, but the inspiration and connectedness it creates within families and 14 year old Caleb, who has Duchenne communities. —Sara Agah lar Dystrophy, Michael says, “For families, their whole life becomes caring for whoever is sick in the family. They really have to rally and it becomes a full-time job for people involved. Do It for the Love is an opportunity to acknowledge families and their ill loved one, give them a break and create an environment where a lifetime memory can occur. They come into a show one way and they end up walking out with their lives changed and transformed, and that’s why we do this.

We try to grant every single wish. We are able to work with the artists themselves to get advanced tickets. Sara and I would have never imagined we’d be buying so many Taylor Swift tickets! She’s our most requested artist.”

Sara goes on to say, “Our goal is to engage as many people, volunteers, and artists as possible. It’s not just about the wish granted, but the inspiration and connectedness it creates within families and communities.

Muscu "...truly grateful..." with Imagine Dragons.

We meet people l who h are in i the h trenches h off the h most difficult time of their lives, and we just want to bring more love to them. One wish costs about $1,500 for us to grant.”

As our interview is coming to an end, the hopeless romantic in me squeezes in one final question for Michael and Sara: How did you transition from a friendship of 3 years into something more?

Michael took the lead and said, “It was easy because I fell in love with my best friend. When we were friends we would Skype and have meaningful conversations, talk about our dreams, and we would ask each other, ‘what did you do today to make someone feel significant?’ This past year we were in Bali and I made a video for her that was a proposal. I took her on a scooter ride to a restaurant. When we got to the restaurant I sang “Life is Better with You”, then played her the video.”

You can check out Michael’s proposal video to Sara on YouTube by searching: Franti proposal video. www.doitforthelove.org www.michaelfranti.com @doitforthelovefoundation @doit_forthelove doitforthelovefoundation

In addition to co-founding Do It for the Love, Sara Agah-Franti is a Registered Nurse, creates conscious and sustainable accessories, and is studying for her Masters in Public Health. www.saralua.com @saraluadesigns @saraluadesigns

5 year old Anya, with Ed Sheeran. "That night took us away from cancer," says her mom.

By Kim

Bauman

www.jointheonelovemovement.org The One Love Movement @theonelovemovement

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Rediscovering the Purpose of

Summer Vacation You’re thoughtful about what you eat and drink.

Why wouldn’t you be just as intentional about how you travel?

T

oo often, we take vacations that don’t enrich our lives. Whether it’s due to overindulging or a packed, stressful itinerary - these journeys leave us drained. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Purpose-driven vacations actually have the power to rejuvenate your body and your spirit. Paradoxically, one of the best ways to recharge your spirit is by volunteering. You’ve heard the phrase, “the more you give, the more you get.” While it sounds cliche, it’s true. Many people claim that by sharing their compassionate energy to help others, they actually replenish and renew themselves.

These trips aren’t just for college students who want to travel during the summer. The benefits of purpose-driven travel are for everyone.

can provide emotional healing. Whether you’re trying to decide the course of your career or are recovering from a broken heart, these trips can provide the clarity and emotional renewal you y need.

Solo Travelers Sometimes getting away from everything and reconnecting with your core values of compassion and unity can bring clarity to many of life’s difficult decisions or

Couples Getaways with your partner are always romantic, but infusing purpose and meaning can take it to a whole new level. A volunteer vacation anchors your experience in important values that you treasure - and can bring you together in all the best ways!

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Pu Purpose-Driven Summ Summer Vacations Ideas Here are 3 purposeful summer vacation ideas that will leave you feeling reenergized and inspired.

Protect sea turtles in Costa Rica

Families F ili There’s no better way to bond as a family than to volunteer together on a project. Not only do you transmit your values to the next generation, you also create lifelong positive memories and expose your children to a new culture in a fun, safe and educational way.

While a “volunteer vacation” might conjure up images of hard work and rough conditions, nothing could be further from the truth. Discover Corps’ week-long travel packages feature meaningful volunteerism, authentic people-to-people connections, and insightful exploration - all wrapped up in a comfortable all-inclusive experience managed by their expert local staff.

