Yoga Digest - July/August 2015

J U LY / AU G U S T 2 0 1 5

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

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JULY / AUGUST 2015

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

Senior Columnists Kurt Johnsen Glenna Musante

Copy Editor Alexis Schrepple

Senior Contributor Kim Bauman

Magazine Designer Zoran Maksimovic

Contributors Angela Ambrose Cary Caster Karen Costa Sylva Dvorak Ann Everhart Ryan Glidden Rene’ Hawthorne Donna Morin Jess Pirnak Carol Roberts Dave Romanelli

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Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News

The Family Wellness Issue Ahhh summertime! Regardless of your lifestyle, you might take notice that, come summer time, things are just a little more relaxed. Schedules are not as routine, vacations are being taken, traffic is a little lighter on the morning commute and we tend to get a little lackadaisical about everything in general. It’s called the lazy days of summer for a reason. It’s a great time to kick back and enjoy the outdoors, take some time off and celebrate!

While we believe balance is the key to overall health and slowing down is imperative to steady growth, we also realize that summer time can turn into permanent vacation mode. Checking out from the stresses of everyday life can sometimes lead to checking out on the healthy habits we practice during the more routine times of the year.

Enjoying time with family might mean spending time away from healthy eating, working out and taking care of ourselves. That’s why we chose this issue to emphasize the importance of wellness as a family affair. We reached out to numerous experts for tips, methods and ideas to keep you and your entire family healthy this summer!

Efficiency is always a valuable thing and we love the time saving strategies featured in this issue like the Two Fit Moms ‘12-minute Yoga Sequence for Busy Families’ WW W.YOGAD I GEST. CO M

(see page 60). Eating healthy as a family can be a challenge anytime of the year. Check out some great tips from Dietician Jess Pirnak on page 70. It’s not always about the quantity of time, but also the quality. We feature some great articles and stories that can help you connect with the people around you! Summer gives us the opportunity to play and re-live our childhood in a lot of ways! We are excited to shed some light on our youth in this issue and found some super cool kids who give hope for our future! We are also very excited to announce that we are building a school in Kenya and you can be a part of it! Check out the amazing ‘Change Heroes’ story on page 28 and how you help on page 33.

We are blessed to have so many passionate wellness advocates and yogis to create this issue chock-full of information and insight. We saw a nice quote recently that says ‘Your vibe attracts your tribe!’ We couldn’t be happier to find so many like-minded individuals that inspire, educate and connect our world! A big thank-you to all of those who continue to support us and our mission!

Jenn Bodnar & Cody Groth Founders/Chief Editors Yoga Digest

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Table of

Contents INSPIRE

TWO FIT MOMS ������������������������������������������ 10 6 COOL KIDS THAT ARE Changing the World ������������������������������������ 18 CHANGE HEROES Taylor Conroy…

The Road to Happiness �������������������������28

EDUCATE

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

by Cary Caster

������������������� 34

MIXING IT UP How My Family Practices the Yamas and Niyamas ������������������������ 38

by Karen Costa

STRENGTHENING FAMILY TIES Through Ritual ������������������������������������������������40

by Sylva Dvorak, PhD

FAMILY CONNECTION Survey �������������������������������������������������������������������� 43 STRENGTHEN YOUR Intuitive Capacities With Your Siblings ���������������������������������������� 44

by Carol Roberts

YEAH DAVE KIDS �������������������������������������45

by Dave Romanelli

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GROWING UP at Warp Speed! �����������������������������������������������46

by Rene’ Hawthorne

WHAT WILL YOGA LOOK LIKE for the Next Generation? ���������������������� 50

by Ryan Glidden

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SIMPLY SAFE What does your child’s DNA say? ��� 54 HYDRO POWER Train Hard and Stretch Deeply in the Water ���������������58

by Angela Ambrose

THE 12 MINUTE YOGA SEQUENCE For Busy Families ��������������������������������������� 60

by The Two Fit Moms

FASHION & FUNCTION From Studio to Street to Resort Wear, Yoga Wear is Taking Over �������62

by Glenna B. Musante

AQUA WELLNESS RESORT: Check, Check, and Check �������������������66

by Ann Everhart

WHEN YES MEANS NO ���������������������68

by Donna Morin

HEALTHY EATING TIPS for Familes on th Go! With Jess Pirnak �������������������������������������������� 70

by Jess Pirnak

RECIPES ������������������������������������������������������������� 72

CONNECT

HIMALAYAN PINK SALT The Good Salt ������������������������������������������������ 76 SHELTER TO SOLDIER Saving Lives, Two at A Time ��������������� 78 IN EVERY ISSUE

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YD WARRIORS! ���������������������������������������������� 8 INSPIRED VOICES �������������������������������������� 9 POKEWEED ILLUSTRATIONS w/ Drew Pocza �����������������������������������������������69 STAFF PICKS ��������������������������������������������������77 OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE w/ Kurt Johnsen ���������������������������������������������82 WWW.YOGADIG E ST.C O M

THE ONE LOVE MOVEMENT “SERVE YOUR HEART”

THE ONE LOVE MOVEMENT “SERVE YOUR HEART”

Be a part of something big, something that matters, something that is sure to create change in the world. Please join us for our 4th annual charity yoga event. You plus 100’s of yogis coming together in one space to serve and give back to homeless and under-privileged kids.

Tickets & event info:

www.jointheonelovemovement.org Date:

Saturday, August 8th, 2015

Location:

Waterfront Park, San Diego, California

Time:

10am-1pm

Yoga Teachers:

Taylor Harkness Mackenzie Miller Kim Bauman Jaysea DeVoe Live music:

DJ Drez & Marti Nikko

YD Warriors!

Growing up, wellness, as it’s being discussed here, wasn’t something I was widely exposed to. Had it been, I imagine that my experience with addiction would have been rather different. It’s with this belief that my children have been exposed to the practice and conversations surrounding yoga, as well as a wide variety of other physical pursuits from a very early age. My hope is that each creates a respectful and loving relationship with their body and are able to consistently role model and experience the support of a positive community.

NICK BEZ

How does wellness fit into your family traditions, activities and lifestyle?

Wellness plays a major role in everything that I do. It is almost second nature to be active, through practicing yoga, going for a run or even swimming some laps in the pool. Traditionally, my family has always done some type of movement together.

This could be in the form of pick up basketball, a 5k fun walk or even taking in some dance classes. I see movement as an intricate piece in the puzzle of a long and healthy life. It is something that we can do on our own and is the modern day fountain of youth elixir.

STEPHEN JONES

LESLEY CARNEY

I grew up in a small town, where being active outdoors was something family’s did for fun simply because there wasn’t much else to do. As technology becomes more and more a part of our lives, creating wellness traditions is key. When I have children, healthy cooking and playing yoga together will be activities we enjoy on a daily basis. My boyfriend and I have our personal wellness routines, but we find that our partner & acro-yoga time together strengthens our bond with one another, not just our bodies. Creating healthy meals together, feeds the soul, not just the stomach.

Growing up, my parents always instilled the importance of eating and living clean.

Athletics were also a big part of my life. I followed in Dad’s footsteps playing Division 1 baseball at Arizona State University. My baseball career was cut short from a major knee injury. After the operation, I was bed ridden and dealt with excruciating pain for a month. That is when my mom introduced me to pranayama breathing to cope with the pain. Today, almost my entire family have a regular yoga practice. My brother Danny even teaches yoga to his kids at his elementary school. Yoga truly is the gift that keeps on giving!

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DONNY STARKINS

LORRAINE SCHRAY

Growing up, health and wellness to my parents generation featured passive actions like taking a prescription drug to get better or justifying ten hour work days as sufficient exercise. I was determined to be different. I began gymnastics at age 12 and have been a fitness fanatic for the past 40 years. My children have never known anything different than this dedication to fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Our weekends were full of sports activities, meets, games, and tournaments. Today at 20, my son plays College football and my daughter 23, makes fitness part of her daily regime. The passion has been set and hopefully will continue for generations.

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Fitness and wellness is my lifestyle. So much so that I have successfully made a career of it as a single parent and inspired my son to follow in my footsteps. Every difficult period in my life I was able to tap into the discipline that I have from living a healthy lifestyle and pull myself through it without missing a beat. Yoga especially has saved my sanity and maybe even my life. I am grateful every day to actually merge my passion and livelihood into one. I honestly never feel like I am going to work. Health and wellness is my foundation. I love sharing it with others. Namaste.

Robin Lynn Varnado, Dallas, TX As an insulin dependent diabetic, fitness and nutrition is a priority in our family! Yoga digest helps us with great ideas and recipes that can benefit anyone, not just the yoga enthusiast!

Eddie Russo, Keller, TX It’s a part of our everyday life! From what we eat to the activities we do as a family!

We make sure everything focuses around healthy eating and fitness. From the restaurants we eat at and the activities we do! We try to always incorporate something physical that is fun for our girls!

Amber Blanch, Midlothian, Texas Fortunately, my family and I enjoy working out. It’s part of our daily regimen. My husband enjoys working out with our boys. I regularly attend Pure Barre, Kickboxing and cycling classes, which give me increased energy to keep everyone on track!

Heather Ledesma, Highland Village, Texas.

Yoga, and of course, healthy eating habits, enable me to be the mama I want to be to my son.

Jeanna Hooper, Frisco, Texas.

Wellness is well woven into my family in many ways. My girls are getting older now and are much more conscious about what they eat. We sit down to dinner together each night with a balanced meal. I go to the gym every week day. They go to sports. Every weekend we make exercise fun! Bicycling, running, walking, skateboarding, and surfing. And we do it together as a family... With the occasional frozen yogurt thrown in. I suppose it is about balance. And mostly about making wellness fun! Because happiness is riding a bike with your kids laughing, the sun in your face, the wind in your hair and the ocean for your view!

Kimmie Ramas, Redondo Beach, California.

Visit yogadigest.com/inspired-voices to respond to next issue’s question

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Photo by wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

For me it’s about representing my best self. I am my best self when I’m fit and care about what is fueling my body and how I care for those around me. It’s about teaching my kids to represent their best self and they WILL be their best self when they are active, participating in caring for the environment and reaping the rewards by enjoying the outdoors. We often take Sunday hikes and really talk about what matters. It’s my favorite time when phones are put away on Sunday’s for a hike with my favorite peeps:) Amy Rasmussen, Denver, Colorado.

BY JENN BODNAR PHOTOS COURTESY OF GAIAM

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Meet the Two Fit Moms, Laura Kasperzak (aka Laura Sykora) and Masumi Goldman, who share the goal of staying healthy and fit along with a pretty large part of the population between their respective Instagram accounts.

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INSPIRE Two Fit Moms

W

hen these two dynamic personalities met in high school during their freshman biology class, they may not have predicted that one day they would be a voice to millions of devout followers looking for guidance and tips on yoga, nutrition, wellness and healthy living.

Though their lives are very parallel, they each followed unique paths toward the yoga lifestyle. Masumi had always lifted weights, enjoyed running and being active and remembers her dad living the same lifestyle as a child. A former Wall Street Analyst and MIT graduate, Masumi discovered that yoga, along with a proper fitness and nutrition plan, can reverse the ill effects of a stressful, unbalanced life. She was inspired to begin practicing yoga after being diagnosed with a painful autoimmune disease that often left her immobile. As a mother of two young children, being immobile was not an option. Along with a macrobiotic diet, Masumi used yoga to heal and rehabilitate parts of her body that lost flexibility after months of inflammation and chronic pain. Laura began her yoga journey 17 years ago as an addition to her already existing exercise routine. Yoga wasn’t a huge step into the unknown, as she has a background in gymnastics and cheerleading.

It was also another way to connect with her family.

One day, she asked Masumi to join her for yoga teacher training. They became certified in August of 2013 and Two Fit Moms was born!

@LAURASYKORA on The instagram name @laurasykora has over 1 million followers. I was embarrassed to admit that I thought Sykora was her maiden nam e! I had to confirm which she preferred to go by ‘Sykora’ or ‘Kasperzak’? Laura shared that Syk ora is the name of a hockey player that she had a crush on back in the day.

She had been using that username for the last 15 years. “When I signed up for instagram, I was like, “What’s my username? Oh, Laura Sykora!” It’s funny when people meet my husband and greet him as Mr. Sykora.”

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Exercise makes life easier to live, it makes you feel better about yourself, and it’s especially important for new moms to get back to their body and to feel good!

—Laura Kasperzak Although they are the ‘Two Fit Moms’, their following includes teens, the elderly, lots of moms (of course), and even men. They recently became the face of Gaiam’s new apparel brand found at Kohl’s and believe that yoga clothing should be affordable and accessible to all. It should also be comfortable and wearable beyond the yoga studio. I think all yoga moms can agree with that! “The fabrics are flowy and flattering for many different body types, so it really embodies the concept of yoga for everyone, which is really what we stand for,” says Masumi. “It’s very easy to find high end yoga clothes. They’re gorgeous, they feel great, but not everyone wants to blow that much of their budget on fitness apparel.” Laura adds that it looks and feels good, it doesn’t seem like she just walked out of the gym, and admits that she was actually wearing it during our phone interview!

When asked what the #1 intention is behind Two Fit Moms, Masumi says it was important to have a landing page because instagram provides just a snapshot for viewers who were needing and wanting more. The Two Fit Moms website was created to share recipes, learn more about the two of them, and provide more interaction. Laura adds that even though the brand is Two Fit Moms, their intention is to provide encouragement, direction, and tools for everyone to take care of their body. She says exercise makes life easier to live, it makes you feel better about yourself, and it’s especially important for new moms to get back to their body and to feel good! She says, “No one likes to not feel good about themselves.”

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According to the American Psychological Association, 75% of adults report experiencing moderate to high levels of stress each month. It’s almost become normal and acceptable in our world. Most people don’t even realize they’re stressed. I asked the moms what advice they give to those who are burning the candle at both ends. Laura says it’s important, in addition to your exercise or movement of choice to be sure to take at least 15-30 minutes a day to yourself for optimal mental clarity. She says it’s important that moms do not get lost in their kids.

While having children brings many lifestyle changes, it’s important not to lose yourself and to devote time to your well-being.

With family wellness being our overall theme this issue, I wanted to know how making healthy lifestyle choices impacts and helps their families. Laura says simply that she’s a happier person and that in itself is contagious; if you’re happier with yourself and with your job, you tend to be happier at home. She says that when her two kids see her on her mat, they want to play and she feels it’s letting them know that fitness and being healthy is important. Masumi feels very strongly that regardless of what exercise you choose, it’s important for young children to see you make your wellness journey a priority in life. She says when she was growing up, it was just a natural part of her morning to see her father completing his exercises in the living room. It wasn’t strange, it was just like brushing your teeth! Masumi wants to provide the

Imagine if everyone could put themselves in someone else’s shoes and understand the pain, the suffering, the struggles…we would all be driven to take action to help improve those circumstances.