Discover Corps is a purpose-driven travel company that operates volunteer vacations that rejuvenate the body and spirit.

Stay on a pristine beach and lend a hand at a sea turtle conservancy by protecting turtle eggs, releasing hatchlings, and maintaining the hatchery. Enjoy optional morning yoga on the beach; afternoons include kayaking, surfing or ziplining through the rainforest.

Tutor young children in Peru Live in a colonial village in the Andes mountains and tutor young Quechua children in English to help improve their job prospects. Along the way, meet a traditional shaman, share a meal with a women’s empowerment group, and lend a hand at an orphanage.

To explore trips and destinations, request a free catalog at

www.DiscoverCorps.com/yoga

(619) 375-1773

“Everything about this trip surpassed my expectations. I expected a high quality trip where I saw the important sights and did some volunteering, but I got much more than that. The local staff became like family, and d I left lef a piece of my heart with the children childr at the school, and our guide felt fe more like a brother. I never expected to be so moved by a e vacation. I came back with a new n perspective on life and love for this type of travel.”

—Susan C., San Diego

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Care for endangered animals in South Africa Care for animals at a center for endangered species and track animals through the push to support scientific research. Live in harmony with nature on a deluxe, exclusive reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park region.

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Passion. Purpose.

Prosperity.

That was my response, when my sister asked, “Lacey, what do you want?” She was visiting me from out-of-town after learning that I had passed out at the airport, during a work trip. I wasn’t hungry, or sick, or dehydrated. I was done. I was body-collapse-hide-in-acave-scream, cry, yawn at-the-same-time, DONE.

BY LACEY PRUETT

W

e’re called to live an abundant life. Whether you believe in Jesus Christ, the Dalai Lama, Darwin, or Captain Hook, the Universe conspires to help us to live life abundantly. Yet, in my experience, I was too busy, hurried, and important to

listen to anybody but my boss, my alarm clock, and that voice in my head saying, “I am exhausted, and yes I’ll have another.” It was another coffee, another deadline, another obligation, and another glass of wine that kept me functioning, but I was hardly living abundantly.

SIMPLE WAYS TO ADD ABUNDANCE RIGHT NOW

t Be grateful for everything. Mak e a list of your blessings. t Be generous, to others and you rself. t Spend at least 30 minutes on selfimprovement every day t Be kind to your body and give yourself mindful hugs, often. t Implement the Golden Hour: use the time to prepare for the next day, pray / meditate, and reflect on your day

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While visiting me, listening “As a realtor, I know that to my confusion and woes, my each time I sell a home, I sister saw the frustration in my become unemployed in a eyes because my life, my schedule, wasn’t syncing up to my spirit of sense. I wanted to be a part abundance and purpose. My cup of something that would wasn’t only not full; it was dry and provide a steady income, dusty. I needed to find the fountain of zen and passion and purpose, with steady purpose. and yes, I needed to earn a living.

Together with the HOPE That day, my sister had me list out the top 10 activities I enjoy. From mission, I feel fulfilled in my this list, I would find my next cadaily work.” reer... my purpose. All words led to nutritional studies, as I’ve al—Shannon Saunders ways been fascinated by the belief Realtor at The Lardner Group and that food is the only medicine we Hope Movement Member should need. Through study, I found that there are several ways to gather, network, and be inspired “I was really looking to go about nurturing one’s body. to live “in the black.”

I resonated mostly with holistic So, what do I want? Exactly for a way to have a BIG wellness teachings, and pursued what I already have.

IMPACT in the world. I this mind-body-spirit connection.

What do you want… out of life, just wasn’t sure how to do out of yourself, out of this world?

Developing a client base was fun for me, since my background left Do you operate from a state of that. I guess I wanted it me with a vast pool of people, in abundance, or from a state of ALL… I wanted a way to my life, who would benefit from a scarcity? Your mindset can fuel health focus of sorts. I was excited fulfill my Purpose, pursue you into inspired action to live the to use my education to help others. life you’re called to live, with conmy Passion and create Once I found my career home, and tributions only you have to offer.