—Masumi Goldman

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Masumi On Meditation

“Everybody is different and every bod y is different. When you’re in the middle of your yoga practice, you literally cannot focus on anything except what you’re doing. Which is sort of what happens in a seated meditation, you end up tuning out the rest of the world. I was able to enter a meditation just by moving thro ugh my yoga practice, but what do you do when your body hurts so badly that you can’t do a moving practice? That’s when I turned to sea ted meditation practice.”

same experience for her kids; that it’s not a chore, it’s just the norm.

We believe that health should come first and that as a society we could be so much better if everyone adopted some habits from wellness professionals like Laura and Masumi. I asked them what the biggest problem with society is. Masumi’s response took my breath away.

She says that the world would be a much better place if people had the ability to place themselves in the shoes of another person. “Empathy. Imagine if someone could put themselves in someone else’s shoes and understand the pain, the suffering, the struggles…we would all be driven to take action to help improve those circumstances,” says Masumi. Laura puts it simply enough, “Just be more kind, appreciate the people around you, don’t be so quick to judge, others or yourself.”

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INSPIRE Two Fit Moms

5 Quick Tips to Get Your Kids to do Yoga

BY LAURA KASPERZAK Health and fitness has always been an integral part of my life. When I found out that I was pregnant in March of 2005, I was overjoyed that I was going to be a mom, but I was also panicked about how it was going to change my body and how I was going to get it back to its pre-pregnancy state. It wasn’t until after I had my son that I realized that life and fitness don’t end when you have a child. My body was still mine. I just had to reclaim it!

Fast forward to today. I’m 36, I have two kids, a husband, a full time job and a growing business...

My goals of staying fit have not changed...HOW I make the time and get it done has changed. One of my favorite things to do now is to get my kids on my mat with me! Whether it’s for 5 or 10 minutes, it’s an opportunity to get them involved in my exercise routine.

Here are five quick tips on how I got my kids involved!

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”

— Audrey Hepburn

full DO NOT expect them to do a , but ious obv nds sou practice! I know that join

ted to when my son and daughter star love with in fall just me, I thought they would utes with min 45 30yoga and practice the full of 10 do age the er me. WRONG. Children und n, but spa n ntio atte not have that long of an mat. the on s ute min they can manage 5-10 So, start there! nBegin with the basics! Kids love Dowra

is Cob ward Facing Dog. Another favorite Easy ted sea and II pose, Tree Pose, Warrior r inne beg at gre are se Pose or Sukhasana. The poses, in general.

perTeach them...but don’t expect es. pos the of es nam fection! Teach them the

y will pick You will be amazed how quickly the ULD be SHO y the t them up. Teach them wha n’t perare es pos the doing, and don’t fret if ng to goi not are y fect. Just make sure the hurt themselves.

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Get them their ow

n yoga gear! I do know about your n’t kids, but mine lo ve to have their own stuff...the ir own space and their own gear. So maybe lo ok into a toddler m at or even an inexpensive full-sized mat! Th ey will feel grown up and you won’t have to shar e your mat!

Make it fun! Rem ember to keep it light and fun! In my experie nce, it’s all about the memories you are bu ilding with your child while instilling the impo rtance of fitness.

Keep your practice with them consistent. It bu ilds their knowledge and m akes it part of thei r daily routine...something that can last a lifet ime!

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INSPIRE Two Fit Moms

5 Healthy Things You Should Do EVERY day

BY MASUMI GOLDMAN Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be stressful or impossible. You don’t need to overhaul all of your habits at once and plunge into a lifestyle that you barely recognize.

Spare yourself the anxiety and shock of a sudden shift in habits by incorporating changes into your life, one small step at a time. The trick is to feel successful. If you feel successful, you will continue down the path of wellness.

Let me introduce you to our short list of wellness tips that you can incorporate into your own life in order to make health a top priority for you and your family. We have boiled it down to five simple steps that you can take every single day to start feeling better immediately.

If you aren’t quite ready to tackle all five tips at once, add one each day until these habits feel effortless. As the old saying goes… “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

It’s just fine to lay one building block today and maybe another one tomorrow.

Once you get the hang of these basic steps and have incorporated them into your daily life, you can continue to add to this list to create a daily plan that works for you.

Go Outside

kest way to Getting some fresh air is the quic r mind. It’s change your mood and clear you air can do--amazing what a little sunlight and d really is and it’s not all in your head! Your moo production changing, as sunlight increases the n. Whether of the mood-lifting hormone, serotoni g, or sipyou’re walking, doing yoga, gardenin e an effort to ping your morning coffee/tea, mak enjoy some set aside 30 minutes every day to fresh air and sunshine.

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Make a Meal

Ideally, you’d mak e all of your mea ls at home, but I know that lif e is busy. Some nights, it’s easiest to just or der from a local re st aurant or to meet friends for dinner. Yes, yo u can find healthy options an d do quite well at re st aurants, but at the end of the day, no one w ill take as much care with yo ur food as you will.

At home, you can control th e amount of sodi um, oil and sugar that goes into each dish. An d at home, you can be sure th at your produce is scrubbed and the ingredie nts are fresh and offer a variety of nutrients.

At a restaurant, you lose all of that control, so I encourage you to commit to making a mea l for yourself at le ast once a day. For those of you who don’t lik e to cook or don’t know ho w to cook, start out with an easy meal. Breakf ast is a great plac e to start.

If you don’t have the kitchen prow ess to bake an oatmeal cake or make a vegeta ble frittata, blend a smoothie . A fruit smoothie mixed with greens and chia seeds (or hemp se eds or flax seeds) and may be some almond butter is a great healthy choi ce for you.

Unplug from Ele

ctronics I know that this is a tough one. Righ t now, I’m fully immersed in the current season of Game of Thrones, and there’s just no w ay that I’m giving it up. I get it. I’m not asking you to give up all of your favo rite shows or aski ng you to cancel your phon e service. I’m sim ply asking you to limit your time with your el ectronics by unplugging from it all each day. St art by being more mindful of ho w many precious hours you spend in front of your television, yo ur iPad and your cellphone. Ca n you turn it off at a set time each evening? Ca n you limit your self to an hour of television every other nigh t? Can you pare down the lis t of shows that yo u watch?

Can you limit yo ur social media interactions to a 15 or 30-min ute block of tim e? Decide on limits that se ems reasonable to you, and enforce them. I kn ow that when I tu rn off my electronics, I am more productive.

I read more, cook more, sleep more, write more, and feel more connected to my own life. I be t you notice the change in yo ur own life, too.

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Do Something for Yourself

Make a commitment to do somethi ng for yourself each day. Let it be an acti vity that you love. Let it be an activity that you do purely for pleasure and not out of obligation. I happen to love exercis ing, but if I’m being honest with myself, there is definitely a component of obligati on to my health when my alarm clock buz zes each morning. When I curl up in my bed with a favorite book, there are no strin gs attached. It’s pure pleasure reading.

Find your own activity that brings you joy and do it each day--- even if it’s for just a 15-minute block of time. This is one simple way to bring balance into you r life.

Move Your Body

Get into the habit of moving your body each day. If you are not already in this habit, start out small. You don’t need to start training for a marathon tod ay if that’s not what floats your boa t. You can start with a few minutes of pus h-ups and crunches on your bedroom floor.

You can go for a walk. You can atte nd a yoga class or go for a bike ride . You can go to the gym or jump rope in the park. The possibilities are endless , and you don’t have to start with an overwhelming exercise regimen. Lay the foundation by building healthy hab its.

Once the habits are established, continue building upon them.

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BY JENN BODNAR by the Kaiser Famccording to a 2010 study conducted the ages of eight and ily Foundation, children between seven hours per day eighteen years old spend more than listening to music, surfing the consuming media — watching TV, video games. The study also Web, social networking, and playing t on mobile devices with an found a particular rise in time spen and 20 minutes since 1999. overall increase of about an hour e parents wondering, ‘who With statistics like these it can leav future?’ With labels like the will take care of our world in the Natives’, it can be very discour‘Facebook Generation’ and ‘Digital tyles and hope their children aging to parents who live active lifes dren have interest to explore will do the same. Today, far less chil far too many distractions right and play in our world. There are at their fingertips. who renew our faith in the We set out to find a few cool kids Call them innovators, game future and in our current society. call them inspiring, rare and changers, pioneers or leaders… We their choices are creating unique and are happy to share how positive change in our world!

A

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Kai Lightner

Kai is a competitive rock climber that has earned 9 National Championship titles, 3 Pan American Championship titles, and is a reig ning Youth Lead World Champion. Outdoors he has an impressive record of climbing numerous tou gh routes graded 8b+ (5.14a) through 9a (5.14d).

Why do you do what you do?

For as long as I remember, climbing has always been a huge part of my life. I think I hav e always enjoyed climbing to the top of things and looking down to enjoy the view. As I have grown mor e in the sport of rock climbing, the process of setting a goal and dedicating myself to working hard to ach ieve the goal has become very addictive. Although this process leaves me incredibly frustrated, upset, and disa ppointed most of the time, for me it’s worth the struggle and sacrifice for the times that I do excel, and conque r my goal. Once I conquer my goal, am I satisfied?

Of course not, I just raise the goal and start the process all over again.

Why do you think other kids are not doing what you do?

One reason is exposure. Unless you live near established climbing crags, it can be exp ensive to get into the sport. Distant trips to climbing crags and gym fees can be expensive for average inco me households. Just like the monkey bars is a popular attraction at playgrounds, I think rock climbing would be a very natural and fun acti vity for most people, if it was as available and easy to access.

of my school work, and maintaining my training/ traveling schedule takes up most of my days. I don’t really have time to pursue other hob bies, unless you count watching youtube videos and Netflix movies (on the go).

What’s the biggest problem in our society?

I think the biggest problem in our society is people judging a book by its cover. Wh ether you talk about race, gender, or any specific event, people are often too quick to make judgeme nt calls about things that they don’t really know or understand.

I think that if people could approa ch things with an open mind, they would find tha t they can enjoy and appreciate more things (an d people) than they realize.

Who inspires you the most?

My mom. Somehow she is able to effectively juggle so many important things at the sam e time, which include but are not limited to bein g a university professor, helping me handle my rock -climbing, and on top of it all, being a mom. She always seems to be in control and on top of it all.

I would love to develop and master that skill one day.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I have no idea. With college only 2 years away this question keeps popping up a lot! I enjoy math, climbing, public speaking, traveling, and writing. These interests are very different and I have to figure out the best care er path which fits things that I enjo y doing most. Determining the answer to this question, is probably the toughest dilemma that I am facing right now.

What’s your favorite hobby(hob bies) or interests?

I am a 10th grade honors student that travels most weekends to train, com pete, or attend events. Staying on top

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INSPIRE 6 Cool Kids That are Changing the World

Devoe Jaysea

ale yoga inJaysea is the youngest certified fem SUP yoga ified cert st nge structor in the US, & You young nted tale a is oe instructor in the world. DeV an.

Oce the nd yogi and loved to be arou Why do you do what you do? hing yoga is my I am a Yoga instructor because teac ut being able abo ng ethi passion. There is just som . tice prac r thei to guide people through doing what Why do you think other kids are not you do? found there I feel some other kids have just not ything will ever , fine lly passion yet and that’s tota to. ed happen when it is suppos grow up?

What do you want to be when you g a yoga bein e tinu con to t When I grow up I wan back to ng givi ld wor the instructor and travel the community.

What’s your favorite hobby(ies)? o Yoga, ukuAcr are bies Some of my favorite hob g, SUP Yoga, rdin boa dle lele, surfing, Stand Up Pad . elry making hand made jew society?

What’s the biggest problem in our our society in s blem pro I feel one of the biggest ng, and lovi , kind e mor be is that people need to supportive to others.

Who inspires you the most? would say that I have a lot of Inspirations, but I ion. irat insp the ocean is my biggest

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Koa Halpern

Koa is a seventeen-year-old Coloradan with big dreams.

He began his first non-profit, Fast Foo d Free, at the age of ten. This non-profit, which encourag es people of all ages to stop eating fast food for two weeks, has been quite successful: Koa has appeared on the radio, TV, and has been mentioned in several books. Currently, he is working on another nonprofit, Try a Bite, which focuses on eating healthy meals in general. You can visit his website at www.fastfoodfree.o rg.

Why do you do what you do?

I want to help other people live better lives, help the environment, reduce animal crue lty, and make the world a better place! I thin k everyone wants these positive impacts to hap pen. Some people don’t realize that making a few simple changes to thei r lives, like eating less unhealthy foo d, will change all of these things for the better! I feel that it is my job to bring the facts to as many people as possible, especially kids.

Why do you think other kids are not doing what you do?

Many people don’t realize what a neg ative impact fast food and other unhealt hy foods have on our planet. Sometimes it’s because their parents and teachers don’t know this information either. Perh aps if they did know, they might speak up and try to help the world. Unfortunately, the trut h is that many kids also like unhealthy food, and parents enjoy the convenience that fast food offe rs. They see no problem with this broken system.

What’s the biggest problem in our society?

I think the biggest problem is that with so many people in the world today, many don ’t think they can make a difference. The truth is, thou gh, that everyone can change the world. Whether you ’ve made a big change or a small one, you can still make the world a better place. I think it’s very importa nt to know this. it’s empowering and it might just make the world a better place.

Who inspires you the most?

There are so many inspirational role models in the world, it’s difficult to choose just one. However, I would say that Billie Jean King is a huge role model to me.

She became famous for her professional tennis career, but she utilized that fame to stand up for causes she believed in, including equal rights and even the anti-obesity movement. Today, she continues to be an incredible person and a true inspiration.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I’m not sure! Above all, I would like to help people and the world in a positive way.

What’s your favorite hobby, hobbies or interests?

That’s a difficult question! I enjo y everything from collecting coins to flying mod el rockets. I also enjoy reading, tennis, hiking, and hanging out with friends. If you could call Fast Food Free a hobby, I certainly think that it would be my favorite - after all, it has changed the world for the better. I’ve loved the experience of helping people and the world, and I have no plans to stop anytime soon.

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INSPIRE 6 Cool Kids That are Changing the World

Freddy Hinkle

fourth grade at Freddy is 10 years old, and in the avid baseball Tanglewood Elementary School. An Little League player, Freddy plays for the University s and a cat, and and All Star team. He has two dog , Gray. He lives hangs out a lot with his little brother to go to Texas in Fort Worth, Texas, and hopes . In his spare Christian University to play baseball time he writes inspiring poems!

Why do you do what you do? good about Because I want to make people feel important it is themselves and remind them how to inspire each other. not doing Why do you think other kids are what you do? ut it as much as Maybe because they don’t think abo do other things!

I do? I’m not sure. Maybe they just grow up?

What do you want to be when you A Major League Baseball Player What are your favorite hobbies? s! I love to Collecting football and baseball card I am a sports learn about players. My mom says a sportscaster encyclopedia and that I should be a lot. It helps for ESPN someday. I play baseball with what I me stay focused and have goals, like want to do with my life. iety?