Prosperity. Now that I learned that I can earn a living and As you continue down the road, I give back in a big way, simulta- found this Mission of Hope, encourage you to shift your mindset neously, I was hooked. Earning “getting through the days, from I CAN HAVE IT ALL… I get from a paycheck fulfilled my worldly one appointment to the next,” to “an to help feed malnourished inspired journey paved just for you.” needs (pay my bills, have shelter, pay taxes, etc.), but it’s hardly what Good and not-so-good moments are children through simply filled my spirit. The mission I get to all working for the greatness of your helping people restore and journey. The next challenge you face, be a part of the Hope Movement improve their health AND be grateful. Thank your higher beallows me to connect healthy living to malnourished children all earn an incredible income ing for bringing you to a state of over the world. People in America awareness and for the opportunity for my family. It truly is a to grow. There’s truly nothing more can pursue their best health, and simultaneously send nourishment powerful than a group of like-mindWIN – WIN – WIN!” to regions in desperate need. ed women, who have just stepped —Michelle Fraser It’s one thing to help people find into their power, sharing abundance WITB Co-Founder their best health; however, through with each other. Oh what a joyful, my work, I met women all over peaceful state of being. the DFW-area who were “in the red” with not only To learn more about the Hope Movement, and the mission to finances, but with time, energy, and emotions. A fleeting eradicate childhood malnourishment, contact Lacey Pruett at: thought during Yoga practice turned into the birth of laceypruett@gmail.com Women in the Black. Together, with a friend of mine, who shares my passion for helping women discover To learn more about Women in the Black, check out: this “in the black” lifestyle leading to Abundance and www.womenintheblack.ne acceptance, I will create a healthy, welcoming, educafacebook.com/WITBDallas tional (and of course, FUN) environment for women WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

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Photo by Subbotina Anna/Sutterstock

Jade Yoga’s “Buy a Mat, Plant a Tree” Program Jade’s mission is to make the world’s best performing, most environmentally friendly yoga products and give back to the earth with every product sold. As the rubber in our natural rubber mats comes from trees, it made sense to plant a tree for every mat sold. Thus, through our Buy a Mat, Plant a Tree Program, we support Trees for the Future’s work with local communities on projects that are environmentally and economically sustainable.

Trees for the Future develops and implements programs to improve living standards for the participants, by the careful management, rather than the exploitation, of natural resources. Through this partnership with Trees for the Future, Jade has planted over 1,000,000 trees.

Dean Jerrehian Founder of JadeYoga

Karma Warriors, Choose Love, Light Up The World Karma Warriors is both a community and a movement.

“Karma” means action or deed. “Karma Yoga” means selfless service. Our definition of “Warrior” is one who has the courage to stand up when others would shrink. A “Karma Warrior” is a person who stands up for what is right and gives of him or herself in a world where it is so easy to get lost in our own personal challenges and drama.

Our mission is to get at least 1 million people to take the Karma Warriors Pledge and join our community. Why? Because an idea grows more powerful when it is shared!

The pledge is simple, yet profound: “Through both random and planned acts of kindness, I pledge to do what I can, when I can to make a positive impact on the world around me. I AM a Karma Warrior.”

Will you choose to be a Karma Warrior? www.karmawarriors.com

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Upcoming Events Kino McGregor Workshops ...a Weekend Fitness Celebration, power packed with the industry’s top presenters delivering amazing fitness workshops, lectures and master classes packed with fun, movement and education. www.empowerfitnessevents.com Apr 22 - Apr 24 May 13 - May 15 Sep 15 - Sep 18 Oct 21 - Oct 23 Nov 3 - Nov 6

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EMPOWER! Dallas EMPOWER! Ohio EMPOWER! Minneapolis EMPOWER! Denver EMPOWER! Laguna Niguel

Ohio Workshop, July 15-17, 2016 An entire weekend of Kino at YOGA ON HIGH. Enjoy workshops like The Path of Least Resistance, Ashtanga Magic, Arm Balances for Everyone, Guided Full Primary Series and Backbends.

Register at www.yogaonhigh.com.

Email: info@yogaonhigh.com Yoga on High 1081 N. High Street Columbus, OH Phone: 614.291.4444

Energy Medicine Yoga Retreat Energy Medicine Yoga weaves together the nine energy systems of the body into an intelligent yoga practice. Work directly with the underlying principles of energy that run your body to help boost vitality, strengthen immunity, reverse aging and form better lifestyle habits. In this retreat we will also increase focus and flexibility, strengthen core muscles, balance the endocrine system and relieve pain. www.emyoga.net

Conscious Community Authentic Connections. Transformational Experiences. Raise the Vibration at Hanuman Festival 2016. Hanuman Festival is a community-oriented yoga and music festival honoring the practice of yoga. Join us in beautiful Boulder, Colorado June 9-12, 2016 for an inspiring weekend with worldclass yoga instructors, mind-blowing music, inspirational experiences and a nourishing community. 3-day Yoga Passes are On Sale now for $329. Price available through 2/29/16.

Reserve your mat space today. Learn more at www.hanumanfestival.com

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The Lovelight Festival The Lovelight Festival is a three day transformational fest, held on August 26-28, that celebrates the evolution of Yoga culture—from the grassroots of the 60’s counterculture, into the modern Yoga studio and Transformational Arts Movements.

Featuring Kirtan and Yoga headliners Krishna Das and Dharma Mittra, as well as other beloved national and regional teachers, The Lovelight fest is packed full of musical performances, classes, drumming, flow arts and high vibrational food.

Founded by yoga musician Wynne Paris and Woodstock producer Michael Lang, the Lovelight festival brings spiritual traditions, artists and music together to create a full chakra experience that offers something for everyone, whether you are looking to connect with nature, deepen your practice, make new friends or bliss out for three more days of peace, love and music. www.lovelightfestival.com

Shine On Retreat w/ Taylor Harkness.

Two options: June 12-18th orJune 20-26th. I was tired of seeing yoga retreats priced only for the wealthy-- we all deserve to travel and unwind on a relaxing vacation that doesn’t break the bank. So I’ve worked hard to bring that to life. Imagine 7 days in a serene, remote hideaway with the jungle at your back and untouched, volcanic black sand beaches ahead– dreamy, right? The space is limited, so this will be a small group, traveling, having adventures, and practicing together in Costa Rica. Includes daily yoga practices, 3 big, family-style meals per day and nightly bonfires on the beach. Airfare is not included. Price: $1300 Retreat (yoga, lodging, meals), $200 Adventure package is packed with horseback riding, surf lessons, waterfall hikes, boat trip, fishing, and a massage. $1500 Total.

Take a break from the daily hustle, save some money, and come connect.

For more details visit www.taylorharkness.com/retreat

Come As You Are Weekend Workshop Series with Taylor Harkness May 20-22, at Santa Fe Thrive, 947 West Alameda Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501. This is a lighthearted and upbeat series of all-levels workshops with Taylor Harkness, focused on accessible anatomy and smart techniques to strengthen and deepen your yoga practice.

Early Bird (through April 20th) Entire Weekend (5 workshops): $175 Single Workshop: $38 Regular Entire Weekend (5 workshops): $200 Single Workshop: $45 www.taylorharkness.com/events

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Studio Partners Everything LifePower Yoga offers its students is meant to create community and enhance human connection, get them beyond the reactions of their mind and cultivate greater self love and acceptance. LifePower Yoga studios, which reside within Life Time destinations, are known for doing that by offering students an empowering and challenging, breath-driven vinyasa practice where they can explore and soften around their edges. Although known for heated Vinyasa, their LPYoga Yin classes provide yogis living a fast paced, hard-charging life the ability to slow down and drop into themselves while healing and nourishing the connective tissue. If you’re looking for a beautiful environment to practice and be challenged while surrounded by incredible people, LifePower Yoga is worth a visit. www.lifepoweryoga.com

We serve 100% organic plant-based food that can heal the body and balance the mind. We offer detox programs, fresh pressed juice and superfood smoothies, to make it easy to nourish the body from the inside out.