What’s the biggest problem in soc etimes the Som es. crim y man too I think there are ple do drugs. crimes are committed because peo they are sad And I think people do drugs because ings. Maybe or afraid, or they can’t show their feel in their family. that’s because something happened bad for them, When I think about it like that, I feel and brother and want to help. Sometimes my mom eless people and I go down to the where a lot of hom s on a hot day are in town and give them popsicle n they are so or hot chocolate when it’s cold. The ing them just grateful. They can’t believe we are help like that, more because we want to. Maybe things s and crime. nice things, will help people stay of drug Who inspires you the most? test players of Cal Ripken. He was one of the grea all time, and he is an author too.

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INSPIRE 6 Cool Kids That are Changing the World

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Rebecca Moyal

Rebecca is a spontaneous, loud, and funny 15-year-old Texan of Puerto Rican descent. She has been practicing yoga since she was 5 years old and loves being upside down. Rebecca currently attends Tarr ant County College Collegiate Academy for acad emic studies, and recently received her 200RYT thro ugh Life Power Yoga. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga, painting, listening to music and bak ing with her dad.

Why do you do what you do?

We are human, which means we are in some way floating inside a meat sack supported by bones. Even though we all have minds and bodies, the involvement keeps us curious, which is why I “yo ga”. The physical poses connect you to your bod y and make you feel those wonderful sensations, but it also becomes a life practice that makes you awa re and connected to everyone and everything around you. Yoga can change lives. It can make you phy sically and emotionally stronger, healthier, and mor e balanced. Yoga can make you more compassionate as a human, as it has for me. I teach to share my love and passion for yoga, and to inspire others to find their true selves.

Why do you think other kids are not doing what you do?

This can be so frustrating! I see how much yoga has improved my life and I want kids to experience the benefits as well. I think it’s because they don’t have that mindset yet. I was opened to my spiritual journey at a very young age. Yoga was introdu ced to me when I was 5 years old. I think kids my age consider it just a boring, stretch class, so they find abso lutely no interest.

To me, this is terribly sad because I know in my heart that yoga is so much more. Also, som e are not ready to connect with themselves emotionally and mentally yet.

We all have our own journey and ever ything happens for a reason. Yoga found me for an amazing reason at a wonderful time in my life and I’m grateful everyday that my mom dragged me into that life changing studio.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

The decision can be torturous. To find the answer we take personality assessments, talk to our life coaches, listen, pray, meditate, journal our secrets, visualize them, exercise, and imagine.

To be completely honest, last month I wanted to get my Associates in Pre-med, go to the Uni versity of Houston to major in Pharmaceutical Sciences and become a Pharmacist. A few months before that I wanted to be WW W.YOGAD I GEST. CO M

a Neurophysiologist, and before that I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy to be an Air Battle Manager, or do Combat Control. Now I think I can answer that question pretty clearly without hesitatio n or any change in mind. I want to be a Yoga Teacher and motivational speaker. I want to share my story with the world, to inspire others everywhere.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

“Let the brush take you where the min d wants to go.”

This is honestly my favorite quote beca use I am an artist; I love to paint. It’s like med itating with your eyes open. I have also recently star ted doing henna tattoos. It’s just like painting, but on my skin, and its harm-free! Sometimes when I have time, I enjoy long boarding. I’m pretty open-minded to everything, so the list could go on and on.

What is the biggest problem in our society?

It’s sad to see how so much of our wor ld is unhappy. In 2012, a study showed that Denmar k is the happiest country in the world. Denmark is a soci ety where citizens participate and contribute to making society work. The United States of America is currently ranked 12th. The big question is “Why are Americans so unhappy?” The impact of technology on our social, mental, physical and environmental health can be deva stating if we don’t keep ourselves in check. According to a new study of 100 kids by researchers, sixth grade chil dren who spent five days at a summer camp without technology had significantly improved their emotion al state of mind. In terms of perception, we all have an idea l self. Nobody’s perfect, but through social media, TV, and technology itself, we have come to believe that there is a perfect person out there. It’s things like this that make people increasingly unhappy. So now it’s up to us to start making the rest of the world happy and stop being so obsessed with our material desires, jum bo iPhone’s and Samsung Galaxy s6’s. It’s time to focu s on the things that actually count, like family, commun ity, friends and our furry four legged friends. The next time you go out, I dare you to smile at every pers on who walks past you. Just something as simple as a smil e can make the greatest change without you even real izing it.

Who inspires you?

My inspiration comes from the peo ple around me who have suffered in some type of way and learned to survive. My inspiration comes from the survivors and strong people around me.

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INSPIRE 6 Cool Kids That are Changing the World

Katie Stagliano

Chief ExecKatie is the 16 year old, Founder & for-profit nota utive Gardener of Katie’s Krops, mainand t star organization with the mission to ate don and s tain vegetable gardens of all size l wel as d, nee in the harvest to help feed people e. sam the do to as to assist and inspire others vegetable Katie’s dream to end hunger one 9-yearswas she garden at a time began when donated She e. old and grew a 40 pound cabbag istries, a Min ily her cabbage to Tri-County Fam re it fed whe , ton soup kitchen in North Charles over 80 has y entl 275 people. Katie’s Krops curr have that es stat kid run vegetable gardens in 31 and lthy hea of produced thousands of pounds fresh food for families in need. p kitchen Over four years ago the only sou r doors. thei t shu in Katie’s community had to her and teac , Katie rallied her friends, parents created and ol head of food service at her scho table to en gard the Katie’s Krops Dinner. The for ls mea hot dinners are free, healthy and th you w fello anyone in need. Katie and her rage ave on e serv Katie’s Krops Crew members 160 people per meal. of the Katie is the youngest recipient ever leadher for rd Clinton Global Citizenship Awa was she 4 201 of ership in civil society. In May the in rs ntee volu name one of the top ten youth ity mun Com of it nation in the Prudential Spir the for der Lea n Awards. She is a Global Tee al initiative We are Family Foundation, a glob efforts of the t por designed to recognize and sup ld. wor the Global Teen Leaders around

not doing Why do you think other kids are what you do?

I am doing.

Lots of other kids are doing what ens growing There are over 80 Katie’s Krops gard ie’s Krops all across the United States. Every Kat hundreds garden is youth based. Hundreds and ger in hun to of kids are growing a healthy end ily’. fam g their community. I call it our ‘growin

Why do you do what you do?

The mission I am the Founder of Katie’s Krops. n vegetantai mai of Katie’s Krops is to start and harvest the ate ble gardens of all sizes and don assist to as l wel to help feed people in need, as e. sam and inspire others to do the bage seedIn 2008 I brought home a tiny cab Plants 3rd nie Bon ling from school as part of the cabbage my to ed Grade Cabbage Program. I tend zing 40 ama an to and cared for it until it grew for and e hom ial pounds. I wanted to find a spec a local es, istri Min donated it to Tri County Family 275 to e bag cab soup kitchen where I served my e tabl vege a t star to guests. On that day I decided . need in e thos to garden and donate the harvest n. bor That day, Katie’s Krops was

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grow up?

What do you want to be when you do when to t I’m honestly not sure what I wan I do, I’ll r I grow up, but I know that whateve expand ly continue Katie’s Krops, and hopeful as well es it all throughout the United Stat is, that t par as around the world. The best up to w gro you don’t have to wait until you achieve your dreams. bies or inWhat’s your favorite hobby, hob terests? a huge part I love to swim. Swimming has been love to also I of my life since I was 7 years old. travel and explore new cities. society?

What’s the biggest problem in our ety, but soci There are many problems in our doing ple peo there are also so many amazing s. blem pro e incredible things to help solve thes orga own her For example, my friend Lulu has es rais that s nization called LemonAID Warrior Africa with money to help provide people in ily-Anne Em clean drinking water. My friend Hate Stop started an organization called We eem.

-est self e to help end bullying and promot zing ama y These are just two examples of man the on sing people out there. Instead of focu the on s focu problems, I believe we should with s tion people out there trying to find solu amazing efforts.

Who inspires you the most?

I help. The I am inspired the most by the people poverty, face individuals Katie’s Krops helps ase. I dise ing hunger, homelessness, life threaten st wor the ing am inspired by their strength dur the of s face of times. Seeing the smiles on the friends and people I help, who have become my continue to my supporters is what inspires me made so e hav Katie’s Krops. I am so lucky to I help. ple peo many incredible friends through the WWW.YOGADIG E ST.C O M

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TaylorTheConroy…

Road to Happiness

BY KIM BAUMAN

O

ne lesson I continue to relearn is that happiness, acceptance, love, it’s an inside job. All too often it’s easier to place blame, to have an excuse, or to think that joys in life come from something outside of ourself so that if it doesn’t turn, out we don’t have to take responsibility. The inner dialogue goes something like this, “If only that person would like me then I’d feel loved, or if only this would turn out, then I’d be happy”.

Taylor Conroy, Founder of Change Heroes, says it best, “I just spent 10 years trying to decide what I wanted, what I thought would make me happy, and what I could do for me. The moment I decided that my life was enough, that I didn’t need to find what would make me happy, instead of focusing on what I wanted, I started to think… what does the world want, what does the world need to be

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happy. And then that was all I could think about… what can I do to better the world, how can I shake the world?”

Change Heroes is an organization that operates from a heartfelt space, funding basic needs to under-privileged communities.

My interview with Taylor Conroy was inspiring on so many levels,

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“I started to think… what does the world want, what does the world need to be happy.

And then that was all I could think about… what can I do to better the world, how can I shake the world?”

and what I realized was that I was more intrigued by who he strives to BE in life rather than what he does. Interestingly enough it’s this dichotomy of being versus doing that has us fall into the rat race of searching for happiness. We think if we do more, we’ll have more and then we’ll finally be happy.

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After high school, Taylor returned home from traveling Australia and Thailand and decided he wanted to be a firefighter. He became a professional firefighter for over 3 years. Taylor says, “I couldn’t get over the fact that my job was paying me to go around the city and help people.”

While Taylor did love his job, he still wasn’t fulfilled.

It was that underlying tone of feeling unsettled inside where you know you have a good life, yet you still feel disconnected and have no idea why. And so you search for ways to make excuses or cover up your true feelings of emptiness thinking that will find you resolve.

Taylor wanted to make as much money as possible to give him the freedom to do whatever he wanted to so he decided to get his real estate license on the side

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INSPIRE Change Heroes – Taylor Conroy… The Road to Happiness

“The smiling face on the outside was masking this deeper emptiness inside and questioning, wow, I’m still unhappy I guess I need to do more.”

while working at the fire hall. After doing both for a year, he realized he loved being an entrepreneur, and retired from the fire hall.

Through a lot of hard work, determination, and keeping his eyes set on financial freedom, Taylor became a millionaire at the age of 26. “When I realized I was a millionaire, I thought, now I’m gonna be happy forever!

And then the next day I realized it wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be. I’m still stuck in my business, and I actually don’t have that much freedom” says Taylor.

How is it that you can strive for something you want so badly, work so hard for years and still be unsatisfied with life? Sound familiar? Taylor goes on to share, “I was happy for 24 hours, and thought, this is a sickness, this is legitimately crazy. This is not the first time this

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has happened, that I’ve hit monumental goals and am only happy for a short amount of time. Is this what life is really all about? This is an absolutely ridiculous existence! Especially after how incredibly hard I was working to make these goals and still questioning what this was all for. The smiling face on the outside was masking this deeper emptiness inside and questioning, wow, I’m still unhappy I guess I need to do more.”

How incredible. To be a millionaire at age 26 and still not be happy. It’s a hard place to be in, one where you think money is going to buy you happiness. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone there. And on top of that the confusion and emptiness that comes with thinking you finally got it, and then feeling that’s still not it. Taylor continues, “After that I needed

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“Change Heroes is the manifestation of how I feel I can be of the most service to the world at this moment. That is the question I continually ask of myself, is this the most I can possibly be doing, is there something else I should be doing that would be of more service to others, and that question keeps me wanting to be doing this.“ to do an analysis of this ‘sickness.’ If I just find the perfect girl then I’ll be happy, that didn’t work. Then I decided to become a body builder and thought if I set a really big physical goal and enter a show, maybe that would be it, that would be what would make me happy. I ended up weighing 225 pounds with 3% body fat. I was crazy, veiny, and big. Again, the same moment. I remember sitting in the locker room after the show holding my little brass naked man trophy and thought wow, what I literally put

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my body through, the torture, for this little naked brass man, and still not happy.”

It was January 2010, Taylor was 28 and after returning home from Uganda, it was time the insanity stopped, the continued search for something out there that was going to mean happiness needed to stop.

Taylor says, “I sat at this table in my apartment and decided, I’m not going to get up until I can find contentment, and not need a bigger goal, and I’m not leaving this table until I decide what is enough.

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INSPIRE Change Heroes – Taylor Conroy… The Road to Happiness

I wrote down what I needed financially, what I needed to safely invest, and told myself I will not try to increase those numbers for the next four years. Therefore, I wouldn’t be striving to make more, to do more, to invest or buy more property thinking I have to have more, and creating these big goals. Maybe then I would just enjoy my life without thinking I have to perpetually make these non-stop goals each year.”

Change Heroes was created after returning from a trip to Kenya and Uganda. Taylor says, “The reason for this trip is because I wanted to test my real estate company to see if it would fall apart if I left for a month.

Not only did the company go on fine without me but I had found my purpose. I realized on this trip that my life was enough, and now I just wanted to give back.”

Change Heroes is a technological platform that has redefined fundraising, getting people involved and connecting communities to give back, funding schools, anti-sex trafficking, scholarships, and clean water projects in under-privileged countries.

When I asked Taylor what impacted him to want to serve as big as he does, he said, “I’ve always been very empathetic. If I saw someone get hurt I would be so upset, I couldn’t understand it, and my mom said ‘never lose that son, never lose that.’ And I’ve always remembered that moment and her saying that.”

“Change Heroes is the manifestation of how I feel I can be of the most service to the world at this moment.

That is the question I continually ask of myself, is this the most I can possibly be doing, is there something else I should be doing that would be of more service to others, and that question keeps me wanting to be doing this. For the last four years the answer to that question has been yes, this is the most service I can be of right

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now to the world. Change Heroes is impacting people, revolutionizing business, it’s showing people you can make great profit, take on investments, and you can do it while impacting communities in a very positive way.

All I ask for from people is for them to ask themselves that question… How can they be of the most service to the world? And I’m not saying to leave your job or go work for a non-profit, what I’m saying is maybe the most service you can be is to do a Change Heroes campaign because you haven’t done anything before, or maybe going to your boss and talking to him or her about installing a give back program.” Says Taylor.

At the close of my interview with Taylor, I was sitting in the space of a big “a-ha” moment. Almost as if I had heard for the first time that happiness comes from inside. It is so insane to understand something as simple as this but then to operate daily as if you have nothing to do with it, and everybody else does. Being lost, disconnected in life is knowing that happiness is an inside job but then participating in that perpetual search, looking high, looking low, turning over rocks and still no signs of happiness.

Thank you Taylor, for sharing your story, and inspiring us all to stop, breathe, and put a stop to this cycle of madness. What if… just what if we realized that our lives today were enough?