We offer delicious desserts and treats, uplifting the spirit. We offer aerial yoga, yoga, meditation classes, spiritual guidance and energy healing to balance the physical, and non-physical. We simply offer a space to ‘be.’ A

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space to feel inspired. A place to meet like minded people. An alternative to a coffee shop or bar. We are creating a healthy vibrant community, that perpetuates a harmonious balance between mind body and spirit. Trilogy provides a supportive framework towards harmony and wellbeing in peoples lives. www.trilogysanctuary.com

clude a large hot yoga studio and a separate non-heated studio in which some of our more specialized classes and Teacher Trainings are held. We provide our students with the best possible home for their Yoga practice. Our signature Hot Fusion Flow creates a fun, nurturing, safe, multilevel class that provides an extraordinary experience for the very beginner to the most advanced. Practice our Hot Fusion Flow anytime anywhere on our virtual studio at www.empowermovementyoga. com. For more info on upcoming Teacher Trainings, Retreats & location please visit www.theyogajoint.com

There’s an old saying: “You can’’t be all things to all people.” At We Yogis®, we fight that notion with our objective of providing “Yoga for All.” We Yogis® aims to provide a non-intimidating yoga environment where there is no comparison, no judgement, and no expectations.

As such, yogis are encouraged to practice at their pace and level of comfort. All classes are taught by Dallas’ finest certified yoga instructors, who are dedicated to help you meet your practice goals. www.weyogis.com

The Yoga Joint is a space where connections are fostered not only in our bodies and minds but in our community. Our facilities in-

Many people first find their way to MOSAIC through our yoga classes, however, MOSAIC is much more than a yoga studio. We offer a variety of programs in health, leadership and spiritual development in San Diego CA and Charlottesville VA. Our mission is to awaken and uplift the consciousness of human beings and thus, the world, one Soul at a time. Often people that connect with MOSAIC’s mission are those that are looking for “something more” during this time in which so many feel lost or disconnected from a larger purpose and greater meaning. We invite you to come explore with us. www.exploremosaic.com

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Bros Gone

Conscious

BY DJ TAZ RASHID

I

t is early 2008, and I am still chasing the dream of making “big easy money.” I’m working a sales job door to door and signing businesses up to change their electricity provider in Chicago. I see other employees getting huge commission checks; it could be me too, I think. But deep inside I completely hate what I am doing and feel more than a hint of dishonesty in the company’s business model (how it set up contracts for new clients). I still convince myself that I am helping others; I should just trust my managers and do what they say. Imagine a work culture similar to the movie “Boiler Room” with Ben Affleck.

Outside of all the craziness, one of the managers recommends the book “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. I had read some leadership books by Dale Carnegie in college days but never any self-help books in the spiritual realm. The book stopped me in my tracks.

If you haven’t read it, here’s the synopsis:

Be impeccable with your word Don’t take anything personally Don’t make assumptions and Always do you best (By the way, reading the book itself is amazing. If you want to practice the principles, actually read it.)

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My manager thought these “simple” concepts would help any sales person. I was captivated - I read it in one day and then re-read it again. I was changed.

Imagine me being so depressed at my door-to-door sales job that I am literally sitting in my car for hours without even being able to get myself out. This went on for days and then weeks.

After reading The Four Agreements, a part of mind and spirit woke up. I knew I had to leave that job ASAP and felt that I was just slowly killing my creativity - which was the juice of my life - by doing something I completely hated.

I didn’t know where I was going to go but I had to get out.

I needed to do something I enjoyed. I could always do my best. I could have integrity. I could speak my truth.

So ponder this: what aspects of your life do you dread, and what will it take for you to start doing what you really want to do - you can always do your best. Now when I look back on my story, I see so many synchronistic points in my life where - when I was true to my passions and brought in a deal of trust in the creative process - how so many new doors opened for me. The key is trusting in the life force. When we get out of our own way (the things we have done because of fear or greed) the pathways to creative solutions and opportunities open right in front of us.

DJ Taz Rashid is an international musician performing for mindful yoga and music events and festivals specializing in music for meditation, yoga and dance. He lives in Chicago, IL with is wife.

For a Free Gift of music, text on your phone ‘DIGEST2016’ to the number 44222.

www.DJTazRashid.com facebook.com/djtazrashid soundcloud.com/djtazrashid WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

Staff Picks THE GIFT OF LOVE set

from Gemstone Organic is all about giving the gift of Rose Quartz to open the heart and spread loving energy!