To learn more about Taylor Conroy and Change Heroes, check out his TED Talk: www.changeheroes.com

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Let's build a

SCHOOL together in Kenya!

33 (or more) of our readers give $3.33 (a latte) a day for 3 months.

We fully fund a School in Kenya for 1000 children

That adds up to $10,000

Everything is taken care of

Holistic Approach

Free The Children villages includes agriculture, water, sanitation, medical & women’s programs.

Teaching Standards

Students learn the prescribed curriculum in their country by professional teachers.

More Than a School

More Than a School: Students learn about finances, gender equality, and empowering life decisions.

n o Ca be Fou Inf

l

oo

g Yo

aD

at nd

Mo re

Community Integration

The school will be built in partnership with local workers using local materials.

ig e s

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

Coffee photo by AlenKadr/Shutterstock; Money photo by Okssi/Shutterstock; Children photo by Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock; Polaroid photo by Andrey_Kuzmin/Shutterstock; Background illustration by ayelet-keshet/Shutterstock

Here's what we are doing

althy Family A Natural Approach to Raising a He

BY CARY CASTER

R

world aising children mindfully in today’s e of a is difficult with the fast-action pac families modern technological society. Our osed, rexp ove and uled hed r-sc are overstressed, ove ment of violence creating a somewhat toxic environ e of emotional sens a g inin and pollutants. Mainta y with diet, exbalance and building a strong bod s will help you che roa app ral ercise, rest and natu these odds. inst aga ily fam raise a healthy, happy you can do Here are some simple things that family’s overall to have a positive impact on your health and wellness.

DAY SET YOUR INTENTIONS FOR EACH everyone

getting Waking the kids up for school and ssful. Make the stre off timely each morning can be r alarm a few you most of each morning by setting ed. After my rush minutes early, so you don’t feel and inhaling tch own wake-up ritual of a quick stre for the day, d min an uplifting essential oil to set my Peppering wav by I’d wake my sleeping children r noses. thei er und mint or Rosemary essential oils eshed refr up ing Before I knew it, they were wak ed rgiz ene e wer without my constant nagging and e! tim enough to make the carpool on

PURIFY YOUR AIR

change our air We all know that we are supposed to et this task. forg lly filters on a monthly basis, but usua fecting disin e som If you get in the habit of sprinkling fy the puri to ing essential oils on them, you are help nice, a se hou r air in your home while giving you ars, ppe disa a arom fresh scent. When the wonderful ge chan to time it’s it will serve as a reminder that t grea k wor oils l them again. Citrus and pine essentia fecdisin orne airb for this purpose. They are natural sehold air of tants, so not only will this rid your hou your air keep also microbes and germs, but it will th. grow l ducts free from breeding bacteria

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REST PROMOTES RECOVERY

Woman photo by Antonio Guillem/S hutterstock; Fruits and vegetables photo by

Keeping sick children home until they are feeling strong enough to face the day is para mount, as they will continue to get drained and not have the strength to fight germs if their immune system is compromised. If a low-grade fever ever occurs, adding a drop of Peppermint essentia l oil in an ounce of milk to the bath or soak ing a washcloth with this combination can help keep your child cool and comfortable until their fever breaks.

BUILD UP YOUR CHILDREN’S IMMUNE SYSTEM

Let’s face it, no matter how well you follow all the rules for keeping healthy, there will still be times when cold and flu germs are so prevalent that you and your children are bound to get the sniffles or even a fullblown flu. That does not mean you need to rush to the doctor at every little sniffle or low -grade fever. It’s very important for your body to com bat these germs head-on to build up your natural resi stances to these microbes. Time and a healthy imm une system are what eventually make a person feel better, so you’re better off building up a healthy chil d vs. suppressing symptoms. Most medications mas k symptoms and don’t actually cure the body of a cold or flu, as they are both viruses. The key is to mak e you and your children as comfortable as possible and give the body the tools needed to “fight the fight” faster.

USE NATURAL REMEDIES

My children rarely got sick, but when they did, they were back to school faster than most because I diffused essential oils at night so they could breath clearly and sleep soundly. I used Ho Wood, Thyme or Basil essential oils that all contain a high percentage of linalool, proven to combat har mful bacteria in the body. In addition to diffusin g these oils, I diluted 5-10 drops in an ounce of uns cented cream or lotion to rub on their chest and the bottoms of their feet to aid clear breathing and min imize coughing.

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CREATE A NATURAL FIRST AID

Alexandr/Shutterstock

If they had an earache, I put a dro p of Lavender essential oil on a small piece of cott on and gently placed it in their ear while they slept, and their pain went away.

I made sure to give them extra sou rces of Vitamin C and Zinc when a cold cam e on. When the children did have to stay home from school, it was warm drinks of fresh-squeezed lem on and honey as well as fresh chicken soup with a vegetable broth of parsnips, celery root, leeks, and other nutritious veggies that were always part of our “prescription.”

Serg64/Shutterstock; Peppermint oil photo by AlexSmith/Shutterstock; Sleeping boy photo by Vasilyev

PLANT A FAMILY GARDEN

A fun way to get the family to enjo y eating more vegetables while spending precious time outdoors is to grow your own small vegetable patch or potted herbs. By having your children invo lved in this activity, they get lots of vitamin D and fresh air while learning that food comes from the eart h and not just the grocery store. This connection helps them learn that their bodies are growing, living beings and that fruits and veggies are a better option than processed foods that come out of a packag e. My children’s greatest joys were reaping the benefits of their toiling in the garden, no matter how small our harvests.

KIT

When your children are healthy and athletic, there are bound to be extra bumps and bruises as well as sore muscles from healthy playtime and sports. I always carried a supply of a home made “ou ch” cream for little bumps and bruises. Five drops of Spike Lavender essential oil in an Aloe Vera gel works well as a quick on-the-go salve. I also found it han dy to keep an inhaler made up of Neroli or Sweet Ora nge essential oils for the playground to snap them out of their reactive outburst of falling off a swing or taki ng a tumble.

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EDUCATE A Natural Approach to Raising A Healthy Family es, pains and For more serious muscular ach Sweet Marrrh, My of bruises, the essential oils ly effective. eme extr joram and Helichrysum are e oils into thes of each The addition of 3 drops of ! I used ders won k wor 1 ounce of Arnica cream her leg ke bro r ghte dau this combination when my ome a bec to on t wen when she was 10, and she track star in high school!

tterstock ock; Spa photo by Nikolay Litov/Shu Orange and oil photo by spline_x/Shutterst

MAKE YOUR OWN BUG SPRAY

ng children is Spending time outdoors with you rgetic steam; ene off n a must to help them bur the time of r, eve How they’re children after all. as a famside out ture day we usually have to ven to feed. out e com s ily is also the time the bug lying app by ree ct-f inse Make your outdoor time and safe lly ura nat is t a homemade spray tha 10% of e bas ce oun 2 a repels biting insects. In l, 10% Aloe Rosemary or Peppermint hydroso add 6 drops er, wat illed Vera juice and 80% dist 4 drops and lla one Citr of Cedarwood, 8 drops these of ts scen The . of Patchouli essential oils keep to in aga e tim oils have proven time and insects at bay.

KEEP A NATURAL DIGESTIVE AID ON HAND

able at young Pizza and birthday cake are unavoid viding your pro but , children’s birthday parties g along, or brin to ck sna children with a healthy debut, will r thei ing mak feeding them right before experience do they if , lessen the damage. However essential safe ul, derf won a tummy ache, there are damom, Car , . fort om oils to combat this disc tle and gen are ile mom Ginger and German Cha dilutor aled inh er eith safe oils that, when my, tum d’s chil r you on ed and rubbed of ps dro 5-8 Use ef. reli can give instant nesse ve abo the of n any combinatio or oil ier carr of ce oun tial oils in an unscented lotion for best results.

CREATE A NIGHTTIME BATHING RITUAL

ntial oils Last but not least, incorporating esse tine can rou ing bath y into your children’s dail porting sup by ss illne also ward off germs and time bed re befo bath A their immune system. oils, l ntia esse sa aro with Lavender or Palm ents pon com al teri bac which are high in anti t grea a for es mak ies, as well as relaxing propert and day the of s germ way to wash away the to only add settle into dreamland. Make sure ounce of an to oil l ntia a few drops of the esse the bath to ing add re milk or liquid soap befo water. the in ted dilu y so the oils are properl bubble, a in dren chil our While we can’t keep gentle rate rpo inco and we can use mindfulness se baThe me. regi y dail r nourishing options to thei ing rais to way r you on sic guidelines can help you t. men iron env any in healthy, balanced children

cle are for edThe statements made in this arti sug ges tion s se The y. uca tion al pur pos es onl , or precure t, trea e, nos are not intended to diag sician phy r you sult con vent any disease. Please when necessary. nist, Licensed Cary Caster, B.S., LMT, CCA is acalBota Aromatherapist who

Massage Therapist and Certified Clini best self every day. She is on a mission to help people be their h into their own hands. healt their believes that people can take expert behind 21 Drops, Cary is not only the founder and she is also a devoted but , pany an essential oil therapy com nce of International Allia the of d boar the on sits healer who as an essential oil red featu been Aromatherapists and has and Martha Stewart Fair ty Vani , Post n ngto Huffi the expert in g education inuin cont s offer Living, among others. Cary of Miami’s iCAMP y ersit Univ the at rapy athe Arom classes in try. program, and throughout the coun to work To learn more about Cary and how om ps.c 1dro w.2 ww with her, please visit

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TasteVeden.com

BY KAREN COSTA

L

“

ook Mommy,” Fred says, pointing at my most recent mixed media piece on the windowsill, “if you take away the letters y and a, it spells sat.”

“Yes it does. Very good buddy. And look at the other one, do you see another word you know?”

“Him?” he asks.

“You’ve got it.”

My son Fred is learning his sight words in kindergarten. Though I’m a few decades past kindergarten, I

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am learning some new sight words of my own. A few weeks ago, I began to deepen my study and practice of the Yamas and Niyamas, two of the eight limbs of yoga. As an educator, I know the power of visual aids in the learning process, so I harnessed some creative energy to help me remember the Sanskrit words with mixed media artwork.

Creating mixed media is a tactile experience that involves tearing paper, slathering paste, and swirling

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The specificities of the spiritual foundation don’t matter. What matters is that our children find a touchstone, a lighthouse in the raging seas of life by which they can always find their way home. paint colors. As I piece it all together, the paper, the paint, and the vision, Fred sits across from me at our family art table and asks what I am working on.

What I learn (or my husband learns), Fred learns, and vice versa, our family is its own little ecosystem of three, sharing art, ideas, smiles, and germs.

“This is one of the Yamas. It’s going to say Ahimsa when I’m done.”

I pause, thinking how to best explain Ahimsa to a six-year old. Though our family could be labeled by some as non-practicing based on traditional notions of religion, Fred goes to Catholic school. Discussion of God, Jesus, and Mother Mary are part of our daily lives.

“Ahimsa means that God wants us to be kind to others and to never hurt anyone,” I say.

“Like not punch or hit people?” he asks. I refrain from telling him that for most of us, the physical part of non-violence is the easy part. Not harming with our words is often much harder. But for now, we stick to stark duality.

“Exactly buddy.”

A week later, I read an article online about the impact of spirituality on children. This research by Lisa Miller has found that children raised with a spiritual foundation are more likely to swim out of the riptides of life: addiction, stress, and mental or physical illness. And the best part? The specificities of the spiritual foundation don’t matter. What matters is that our children find a touchstone, a lighthouse in the raging seas of life by which they can always find their way home.

As my project progresses, my Yama art seems to gravitate toward the windowsill next to the kitchen table, drawn to the heart of our home. It’s the place where we spend the most time together as a family, eating dinner or playing board games (our current favorite: Despicable Me Monopoly). When one of us gets a little too competitive (usually me), the others point to Ahimsa. When my son accidentally pays for a property with the bank money instead of his own, he corrects himself.

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“That’s Satya, Fred. You just told the truth. I’m proud of you,” I say.

My husband asks which Yama is next. He’s in on the fun too.

“Asteya,” I explain. “It means non-stealing.”

“It’s wrong to steal things from somebody else,” my son says.

Again, I stop there. Learning not to take a thing that isn’t yours does not begin to explain all the ways that humans can steal from one another or from the natural world, but it’s a step in the right direction. We will eventually move from the gross to the fine, from the external to the internal.

Asteya. Asteya, Asteya, I say in my mind like a mantra to the rhythm of the paintbrush as I begin work on the next Yama.

“I have paint on me Mommy,” Fred says from across the table.

“Art gets messy bud.” I roll up his sleeves. “We’ll wash up when we’re done. Don’t be afraid to make a mess though, that’s part of the process.”

Our family’s mishmash approach is some unique combination of art, yoga, religion, faith, and spirituality. It does get messy sometimes, but it’s part of our process.

And most importantly, we are in it together.

Karen Costa is an academic and career coach, college success instructor, and writer.

Find out more at www.thezebracoach.com or follow her on Twitter @karenraycosta

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The picture of the typical American family unit of a husband and stay-athome wife with 2.3 children is no longer the statistical norm. With 50% of marriages ending in divorce, and children growing up faster than ever due to the influence of media, the family unit and the ties that hold it together are being greatly impacted. At the same time, family and cultural traditions are no longer being valued the way they used to.

BY SYLVA DVORAK, PhD

Y

et, in a world where we have so many devices to keep us connected (i.e. e-mail, smart phones, texting, instant messaging etc.), more than ever, people are feeling lost, lonely and disconnected. A 2010 AARP survey found that 35 percent of adults over 45 were chronically lonely, a 15 percent increase from just the decade before. According to a different study, roughly 20 percent of Americans—about 60 million people—are unhappy with their lives because of loneliness. It’s one of the reasons why so many struggle with conditions such as anxiety or overeating. These are symptoms that arise when you’re feeling disconnected from your own life, and/or you’re so busy that you don’t take the time to stop and connect with those you love. The busyness and constant rush of our daily lives is impacting the quality time with loved ones, and increasing our loneliness. This is where rituals come in.

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Rituals have been around since the beginning of time.

The oldest traces to rituals date back to cave drawings around 70,000 BC. You may be wondering how “rituals” can help families feel more connected.

Rituals are tools. Rituals allow you and your family to stop your busy lives, even if it’s for a few seconds, and take a break. A breath from the constant push of our modern world can re-connect you to yourself, your family, your community, and feel the love. When children grow up, they are not going to remember the times they played their video games, however, they will remember special dinners they had with their family, especially if some sort of ritual is done during the meal. Think back to your own family. What do you remember that helped you feel closer to your family?

Maybe you had family pizza night, movie nights, or even your family reunion.

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already have, and put you on the

The purpose of a ritual is to make something real, to reinforce what you the same as habits. Habits can are not to what you want through conscious intentional actions. Note that rituals

path when you add awareness or consciousness be good or bad and often develop unconsciously. Habits become rituals your teeth – over time it became a habit. It to them. For example, the first thing you may do every morning is brush of 10 things you’re grateful for. Then, you brush becomes a ritual when you wake up, and as you roll out of bed you think is the distinction between habit and ritual. your teeth thinking about your intentions for the day. The “conscious” added

• Play the “Gratitude Game” – Popcorn back and forth between each other at the breakfast table or while driving the children to school, each saying something they’re grateful for. Keep going back and forth until the time is up.

• Each morning ask yourself and your family what your intentions are for the day. Then, at the end of the day, perhaps at the dinner table, ask how their intentions came through.

• Have at least 3 family dinners together a week.

Ask everyone to turn off all electronic devices (yes, even you) and focus on each other and family time.

• Have a family night once a week. This can be a movie night, pizza making night, etc.

• Try having a “family wellness time” once a week - do yoga, go for a walk, go to a park, or participate in a fun and active activity together.

• Set aside one day a year for a family event away from your daily distractions. The whole family can participate in planning the event. Examples include

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• •

•

•

an annual camping trip, a “staycation” at a hotel near your house, or a destination holiday.

Every evening have story time, where you share stories from the day, or read a book together and share insights or ‘ah-ha’s’ from the book.

Make birthdays extra special by showering the birthday gal or guy with appreciation. At the birthday gathering, have everyone at the party share at least one thing they love and appreciate about the birthday guy/gal.

Take “mindfulness moments” with your family.

This can be something as simple as turning off all electronic devices and taking a few minutes to share what good happened to each of you that day, or what you appreciate about each other.

Each day, begin with one of Ben Franklin’s favorite rituals: share with each other the answer to the following question, “what good will I do today?”

Then, at the end of the day share, “what good have I done today?”

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Illustration by Lorelyn Medina/Shutterstock;

IF YOU WANT TO ENRICH YOUR FAMILY TIME, CONSIDER SOME OF THE RITUALS BELOW:

Top illustration by yoshi-5/Shutterstock; Bottom illustration by monoo/Shutterstock

Dr. Mary Spagnola and Dr. Barbara Fie se, in a longitudinal study done with families over a five-year period, found that the children (ages 4 and greater), who consistently partook in family rituals, showed higher scores in standardized tests than children in families where rituals were not done con sistently. Further, when families have consistent ritua ls, the children are less likely to suffer from mental and emotional disturbances and less likely to get add icted to drugs.

Rituals also lead to better family coh esion and unity, improved self-esteem, and less stre ss.

Remember, rituals have to be meaningful to you and your family. When you create your rituals, engage everyone, so they have meaning to all of you… that way, they’ll be cherished forever.

During the time of a family cycle, there are numerous transitions and events that take place. Unfortunately, most of the time they go unrecognized. Rituals are useful and important ways a family can help each other through losses, healing, and transferring values and traditions from generation to generation. When rituals are consciously used to share deeper connection, they strengthen family ties and each individual’s wellbeing will benefit.

Sylva Dvorak, PhD is a transformational counselor, social en-

trepreneur, and author who maintains a private counseling practice while serving as Executive Director of the I AM Foundation.

Sylva completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and her Ph.D. in Psychoneurology and Integrative Healing at Beurin University. Sylva is a mind-body specialist that is able to guide her clients to create new neural pathways using specific processes and rituals to establish a basis of harmony that can transform their well-being on every level.

As an author, she has published numerous articles; contributed to several books, and co-author of the NY Times best-selling book, “Your Unleashing the Power of Ritual to Create a Life of Meaning and Purpose.” (Nov 2014, Random House).

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n o n C e y c l i t i on m a F

survey

Our family loves to talk about…

Engaging Questions To Ask Family Members What are you grateful for?

Things our family have talked about doing but havent’t done yet are…

What’s been the happiest moment of your life so far?

What’s been the hardest moment of your life? How did you get through it?

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?

What are 3 things we can do to be a happier, healthier family?

How would you describe yourself as a child?

Who has been kindest to you?

How do you want to be remembered?

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Top illustration by graphic-line/Shutterstock; Small illustrations by Julia Tim/Shutterstock; Notepad photo by Eduardo Rivero/Shutterstock

The number one thing we love to do as a family is…

What are you proudest of?

BY CAROL ROBERTS

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the weight of a sibling’s experiences or pain, but unaware about how to cleanse yourself?

Sometimes we only pay attention to this clairvoyance we have with our siblings when it feels as if something is “wrong”. What if we used it in times of joy and gratitude? What if we could be more mindful of this connection? Please allow me to encourage you to begin to work with it, practice it, to enjoy it, and to strengthen it for our own wonderful benefits. How fun might it be to sit down with your sisters and brothers, and just play and practice together while suspending all judgments, fears, and expectations. It is delightful to discover the power of sibling-shared awareness and intuition together. Effortlessly. Naturally. We existed in this very space together, as babies and children, and for twins- shared the same womb.

I invite you to play together spiritually, now as adult siblings. I challenge you to strengthen your intuitive capacities with your brothers and sisters. Let’s consider our beautiful relationships with our siblings and play with this incredible potential power together. Let’s hold the space with the sweetest gratitude for our siblings.

Carol Roberts, MA, LPC, LMFT, Licensed Clinical Psychother-

apist, Certified Reiki Master, Eclectic Energy Healer Carol’s mission is to share in truths that come from Spirit. Her hope is to empower you to manifest this gift for yourself, while creating harmony to help you succeed, through the natural flow of your daily life. Carol enjoys working with energy in a variety of modalities including Angels, Christianity, Buddhist Usui Reiki Ryhoho, crystal healing, Access Consciousness®, Mediumship and Akashic Records. Carol teaches 1, 2 and Master levels of Usui Reiki Ryoho, and provides healing sessions, around the United States. She is a registered Reiki Master Teacher through the ICRT (International Center of Reiki Training), as well as an affiliate member. Her classes are comprehensive and provide certificated training. Carol holds a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology and has worked in the field of healing, for over 22 years. Carol lives in the Pacific Northwest, and works both locally and globally.

Connect with Carol at www.carolderengel.com and www.valentiaheartcounseling.com

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Illustrations by Lorelyn Medina/Shutterstock

O

ur unique relationships with our siblings are unlike any other relationship dynamic in our lives. Who else shares the same features, parents, childhood home, genetics, and all that comes with growing up as much as our brothers and sisters?

Sibling relationships hold a powerful spiritual footprint of the greatest capacity when we are willing to receive it. Unfortunately, we often take this for granted. How often do you practice the clairvoyant connections you have with your siblings? Are you working to nurture this connection? Would you like to begin to strengthen the existing, powerful bond between you and your siblings, improve your lives, and improve your energetic, intuitive and clairvoyant abilities?

We remain connected to our siblings, quite actively, even if we aren’t “close”. Is it the result of our shared biology? Is it explained from a psychological context, of growing up in the same family system? Whether it be nature or nurture, from earliest childhood moments to the last moments of our lives, nearly all of us blessed with sibling relationships can recall a strong, frequent experience of shared intuition with our siblings, no matter what the physical distance. Some of us report a continued connection with siblings, even after they have passed away. We get a phone call at the very moment a sibling pops into our thoughts reading, “I don’t know why, but I was just thinking about you.” We sense when our sibling is about to pull into our driveway.

We know when our brothers or sisters are having a terrible day and need us to check in with them. We just know, don’t we?

Additionally, how many times have your siblings and yourself shared an unexplainable intuition together about a parent, another family member, or a family matter needing attention? Are we fully aware of this beautiful attunement and the possibilities for our own healing? Or are you feeling burdened with

Yeah

Dave

Kids

As a kid, I had a really awkward stage.

F

rom 11 to 15 years old, I had lots of zits, buck teeth, and I would blow dry my hair each morning. The kids at school would call me POOF. To compensate, I would go to the gym and do curls with the barbells. Just curls. Which only made things worse because I had big biceps, but the rest of my body was small and skinny. So I was a bit awkward, to say the least with chicken legs, a blond bouffant on top of my head, pimples spread like chocolate chips across my face, and big biceps.

I would go to school dances and hide in the corner, waiting for my mom to pick me up. It was a painful time in life.

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I wish someone had told me the 11-15 year old version of me to just be myself, to not worry so much, to know that the right thing always happens, and to enjoy being a kid because you can only be a kid once!

They are all messages we know and love to hear in yoga class…as adults. If only we would have heard those messages as kids.

So I decided to start a Yeah Dave Kids series on YouTube. These videos give kids tools to be happy, strong, and confident. But even more important than the messages, these videos remind kids (and parents) that being SILLY is more liberating than a dragon breath just before savasana. Silly keeps us loose, relaxed, and remembering not to take life so seriously. And silly is a very close cousin to laughter. Laughter has amazing health benefits including decreased blood pressure, increased vascular flow, and best of all, it triggers what Satchitananda calls “a deep letting go.”

In one of the videos, I share how laughter is contagious.

Even if you fake it at first, it starts to catch, like an avalanche. And before you know it, a little chuckle, becomes an outburst, becomes uncontrollable outpouring of joy. And if you need help getting to that point, just go to YouTube and look up “Yeah Dave.”

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Childern photo by In Green/Shutterstock

BY DAVE ROMANELLI

Growing up at

Warp

Speed!

Calmness to Confidence: Yoga for Tweens and Teens

BY RENE’ HAWTHORNE

W

ith teenage hormones going crazy and growing up in a fast-paced technological age, it’s a really important and challenging time for this age group. It is the beginning of physiological changes and societal pressures. The quandary for kids, their parents, and their teachers is to build a more sophisticated self-image that’s also age-appropriate. They are no longer a child, but not yet an adult. By drawing on the techniques they learn in yoga, they will be able to navigate the daily self-identity issues and hormonal fluctuations that are a natural part of preadolescence. By teaching these young

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students self-awareness, they can build mindful habits early in life and confidence that make self-acceptance easier to access later in life. The most important of these tools are meditation and breath work.

The benefits of yoga for tweens/teens are: • Better body control and image • Mood balancing and better sleep • Improved memory and increased focus • School/Test anxiety • Help with eating disorders • Stress & anxiety relief • Builds muscle, bone strength & flexibility

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For irritability and mood swings, Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) helps stimulate serotonin production that balances the mind and body. To effectively introduce yoga to this rather judgmental audience, try to connect with them. Take an interest in their likes and appeal to their preferences. Encourage them to write their own poetry or keep a journal. Empower them be actively creative by expressing their own personal vision. Music is seen as the universal language of tweens and teens, so encourage them to bring in their own songs. By creating flows to music that resonate with their tastes, the yoga practice will become more relevant to them.

Possible discussion topics that resonate with a tween/teen audience: • Peer influence • Self worth • Unconditional positive regard • Empathy • Texting/photos/selfies/phones • Internet/social media • Bullying/victim/bystander

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Critical chakra development during this age is the Visuddha (the throat chakra) at 7-12 years old and the Anja (the third eye chakra) at adolescence. Establishment of personal identity and image are very important during this time. There is an emergence of personal vision while at the same time an expanding vision to more of a worldwide view. Tweens simultaneously seek independence and nurturing, freedom and responsibility. They yearn to speak and be heard, communication is very important.

Yoga can give them the access to tools for expressing their individual creativity, and for developing a deeper, more profoundly accurate sense of self.

Have them create their own mantras: • I feel connected to both the earth and the sky.

• I feel centered, balanced and grounded.

• I feel relaxed and calm.

• I feel alert and ready for anything.

• When I feel anger, I let it go.

• I feel strong and confident.

• I feel open to all possibilities.

• I rise to meet all challenges.

• I understand and accept myself as I am.

• I have expressed my feelings in a healthy way.

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Previous spread: Young people illustration by subarashii21/Shutterstock; Tired Teenager photo by Sabphoto/Shutterstock; Teen girl photo by Rob Marmion/Shutterstock; Schoolgirl studying photo by Kamira/Shutterstock; Pink sneakers photo by PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek/Shutterstock; Smartphones photo by nenetus/Shutterstock; Yyoung girl photo by paffy/Shutterstock; No bullying illustration by f8grapher/Shutterstock; Social media brands illustration by Bloomua/Shutterstock; Acne sign illustration by Sam72/Shutterstock; Meditating photo by Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock; This page: Woman in jar photo by PathDoc/Shutterstock

EDUCATE Growing up at Warp Speed!

THE MIND IN A JAR MEDITATION:

Using a clear jar filled almost full with water, add colored objects and seal the lid tightly with hot glue. Discuss how the container of water is like our mind, and the different colored objects represent thoughts and feelings. Shake the jar so the items are swirling while discussing different feelings and thoughts they may have about home, family, friends, school, etc. Let them share their feelings. Discuss how the swirling “stuff” represents all the things in our minds that keep us in a stressed out state of mind. Then allow the items to settle to the bottom of the jar. Discuss that this is what happens to our minds when we meditate, when we are mindful of our breathing and our body. The thoughts and feelings can still be in our minds but rest peacefully at the bottom, because we know how to return our breathing to calm them. Mindfulness is being aware and alert yet calm. This is a great technique to teach them to “settle down” and “pay attention” to both themselves and the world around them.

Rene’ Hawthorne, 500HR RYT, (a.k.a. The Lotus Chick),

teaches at her home studio, The Sweet Spot and at The Mat Yoga Studio in Dallas, Texas. She offers a variety of classes ranging from vinyasa flow yoga, kids yoga, to Doga (yoga with your dog). You will find something for every member of the family.

You can connect with Rene’ at www.thelotuschick.com

Get inspired for your next yoga festival or retreat with new yoga mat sandals options from Sanuk! Whether you’re attending this year’s Wanderlust Festivals or Yoga On The Rocks, these options are perfect to add to your packing list and great for travel. Additionally, these shoes are great recovery shoes to wear before and after yoga classes, as they are made with real yoga mat footbeds – the ultimate comfort shoe!

.com

Sanuk’s Yoga Sling 2 offers comfort with a fashionable edge. The collection is lightweight, made with two-way stretch knit fabric uppers with sling comfort construction. The footbed is made from real yoga mats with a sealed edge. These sandals will keep your feet happy from the beach to the street.

Offered in a variety of solid colors and seasonal prints, this sleek-chic style will be must-have in your wardrobe and is great for packing!

find your wellness

find your bliss

It’s all OHM K

www.liveohmk.com

#todayiamohmk

BY RYAN GLIDDEN

I

n 2013, a lawsuit was brought against the Encinitas Union School District in California. After a grant had been provided to the school system from the Jois Foundation, yoga teachers were employed to offer regular classes to the children of Encinitas schools. A group of parents learning of these classes and hired attorney Dean Broyles to present a lawsuit on the

grounds that they violated the constitutional rule of separation of church and state. The argument was that yoga is fundamentally a religious practice and therefore should not be allowed in public schools.

Paul Carelli (attorney representing the school district) argued the case that “It’s the same thing as a football team or basketball team. It’s just stretching. It’s just balancing. We are not putting a religious label on it.”

The courts agreed with Carelli, and in that same year ruled that the program being offered was, as the San Diego Union Tribune reported it, “Stripped of any religious undertones” and so it could remain.