Rose Quartz is the stone of unconditional love and balances and awakens the heart chakra.

The set includes a Rose Quartz gemstone beads and organic bracelet made from high vibrational Gemstone Essence Rose Quartz Face Crème made with quartz and other select from rose quartz, kunzite, smokey made to reveal a softer, crystals. This unique gem blend is heart chakra is balanced, smoother complexion. When your r outlook is positive and your life flows with more ease, you the love of the uniyour pains are softened, backed by ic.com verse! $67 at www.gemstoneorgan

MAYA CHIA BEAUTY, one of the first lines to use chia oil as an ingredient in skin care and just named today one of the best clea n face and body oils by GOOP is now adding natu ral astaxanthin (nature’s strongest antioxid ant) in a newly-launched formulation calle d The Super Couple TM face oil seru m. Ř Revitalizes photo-aged skin by quenching oxidative stress and inflammation in all skin layers Ř Reduces the size of wrinkles and improves skin texture Ř Brightens skin tone and lightens the appearance of age spots Maya Chia uses a patented supercritical extraction method expressly created to ensure purity, stability, and maximum potency of the oil nutrients www.mayachia.com

social media Inspirational yoga instructors and oga and Kerri noy @ki gor Gre celebrities, Kino Mac ed up with Verna @beachyogagirl have team RS collection!

STA OM r thei te LIQUIDO to crea ion collection has Bold and unique, this limited edit en who like to been specifically designed for wom ss into their lifestyle. integrate fashion, comfort and fitne active wear that can Offering women stylish and bold comfort and ease. bring them on and off the mat with www.liquidoactive.com

One #TRUTHBOMB can go a long way: minds changed, hearts opened , souls soothed. Each deck comes with 134 velvety #Truthbomb cards, printed on heavy, creamy stock with gold foil icon embossing.

Use them as your daily oracle or sneak a card into your friends’ purse. www.daniellelapor te.com WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM

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Out of

Your

Comfort Zone With

Kurt Johnsen

Do it in the Morning

Many have asked me, “when is the best time in the day to practice yoga?”

Though, I don’t like to admit it, especially because most of my classes are in the evening, the best time to do it is in the morning First of all, the practice of yoga sets up the rest of the day. As you may already know, the practice itself will make you feel great and help you find peace from within. What an awesome way to start any and every day. As you continue to practice you will often you are able to hold onto the peace and happiness for longer periods of the day.

Yoga in the morning also awakens the body with out the help of things like coffee and sugar that end up depleting energy through out the rest of the day.

As you go through your day there is also less chance for injuries because, you have already warmed up and connected with your body.

Yoga sets up an optimal breathing pattern, which will do many things, from burning more calories, to reducing anxiety and improving mental performance.

When you have those type of qualities when you head out to take on the challenges of the day, imagine how much better you can perform, how much more success you will have and how much more energy you will have to share with family, friends and loved ones.

3UDFWLFLQJ LQ WKH PRUQLQJ ZLOO DOVR WHQG WR LQÀXHQFH eating patterns through out the rest of the day, leading practitioners towards a more healthy and balanced diet.

Morning practitioners are often less sore after intense classes because they stay active afterwards giving the body a chance to remove lactic acid before it builds up.

Monks and martial artists through out history have trained in the morning because they knew that the energy of the body is the lowest in the morning. They

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knew that this practice forges discipline and that training the body to respond for demands of energy during the weakest hours will ensure an abundance of energy the rest of the day.

Last, but certainly not least, doing it in the morning eliminates the likelihood of “something coming up” during the day that interferes with practicing in the afternoon or evening. So you can end up doing what you want to do and being who you want to be. So wake up and do it in the morning!

Kurt Johnsen is the founder of the nationally recognized yoga system, American Power Yoga, and host of Yoga for Life. He is the CEO of Simplified Genetics, a health and lifestyle company offering proprietary genetic tests which generate actionable results for maintaining optimal fitness and assessing the genetic risks of traumatic head injuries.

www.simplifiedgenetics.com facebook.com/kurt.johnsen WWW.YOGADIGEST.COM