The ruling was appealed, and in March of 2015, the topic was once again brought before the courts. Again it was argued that the program only promoted physical exercise – not spiritual enlightenment. The final ruling will be made in June of this year.

When I first heard of the case I had the reaction many yoga teachers and practitioners probably did.

“This is ridiculous,” I thought. Yoga is not a religion and it could be doing great things for those kids. But upon further reflection, and as I continued to follow the case, some bigger questions seemed to emerge.

Is yoga a religion? These parents seemed to think so and seemed to feel quite strongly about it or else why continue to pursue the process for more than two

It’s the same thing as a football team or basketball team. It’s just stretching. It’s just balancing.

We are not putting a religious label on it.

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There is no debating that the regular practice of asana has many physical health benefits. years? Beyond that, based on the arguments being made on what yoga is, are we doing a disservice to a five thousand year old discipline by pulling out the heart and soul of it and stating it to be nothing more than a “physical education” class?

Is yoga a religion or a philosophy? According to the Oxford American dictionary, religion is, “The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.” from the Latin religio- meaning obligation, bond or reverence. The same source defines philosophy as, “The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline,” from the Latin philosophia- love of wisdom. So which is yoga? Is it a reverence and worship of a super human personal God? Is it the study of the fundamental nature of reality to achieve wisdom, or is it both?

A BRIEF HISTORY OF YOGA 1500 BCE

1200 BCE

900 BCE

Historically, yoga emerged in India sometime between 1800 -1500 BCE. The Vedas (spiritual texts) and the cannon of Hinduism consisted of thousands of chants used by a select group of holy people.

This stage of yoga’s early history could more easily be related to our definition of religion. However, it’s interesting to note that the word “veda” itself means “knowledge or wisdom”.

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600 BCE

300 BCE

Around 600 BCE we see the emergence of the Upanishads. The Upanishads explored concepts of reincarnation and believed that ones thoughts and actions determined ones destiny and that only the understanding of the true nature of self could free a person from the birth death cycle (reincarnation). This era saw the development of reflection and meditation practices.

0 CE

300 CE

600 CE

900 CE

Fast forward to somewhere around the second century when the Yoga Sutra’s of Patanjali emerge. It’s from Patanjali’s Yoga sutras that many yoga schools in the west have their roots. These 196 aphorisms lay out a roadmap to spiritual liberation, the freedom from the life death cycle that the earlier Upanishads had begun to explore.

1200 CE

1500 CE

1800 CE

2100 CE

In the early 1900’s Sri Krishnamacharya made yoga asana popular claiming to have learned over 1,000 yoga poses from his teacher. Yoga postures, or asana’s, are a relatively new concept in yoga’s long history.

The Hatha Yoga Padapadrika outlines some postures to cleanse the body of impurities. He was the guru to many of the well-known yoga teachers in the west such as: Pattabhi Jois, BKS Iyengar and Krishnamacharya’s son TKV Desikachar. In many ways it is because of these men that yoga asana exists in America.

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Pupils meditating photo by wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock; Buddha Statue photo by Gustavo Frazao/Shutterstock; Om symbol photo by argus/Shutterstock; Ellora Cave with statue of Buddhas Statue photo by Pikoso.kz/Shutterstock; 400 years of ancient Bible photo by Czesznak Zsolt/Shutterstock; Yoga meditation photo by Pikoso.kz/Shutterstock;

1800 BCE

EDUCATE What Will Yoga Look Like for the Next Generation?

Illustration by Mahesh Patil/Shutterstock; texture in illustration by Mahesh Patil/Shutterstock

...are we doing a disservice to a five thousand year old discipline, by pulling out the heart and soul of it and stating it to be nothing more than a physical education?

Like we have done with so many things here in the west, we are monetizing a diversified practice. What was traditionally a discipline for self-examination with the goal of reuniting your true nature back to its divine source, is now practiced as nothing more than physical exercise.

What I find myself asking in the case of the Encinitas School District is, “is this a good thing?” Should we continue to define yoga to the next generation as physical exercise?

There is no debating that the regular practice of asana has many physical health benefits. The scientific research on stretch physiology, and certain breathing techniques supports this claim. With that being known, the practice of postures in school would thus have health benefits to the kids who participate. Additional research also supports the fact that a regular asana practice can lower stress levels and increase one’s self esteem, which is certainly a benefit for our youth. If we look at it from this angle, it’s a “no-brainer”. The pros outweigh the cons, But yoga has never been just asana!

Why not just call it something else like “conscious movement” or “restorative exercises”? It seems that the argument to allow yoga in schools is to define it as something other than yoga but still call it yoga . . . hmmm? That could be the same as

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me handing you eggs and telling you you’re eating cake.

It’s not cake until you add the flower, sugar, milk salt etc., and bake them all together.

I’m not saying this one case will completely redefine yoga. There are still many yoga schools throughout the U.S. that teach all aspects of the discipline, including the spiritual. I’m simply curious as to how the next generation of yoga students will perceive the discipline.

I would suspect they would view it as what they have been taught it to be. Will we continue to define yoga as merely physical exercise? There is a much larger population of children in public schools then there are in independent yoga studios. Will more and more of our children think of yoga the same way as they would football or basketball, nothing more then stretching and balancing?

Maybe the opposite will be true. Maybe practicing asana in schools will light a spark of interest in more students. Maybe they will seek out further teaching on their own, whether it is in books, movies or private studios.

I hope the latter is true more then the former. I’m not sure I want the next milestone in yoga’s rich history to be the transition from a discipline designed to achieve a state of spiritual enlightenment, to simply, physical exercise. I don’t want to be given eggs when I was told I was getting cake.

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 www.facebook.com/ryan.glidden.12 www.instagram.com/ryan.glidden

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What Does Your Child's

Make informed decisions to help keep your family SimplySafeTM from head injuries

KNOW YOUR CHILD’S GENETIC VARIATIONS ON THE APOE GENE

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BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILD’S RISKS OF BRAIN TRAUMA AFTER A CONCUSSION

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES CHOSEN

BETTER EQUIP YOUR CHILD DURING HIGH IMPACT SPORTS

MINIMIZE STRESS IF A CONCUSSION OCCURS

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The principles of yoga have universal utility and can be used in all aspects of life, both mental and physical. Kurt Johnsen, senior columnist for Yoga Digest, founder of the American Power Yoga system and host of the TV show Yoga for Life, has spent his professional career building happy, healthy humans through the principles of yoga. Most recently, he has been focused on the yoga concept of embracing the wisdom of the body through Simplified Genetics, the Dallas-based company founded with the purpose of providing accurate, full-sequence genetic analysis and easy-to-understand, actionable results to consumers.

Simplified Genetics started with the SimplyFitTM test which determines an individual’s gene profile as it relates to weight management and nutrition and provides a road map of what to eat, what exercises to do and what supplements to take. The latest offering from the company is targeting kids and brain health and safety.

IS MY CHILD SAFE?

In our sports-obsessed culture, many dads (and moms) dream of watching their kids excel at sports.

Sports can be such an important aspect of life and offer so many benefits, from developing a high level of physical fitness and learning how to play with others to accepting both victory and defeat graciously.

Sports also present an opportunity for injury, which WW W.YOGAD I GEST. CO M

is part of both playing sports and just being a kid in general. Parents are becoming increasingly aware of their responsibility to choose the most appropriate activities for their kids to maximize enjoyment while minimizing chance of serious injury.

The two categories of sports that carry the highest risk for head injury are what Kurt Johnsen labels “collision” and “contact” sports. Collision sports such as football, ice hockey and boxing have physical contact as an inherent, unavoidable feature.

Contact sports such as lacrosse, soccer and water polo often include significant physical contact but contact is less pervasive.

“I am not against contact or collision sports,” says Johnsen. “I played both growing up and am a long-time practitioner of martial arts. However, I know we can provide actionable genetic information to parents to help them make the most appropriate choices for their kids. If my son’s genes showed him to be at higher risk for head injury, I would be playing a lot of tennis with him.”

While great strides in improving protective gear for athletes have been made over the past couple of decades, many kids continue to suffer serious, sometimes life-changing injuries from youth sports.

The most dangerous of these are traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can sometimes lead to mood, memory and/or cognitive disruption. Traumatic

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EDUCATE SimplySafeTM - What does your child’s DNA say? an individual’s genetic disposition toward traumatic brain injury and the likely severity of its effects. A simple cheek swab is all it takes to determine a child’s risk profile as it relates to head injury. The test is called SimplySafeTM, and it is the first full-sequence genetic analysis designed to keep high-risk kids away from high-risk activities.

Asked why he is targeting kids with the test, Johnsen says, “Anyone can be tested at any time in life and the answer never changes because the genes don’t change. I feel passionate about getting this information to parents early enough so they can take steps to avoid the damage of head injuries, which for some kids is permanent. Parents have the power to encourage interests and activities that are most appropriate.”

ck Background illustration by Kotkoa/Shutterstock; DNA photo by gopixa/Shuttersto

brain injuries can occur in any sport, or outside of sports completely, but the chance of a TBI increases with the amount of contact in a sport, so the highest incidences of concussion (a type of traumatic brain injury) occur in football, ice hockey, lacrosse and soccer.

What parent hasn’t heard the many recent news stories about former NFL players dealing with long-term, and often debilitating, cognitive issues thought to be the result of years of head trauma?

Or the current players who are retiring early, giving up the potential for millions of dollars, because they don’t want to risk suffering these negative consequences themselves? Just as concerning to parents are local stories of kids who miss weeks of school recovering from concussions while the parents are panicked about the long-term effects on their child. How can parents make the most informed decisions for their kids and which sports and activities are appropriate for them?

Luckily for concerned parents, Simplified Genetics has developed a scientific way to determine

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE TEST

The simple truth is not everyone has the same genetic dispositions. The latest scientific research indicates that susceptibility to and response after concussions vary based on genetics, specifically the APOE gene.

The APOE gene instructs the body to make a protein which regulates many biological functions, including the metabolism and distribution of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, and facilitates the growth and repair of brain cells. APOE normally clears clogs in the bloodstream and helps to manage healthy brain function.

Each human carries two copies of the APOE gene in any combination of the three possible variants, ApoE ɛ2, ApoE ɛ3 and ApoE ɛ4. In the case of a head injury, these genes create proteins to aid in the repair of the brain cells. However, the ɛ4 variation is structurally different and creates a protein which is significantly less effective at healing the injured area of the brain. Those that carry the ɛ4 variation are at higher risk for TBI and long-term negative consequences. The estimated 17-25% of

“I feel passionate about getting this information to d the parents early enough so they can take steps to avoi anent.” damage of head injuries, which for some kids is perm 56

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ApoE ɛ4 carriers are shown in multiple clinical stud ies to be more likely to have negative outcomes after injuries to the brain. the population who carry one copy of ApoE ɛ4 are 8.4 times more susceptible to concussions and carry a greater risk of long-lasting negative effects from head injury. It is important for those in this category to understand the elevated risk.

The population at highest risk is comprised of individuals who carry two copies of the ɛ4 variation. Because they do not carry the variant that produces the highly effective protein, minimizing the risk of head injury in this population is critical. ApoE ɛ4 carriers are shown in multiple clinical studies to be more likely to have negative outcomes after injuries to the brain. Their brains tend to have more protein clumps, called amyloid plaques, than the brains of those without the variant. It is believed these plaques cause disturbance throughout the networks of neurons in the brain.

Many people carry only combinations of the ɛ2 and ɛ3 variants and they have a significantly lower disposition toward head injury and long-lasting consequences.

RESULTS OF THE TEST

The SimplySafeTM test uses full-sequence genetic analysis to determine the combination of the APOE gene variations present in an individual.

The results of the test are valid for a lifetime so parents can test once and make informed decisions for a lifetime.

Based on a child’s variations on the APOE gene, parents can decide which sports and activities are most appropriate based on the likelihood of impact during such activities. Even carriers of the ɛ4 variation can feel comfortable being involved in activities such as gymnastics, tennis, swimming, golf, sailing, dance and yoga.

Parents of these kids should consider carefully whether collision or contact sports are the right choices. According to Johnsen, “Parents should

have the opportunity to use facts and not fear when making such important decisions about their children.”

IMPACT OF THE TEST

Johnsen knew the development of the SimplySafeTM test was a significant step toward improved brain health and safety for kids, but he hadn’t realized the true magnitude until he recently tested a retired, longtime NFL veteran and his family. Says Johnsen, “When the results came back, I contacted him to see when I could present them to him and his wife to get feedback on our presentation. He urged me to do it that very evening. It was really the first evidence for me of the importance and urgency of this information.”

The NFL all-star wanted to know as quickly as possible if any of the family members were carriers of ApoE ɛ4. That night Johnsen met with him and his wife, who was also a retired professional athlete and had sustained multiple concussions in her career.

The husband carried no copy of the problematic ApoE ɛ4 variant but his wife and young son both had one copy each.

“I shared the risks associated with one copy of ApoE ɛ4 and then listened to their discussion about their young son,” said Johnsen. “The father said he wouldn’t want their son to play football until he was fully developed and old enough to make his own decision. I suggested the son’s body might be developed by high school, but the mind of a teenage boy often isn’t developed to understand consequences and that parental guidance and judgment is still critical. At that point the mother was adamant it would never be worth the risk for their son to play collision sports. The whole experience was a unique and intimate view inside a conversation I believe should be taking place in households across the country and the world.”

$100 OFF — YOGA DIGEST SPECIAL —

ENTER PROMO CODE “YOGADIGEST“ AT CHECKOUT WWW.SIMPLIFIEDGENETICS.COM WW W.YOGAD I GEST. CO M

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Please insert subhead Please insert subhead

BY ANGELA AMBROSE

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utterstock; OCREO Michal Bednarek/Sh Background photo by PHOT reakmedia/Shutterstock Underwater photo by waveb

unning 40 miles a week started to take a toll on Karen Rooff’s body. She suffered from chronic joint soreness and nagging foot pain from plantar fasciitis. If she wanted to continue running marathons, she had to make a change. “I felt like I couldn’t run on land six days a week anymore like I used to. It took me longer to recover,” says Rooff.

As a personal trainer and aqua yoga instructor, she knew that working out in a pool provided a low impact environment where she could exercise at high intensity without pounding her joints, so she decided to incorporate weekly deep water jogging and aqua yoga into her training schedule. A few months later, her plantar fasciitis disappeared and she achieved her fastest race time in more than a decade.

“By running in the pool, I’m giving my body a chance to recover a little more. Water is 12 times more resistant than air, so I’m working hard to move, but with little or no impact,” says the 41-year-old. Her favorite part of her aqua workout is doing yoga stretches after her long runs: “I just love the feeling of being in the water, and the buoyancy when stretching is just heavenly.”

Today Rooff is injury-free and training for a 56mile ultramarathon.

CROSS-TRAINING IN THE POOL REDUCES INJURIES

People of all ages, abilities and fitness levels can benefit from exercising in the pool. Water creates the ideal environment for aerobics, strength training and stretching with less risk of injury.

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“The top athletes know when they’re hurt they can go and crosstrain in the pool, and they can stay in great shape even though they can’t do their normal techniques on land,” says Lynda Huey, president of Complete PT Pool & Land Physi-

cal Therapy and author of five books on aquatic therapy. “They can get a powerful cardiovascular workout doing deep water interval training and then go to the shallow end and do things that are specific to their sport to keep their technique fine-tuned, but without as much weight on the joints.”

For the last 30 years, Huey has trained athletes in the pool to give them a competitive edge, including Olympic track and field champions Carl Lewis, Gail Devers and Florence Griffith Joyner.

When pro basketball player Wilt Chamberlain had elbow, knee and hip surgery, Huey helped him rehabilitate in the pool, allowing him to get back on the court sooner.

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Water training offers some unique benefits not found on land. Because water surrounds your entire body, opposing muscles are worked with every move. The natural instability of water also forces you to engage your core muscles more and to train more efficiently.

“Water is the only environment where you can safely and effectively perform true strength training simultaneously with aerobic exercise. You can do twice as much volume of work in the water than you can on land,” says Craig Stuart, owner and master instructor of HYDRO-FIT,® Inc., which specializes in aqua exercise equipment and instruction. For more advanced exercises, Stuart suggests adding webbed gloves, noodles, buoyant barbells or ankle cuffs to help increase the resistance of the water and build more strength and cardiovascular endurance.

“In most sports, some kind of trauma or repetitive stress from gravitational compression takes most athletes out,” says Stuart. “The whole idea is to get in the water to perform at a superior level and not get injured.”

AQUA YOGA CREATES FLOWING, MEDITATIVE PRACTICE

After a challenging water workout nothing feels more soothing and supportive than yoga in the pool. “Because we have hydrostatic pressure that hugs the whole body and we have buoyancy, it seems easier to sustain the integrity of length in a pose,” says Camella Nair, creator of Aqua Kriya Yoga and author of a book by the same name.

The water can be a less intimidating place to practice yoga, especially balancing poses, hip openers and deep backbends. One legged balancing poses such as tree or dancer’s pose are easier to maintain, and the buoyancy of the water helps you move deeper into the pose with more focused effort. You can also attempt poses in the water that you might be afraid to try on land.

On your yoga mat, you might take a hard tumble falling out of handstand or crane pose, but if you fall out of these poses in the pool, the water gently cradles your body and slows you down, cushioning your landing.

Aqua yoga is also more accessible to those with physical limitations, including the elderly, obese and inflexible. “When they’re in the water, they’re fully supported. They don’t feel like they’re going to fall over and hurt themselves,” says Nair. “The buoyancy allows more of a lift, and so what I’m tending to find is people’s pelvic floors are getting a lot more toned, and WW W.YOGAD I GEST. CO M

Shallow vs. Deep Water Cardio intervals, jogging, strength training and sports simulations can be performed in deep or shallow water; however, aqua yoga is best performed in chest high water.

Before you dive into a water workout, consider the differences between shallow and deep water training: Shallow Water Exercise Water depth: Chest/armpit level Impact on joints: 25 to 35% of your weight Required equipment: Optional water shoes to cushion feet.

• Use webbed gloves and buoyant barbells for increased resistance and intensity and noodles for stretching and balancing.

• Use the pool wall for stretching, added resistance and more exercise options.

Deep Water Exercise Water depth: Deep enough to maintain your vertical length without being able to push off the floor.

Impact on joints: 0% Required equipment: buoyancy belt or ankle cuffs.

• Use webbed gloves or buoyant barbells for increased resistance and intensity.

they start to automatically stand up a little bit taller in the water.”

Following an intense water workout with aqua yoga stretching creates the perfect yin yang experience. The flowing, meditative properties of water help create a mind-body connection and wash away stress and tension. For the ultimate savasana experience, Nair suggests ending your yoga practice by floating on your back supported by aqua noodles.

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The 12 Minute

Yoga Sequence For Busy Families

BY THE TWO FIT MOMS

“Urdhva Hastasana” or Upward Salute

“Uttanasana” or Standing Forward Fold

Extend the arms up towards the sky. Send energy all the way up through the fingers as you root down through your feet.

Feel a nice stretch along each side of your body. Take it into a mini backbend to open up the chest.

Leading with your heart, swan dive down while maintaining length in your spine.

Feel the stretch in the backs of both legs.

High Lunge or Crescent Lunge

Step your left foot back, keeping the left heel lifted.

Your feet should be hips’ width distance apart. Make sure your right knee is stacked over your right ankle as you sweep your arms up into the lunge. Pull your right hip back, left hip forward.

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“Prasarita Padottanasana” or Wid e Legged Standing Forward Fold

Slowly straighten out your right knee , turn to the left and position your feet parallel.

Bring your hands onto your hips. Once again keeping length in your spine, slowly fold down bring ing the crown of your head towards your mat and taking your hands to the backs of your ankles or calves.

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“Skandasana” or Deep Side Lunge

Release your hands onto the mat. Slowly start to walk your hands toward your right foot as you bend your right knee. Right toes will turn out as your left toes come up. Keep your hands on the ground for support or lift them up. Repeat on the other side.

“Utkatasana” or Chair Pose

From Skandasana, walk your hands back to the top of your mat coming into High Lunge again. Keeping the right knee bent, step the left foot to meet the right. Sink your weight towards your heels, navel pulled in and shoulders relaxing down.

w “Supta Bakasana” or Sleeping Cro

and release Slowly sit back deep in your chair pose chest. Extend your into s knee your Hug . onto your back the wrists. at flex and sky your hands up towards the up towards high s knee your bring , core your Using towards your knees. your triceps and lift your forehead

“Dwi Pada Padangusthasana” or Two Foot Toestand Release your sleeping crow and hug your knees into your chest.

Roll up and come into a squat on the balls of both feet. Bring your big toes to touch and sink your bottom onto your heels. Bring your hands to heart center.

“Bakasana” or Crow Pose

“Malasana” or Yogi Squat

Slowly release your crow. Jump your feet as wide as your mat and rotate your toes out. Sink down into your yogi squat. Sit up tall and bring your hands to heart center.

Use your elbows to help keep your chest lifted. Breathe.

Repeat the sequence on the other side!

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Separate your knees and bring your hands onto your mat, shoulder width apart.

Spread your fingers wide. Start to lift your bottom up and bring your knees as high up onto your triceps as possible. As you look forward, start to round your upper back and bring the weight onto your arms. Slowly pick up one or both heels coming into Crow!

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YOGA

Fashion & Function

BY GLENNA MUSANTE

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ost of us have heard about the proposed indecent exposure law in Montana that would ban wearing yoga pants in public.

Although that bill was recently tabled (but is still not necessarily dead), it continues to draw national attention to the fact that a major shift has taken place in American culture with regard to women’s attire.

Much more than a trend, wearing yoga clothes after work or on vacation represents a sea change in the way that women dress. Even the most figure hugging yoga attire is no longer just seen in the studio. It all points to the fact that moisture wicking, comfortably compressive, figure draping yoga wearables have evolved into a fashion phenomenon.

The fashion industry calls the clothes involved “athleisure.” Yoga brands (as well as apparel brands that have never before sold yoga clothes) are taking the basic yoga uniform for women--black leggings and sleeveless top--and creating colorful ensembles that move easily from studio to street to resort by adding a few key additional pieces and accessories, as well as some style spice.

Traditional yoga and active wear brands like Lululemon, Gaiam, L.L. Bean, and CW-X are turning work horse separates into outfits, replacing the basic black legging with bright, color coordinated bottoms with matching top, matching workout bras and coordinated hoodies or jackets and accessories to complete the look.

According to Cindy McNaull, global brand manager for a fabric called Cordura, which is typically found in Lucy Perfectly Posed Top - $49 Some days we want a little more coverage in the studio, throw the Perfectly Posed Top over your favorite bra or tank for a lightweight layer.

• Barely there cap sleeve allows you to move with ease • Relaxed fit and cropped length makes layering easy • 66% Polyester, 28% Modal, 6% Spandex

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rugged active wear, “more and more consumers are looking for fashionable pieces that are also functional,” that have the potential to go from a yoga or gym workout to the mall.

The fabrics used in yoga wear are helping to fuel the love toward athlesiure. A typical pair of yoga pants, for example, is made from fabric that clings, yet gives, and has a comfortable feel or drape. Plus the fibers in a good pair have what the fashion industry calls “recovery,” which means that the material will go back to its original shape and size after being worn. In other words, it doesn’t get baggy.

L.L. Bean, which has begun reaching out to a younger, athletic demographic with the new L.L. Bean Activewear line, has introduced yoga-based separates that can be combined as ensembles for wear around town, on vacation, to resorts plus yoga class.

Stacey Finnemore, a product manager for L.L. Bean, said the fibers and fabrics used in yoga wear are key. In fact, athleisure is trend that L.L. Bean has

embraced in a big way with a new line of separates that, as the logo says, “wicks sweat, keeps you cool and stretches where you need it,” even if that involves reaching for across the counter for that Latte at Starbucks.

Meanwhile, women’s apparel brands not known for active wear are coming out with highly stylized yoga ensembles, including yoga outfits designed specifically for resort wear. Boston Proper, Victoria Secret and Lilly Pulitzer have all recently introduced yoga-inspired ensembles and separates for vacation or resort wear.

SUP, or stand up paddle board, yoga is another example of yoga wear crossing over into a new Lucy In the Movement Capri - $75 We created the In The Movement Capri because we noticed you needed the perfect pant to take you from workout to weekend and everything in between.

• Convertible waistband can be worn high or low • Drawcord in waistband for secure fit • Chafe-free flat lock seams • 20” inseam • 80% Cotton 20% Polyester

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CONNECT Fashion & Function

Yoga Digest spoke with Stacy Finnemore merchandising manager for L.L. Bean Women’s Active line, to learn her insights about the impact yoga is having on women’s fashion.

Q - To what extent are consumers interested in buying yoga ensembles (and not just one piece)?

A - Women LOVE to coordinate their ensembles, but we’ve found that customers really like having the freedom to mix pieces and customize their look.

Offering a small group of pieces that can mix and match allows the customer to alternate pieces and essentially “do more with less.” The idea of five pieces that can be worn in three looks seems to be trending more than selling ensembles as fixed sets.

Q - Which styles and fabrics do the BEST job of transitioning from yoga studio to street?

A - Black yoga tights are super versatile and transition seamlessly to the street. [We] recommend that you stick with neutral colors on top for maximum versatility and then pop the outfit with a bright tank, bra, shoe or bag. We love “long & lean” tops with open necklines, longer hems and long sleeves for studio-to-street & travel. These silhouettes feel feminine, are simple and are “live in worthy” for just about any occasion.

Q - We are seeing a trend toward wearing yoga attire on vacation, especially at resorts. Are you seeing any demand for yoga resort wear?

A - Ask any active woman what her go-to workout pant would be, and nine out of 10 would be ready with at least one pant they couldn’t live without.

Yoga pants are a staple of a woman’s wardrobe.

The “studio to street” mentality has truly changed

frontier. To find out more about this trend we talked with April Zilg, one of the world’s highest ranked women’s speed paddle board racers. She also runs summer SUP yoga programs in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

Before SUP Yoga became a recognized sport, “the people doing it wore what they wore to paddle board,” she said, which could mean anything from a wet suit in cold weather to quick dry separates from a brand like UnderArmour.

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the way women pack for travel in the same way that it has changed weekend wear. Lastly, yoga clothes are very practical, pack down small, are easy to wash in a hotel room and can be worn for workouts as well as adventures and flights.

Q - Generally speaking, what impact is yoga having on active wear trends? Is the sport shaping this segment of the industry in any particular way?

A - The influence of yoga in the last five years is undeniable, both in active apparel, and in the sportswear market. Yoga has become much more of a mainstream practice and less niche. This could be due in part to the inclusive nature of yoga. Anyone can practice yoga, in their own home, in a studio, outdoors. It offers such a breadth of intensity levels and ultimately supports “health” in a way that many other practices can’t capture. Yoga has so much to offer, and the public has embraced yoga as a KEY activity and a driving force. The yoga pant phenomenon has impacted almost every angle of the marketplace. It basically created the “athleisure” movement and has had a trickle down impact on nearly every category of product: sneakers as fashion, backpacks as fashion, sports bras as fashion, uber-stretch denim in “tights” silhouettes and longer lengths in tops. You could argue that all of these trends tie back to the influence of yoga, and the explosion of a few power-house yoga brands in the marketplace.

“As it evolved and a younger demographic got involved, people started wearing bikinis out on the boards during SUP yoga,” she said, adding that this isn’t always the best idea. Might look cute, but as she explained, may not stay put.

“If you’ve got it, flaunt it, is not necessarily a good plan for SUP yoga,” she said. “True yogi’s will wear yoga clothes.” The key is to wear items that offer a full range of motion, but will stay put through poses and will dry quickly if you fall off the board. For

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L.L. Bean Gear The Spruce Core Cardigan: This jacket has a flowing drape to its style, making it a natural partner with yoga wear.

It’s made from a 97% polyester, 3% Spandex blend, so it has some give and stretch. It’s also moisture wicking, making it a good jacket to wear after a class.

The Essential Performance Long Sleeve Tee: This top has figure enhancing Princess seams and is made from a lightweight 89% polyester, 11% Spandex blend fabric that has a soft buttery feel. This top is perfect in the studio or at a local café.

The Cool Down Pullover: Made from polyester, Spandex and cotton, this ultra lightweight pullover dries quickly when expose to persporation.

The Capri: These studio to street Capri’s fit like a second skin, but are not binding plus have a cool feel, which adds a dimension of comfort during and after your yoga workout. The Capri’s are made from an 88% polyester 11% Spandex blend and the fabric does not shine when stretched. The fabric is also quick drying and wicks moisture away from the skin. The waist band can be adjusted for a fit that does not slip regardless of the pose.

Sleeveless Tank: This has a soft hand and is made from a lightweight 89% polyester 11% Spandex blend that has great recovery after being stretch, and it clings without being binding.

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Lucy Posture Tank - $59 We think you’ll love how the Posture Tank has a high cove age neckline so you can keep the focus on your practice.

• High neckline and strappy back detail allow for total freedom of movement • Internal shelf bra with removable cupcakes add shape and coverage • Chafe-free flat lock seams • 87% supplex nylon, 13% black lycra spandex

men, this could be a pair of board shorts. Just try to avoid string bikinis she cautioned, “or you could have a wardrobe malfunction out there.”

Which in a round about way takes us back to that proposed law in Montana. Yes, yoga wear outside the studio is growing. But as with anything, there are some out there who recommend a bit of discretion. Then again you only live once!

Glenna Musante is an award-winning jour-

nalist who covers fashion and the inner workings of the textile industry. She is known for writing about sportswear trends and the new performance fibers and fabrics that are reinventing yoga wear and sportswear.

In her spare time, Glenna is a soprano with North Carolina Master Chorale, the resident chorus of The North Carolina Symphony, and strives to get in a yoga workout before every performance.

Glenna can be reached at GlennaMusante@yahoo.com or www.linkedin.com/in/glennamusante

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One big check mark just crossed off my entire yoga-retreat checklist: On the ocean In a tropical jungle Has a yoga platform on the water Serves local, seasonal, delicious cuisine Inhabited by exotic wildlife Built sustainably Attracts happy and positive people to work there and adventurous and conscious people to visit Has an energy so powerful that whatever your reason for being there is, the experience is that much more heightened BY ANN EVERHART

THIS IS THE PLACE

It’s like melting into the most well-deserved Savasana at the end of a class that just topped any other. In this serenity, your teacher then graces you with a blissful head and shoulder massage, which drops you even deeper into ecstasy. It’s marrying the manifested feeling with the actual experience, for the most elevated feeling you might imagine.

That’s what it feels like here, at Aqua Wellness Resort.

I felt this truth true upon my first visit to Aqua, as I sat on the edge of the open-air yoga platform, under a thatched roof that danced with the wind. My feet were floating

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above the Pacific, her full-belly swell crashing into the rocks below. My breath was synchronized with the tide.

I looked straight ahead to the horizon where the aqua water meets the pink sky. The sun had just set; and to the right was the stunning beach occupied only by Aqua’s guests. Hammocks beckoned me as they came to life with the breeze—every hammock is perfectly positioned for an awe-inspiring view. After some time, low, red lights softly illuminated the sandy walkway from the restaurant to the beach and up the hand-built stairs to each of the tree-house villas.

I closed my eyes to meditate; I transcended.

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RECEIVE OUR MOTHER’S WISDOM

BE THEIR GUEST

Aqua has respected the wildlife in such a way that Nicaragua’s exotic beings seem unchallenged with the resort’s presence. The mindful designers, architects, and builders have synchronized with the hosts of the land without scaring them away.

The visitors and staff here are more like guests of the wildlife, and they get pleasure from observing their hosts in action during their stay.

“From the hand-crafted design of our tree-house villas to the aesthetic of our permaculture and sustainable systems, you’ll feel the extra care that we have taken to minimize environmental impact,” says Mandela. “We elevate the guest experience in a manner that compels you to re-ignite connection with your inner self and the life-giving nature that is so abundant here.”

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The beautifully crafted villas at Aqua are perched on stilts and nestled into the canopy, blending in with the surrounding trees, cacti, and tropical plants. You can reserve a suite or a tree house within one of Aqua’s 24 villas, or an entire villa (suite plus the treehouse), some with two levels, so groups of up to 8 can maintain its energy in their own private quarters (which includes a plunge pool on your private deck with ocean views).

NOURISH YOUR BEING

Aqua’s beachside restaurant serves a variety of healthy and delicious international dishes—everything from Nicaraguan ceviche and nacatamal, a Nica tamale, to pasta and Pad Thai. Guests enjoy the warm service of the Nicaraguan staff, who always exude a tranquillo vibe.

Fresh-squeezed seasonal juices and healthy smoothies are offered any time of day, which always hit the spot after an energy-moving swim or an energy-grounding yoga class. Whatever table you choose to sit at, you will be either looking at the ocean or sitting right on the private, beautiful beach.

A yoga retreat encourages heart-opening and soul-inspiration, so you are wide open to receive. If you gift yourself the experience of a yoga retreat at Aqua Wellness Resort, you will return home with your highest self found and revealed.

From the jungle-hosted, tree- house accommodations to the ocean’s expansiveness beyond a beautiful, private beach, and the Zen-inspired paths connecting it all, a stay at Aqua Wellness Resort will leave you awakened and rejuvenated—from your heart outwards.

Ann Everhart is a Colorado-based freelance writer and editor.

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Water texture photo by robert_s/Shutterstock; Woman practicing yoga at seashore photo by My Good Images/Shutterstock

Aqua allows the magic of Mother Earth to contribute to the consciousness expansion that happens when you are here. It will bring your yoga practice to a place from which there is no return. Once you awaken, you can’t fall back to sleep.

“Aqua must be experienced first hand in order for one to truly understand what a magical place it is,” says Anthony Mandela, Aqua’s Custom Groups Coordinator. It’s the kind of setting where the more you relax, the more rewarded you feel.

When I arrived at Aqua, at first I found myself feeling a little resistant to allowing the experience to hold me. I wouldn’t watch for too long the harmonic dances of the fountains that the tides and rocks create; and I wouldn’t sit still long enough to notice that the land comes entirely alive when its inhabitants don’t feel footsteps approaching.

I didn’t quiet my mind enough to fully hear the soundscape that changes moment to moment with monkey calls, bird songs, crashing waves, gecko chirps, and on and on and on—each moment so unique from the next.

I had to make a conscious effort to allow myself to relax and absorb; then I started looking up, watching to watch families of howler monkeys traveling stealthily right over my head; I began to stand still often, looking down to watch the crabs rhythmically tap dance through the rocks all over the resort’s land. I found so much inspiration and peace in listening to all the natural music all around me.

Last month a friend asked why she wasn’t losing weight and why she felt so awful. Let’s call her Wilma.

Wilma thought she was taking pretty good care of herself, so I asked what her days were looking like.

BY DONNA MORIN

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ery busy, she said. Wilma had taken on two projects at work and her two boys were playing on travel sports teams. Her mom had just come down with the flu so she was taking care of her as well.

So how are you taking care of yourself, I asked.

Turns out the good care she thought she’d been giving herself was a weekly yoga class, a daily protein bar for lunch, and not tearing into the box of Girl Scout cookies still sitting in her cupboard.

Wilma is a fabulous person. She cares a great deal for other people, recycles, and has the best dry wit next to comedian Steven Wright. Wilma loves her boys, too, and would do anything they asked. In fact, Wilma would likely do anything that was asked of her.

And that’s the problem.

Every time Wilma said yes to another commitment, she said no to something else. In this case, the no was to her own health.

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be hard, but it takes commitment and it requires time. We need to get enough sleep so we’re not functioning on caffeine, to make our own food so that we’re filling our bodies with nutrients and not chemical flavors, colors, and loads of sodium, and to move throughout the day so our organs don’t

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get squished, so our lungs can take in the fresh oxygen that every cell in our bodies require, and so our bones build the density needed to keep us stable as we age.

Time. Effort. It’s a trade-off. Put in the investment, and the return equals quality of living.

There are 168 hours in a week. Even after deducting for sleep, work, child care, and house work, most of us should still have 20 hours we can dedicate to our health, whether that be food prep, hiking, massage, doctor’s visits, or time laughing with friends. Every week there is time.

But we have to say yes to it.

Once I pointed this out to Wilma, she began to think about where in her life she was saying yes when she should have been saying no. Obviously, there are events in our lives that we can’t control. People we love may need us for a period of time and the best way to care for our health is to accept what is.

Once Wilma’s mother recovered from the flu, however, Wilma re-dedicated that time she used to care for her mother to care for her own body.

Wilma was committed to the projects at work, but she thought about how she had gotten involved in the first place. One project she loved and believed was helping her to make

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an important difference in the worldalso an important part of health.

The other she took on because she felt guilty saying no. Realizing that her heart was not in this project, Wilma saw that somebody else would have been a far better pick to facilitate and that in the future, she would speak up and say so.

When we have a good idea of what it is we want to do in this lifetime, we can better direct our resources to make every day be another step toward that goal.

We can say no to the things that don’t move us along and yes to those that do.

I want to be the best health coach I can and to be there as a support for those who need it as they travel on their own journeys. I want to make a difference for the children in my community, to make being healthy fun and cool. To do all this, I need to be focused, driven, and have plenty of energy. I make sure that the things I say yes to every day move me in that direction.

Donna Morin is a certified wellness coach with a

master’s degree in education. She specializes in working with children and families in helping them to reclaim their health and sense of empowerment.

Through her own research, personal health journey, and continuing education in nutrition, Donna helps to support others looking to feel better, have more energy, and create sustainable lifestyle habits with an approach that addresses mind, body, and spirit.

Illustrations by YUTTANA HONGTANSAWAT/Shutterstock

When we have a good idea of what it is we want to do in this lifetime, we can better direct our resources to make every day be another step toward that goal. We can say no to the things that don’t move us along and yes to those that do.”

Everyone who has multiple people in their household has probably experienced at least a little of a challenge when it comes to keeping everyone happy at the kitchen table.

WITH JESS PIRNAK

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dd different dietary preferences, busy schedules and activities to the mix and you’re sure to find some obstacles to eating healthy. We talked to Registered Dietician, Jess Pirnak for some tips on making healthy eating a priority for the entire family!

YD: Do you have some tips for time-challenged, busy parents? Here’s the thing: we work, we cart the kids around from activity to activity, and walk in the door famished. How do we spend less time in drive-throughs and eating frozen pizza (or eating at 8 pm)?

JP: The situation you just described is one I hear often from families and when two or three kids are doing

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multiple after school activities and both parents are on opposite sides of the city, or not even in the same city due to work travel, I really don’t know how they keep their energy up! A recommendation I like to make in these situations is bulk cooking. This does require some meal planning but your wallet and heart will thank you later. Pick one night a week to make a couple of meals that you can freeze for later, for instance: chilli, home-made mac & cheese, lasagne or other stews/soups. If this is a challenge then next time you make a meal that will freeze and store well, make 4x your usual amount. Eventually you’ll have enough different meals in your freezer to serve after these very long days.

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YD: The other big challenge in many families is the variety of eating styles. For example, there’s vegetarians and meat-eaters eating at the same table. Then there’s the picky eaters who eat nothing but chicken nuggets! How can you make everyone happy (and still be healthy)?

YD: Can you give us some ideas for healthy, on the go snacks that can be packed in the car? Or time-saving lunches for grab and go?

JP: Some good on the go snacks that can also sit in the car include a variety of nuts such as almonds, cashews or walnuts; seeds such as sesame or pumpkin; dried fruit or fresh fruits and vegetables. One delicious snack is dried figs and peanut butter - tons of fiber and protein to keep your energy up! Regarding lunch, the fastest lunch to prepare is salad. Buy some pre-washed lettuce, cut and prepared veggies, a can of beans, nuts or seeds and throw it together for a quick salad. Or use left over protein from dinner instead of beans.

YD: How can get my kids involved in the meal prep, without them destroying my kitchen, or ultimately, making more work (in terms of cleaning)?

JP: Tough question! Kids are hands-on learners so this might be the price we pay for getting them involved in meal preparation. However, some ways to keep your kitchen sane would be taking your child grocery shopping and asking them what fruit or vegetable they would like to eat or try and letting them pick it out. Or if you have a garden on your patio or in the backyard get the kids out there harvesting your veggies - they love getting dirty. But in the kitchen let them wash, peel or serve the meal to get them excited about eating different foods.

Jess Pirnak is a Registered Dietitian working in Vancouver.

She graduated from UBC’s Food Nutrition and Health program, and completed her dietetic internship with Provincial Health Services Authority after finishing a Psychology degree from SFU. Jess is passionate about education, prevention and creating a healthy community. She loves working with kids and parents helping them create a positive relationship with food.

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Dried fruits photo by Pakhnyushchy/Shutterstock; Family in kitchen poto by Chinaview/Shutterstock; Fresh salad by Lukas Gojda/Shutterstock

JP: Oh those picky eaters! Studies indicate that 80 percent of parents report this as an issue with their children - 80 percent that’s huge! Parents are responsible for where, when and what the child eats while the child is responsible for if and how much they will eat, so with this philosophy in mind children need to taste a new food between 7 and 12 times before they’ll accept it. Keep serving those picky eaters what the family is eating and one day I promise you they’ll actually start liking broccoli. For the vegetarian, try a couple of nights a week having meat-less meals. This will get you experimenting in the kitchen and including everyone in the meal preparation.

Recipes by

Tomato, Peach and Watermelon Panzanella Salad

Serves 4-6 people

A panzanella salad is traditionally a tomato and day-old bread salad — think brusche tta in a bowl!

This is a spin on a traditional recipe, with the surprising additions of peach and waterm elon — basil and red onion too. All of the flavors meld together; they just really complement each other nicely.

And, the bread soaks up the juices.

It’s like a meal in and of itself. It also happens to be the perfect summer salad!

Helpful hint: n You can make your ow y old bread croutons with da o cubes bread. Cut the bread int layer on and arrange in a single with olive a baking sheet. Drizzle and oil, salt and pepper, toss til crisp bake at 400 degrees un e and slightly browned. Th croutons will harden as they cool.

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2 large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cub es 2 peaches, cut into 1-inch pieces 1-1 1/2 cups of watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes 1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly (in half moon-shaped slices) 1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese 15 basil leaves, cut finely 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 15 large croutons (see instructions below) salt and pepper to taste Add tomatoes, peaches, watermelon , red onion, feta cheese and basil to a large bow l. Mix the olive oil and vinegar in a separate, sma ll bowl and pour over the salad. Incorporate crou tons and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Courtesy of Kate Alexande r, Two

Fit Moms

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Zucchini and Summer Squash Papp ardelle

Serves 4 people

with Garlic & Olive Oil

Zucchini noodles are all the rage esp ecially with those trying to limit their carbohydrate or gluten intake. Our Zucchini and Summer Squash Pappard elle is a play on this trend, but inste ad of noodles, we made pappardelle! We also incorporated summer squash - which just adds to the bea uty of the dish. All you need is a mandolin (or a hand peeler) and you can make this healthy and nutritious play on pasta for your family.

3 medium sized zucchini 3 medium sized summer squash Helpful hint: 1/4 cup olive oil D o NOT overcook 4 large cloves of garlic th e squash durin 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes g the 1/4 cup of shaved parmigiano-regg b la n ching stage. It iano cheese will fall 1 tablespoon chopped basil completely ap a rt w hen 1 tablespoon chopped parsley you toss it! An d, do NOT salt to taste Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

burn the garlic . If you do, start over!

1. In the meantime, with a mandoli n, slice the zucchini and summer squash about 1/16th of an inch thic Blanch the zucchini for approximat k. ely one minute, or until the squash is tender. Remove the squash and submerge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the squash and set aside in a large serving bowl.

2. In a pan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, sliced garlic and crushed red pepper. Allow the garl to brown slowly, and once it does, ic turn off the heat.

3. Add the olive oil mixture, the cho pped basil, parsley and parmigiano-r eggiano over the blanched zucchini. Toss and serve.

Recipe Courtesy of Kate Alexander , Two

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Fit Moms

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Recipes by Two Fit Moms

Banana Maple Walnut “I ce Cream”

Serves 4 people

Don’t throw those brown spotted bananas on your counter in the garbage!

You can turn them into a delicious frozen dessert. Wi th the help of your freez er, and a food processor, you ca n whip them into ice cre am.

Just peel them, pop them in the freezer, throw them in the food processor — add a natural sweetener, like maple syrup, and some walnuts — and, voila! yo u have a creamy and delectable ice cream substitute — wh ich also happens to be dairyand gluten-free!

4 ripe bananas cut into 1 inch slices and frozen 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup ( I use grade B for thick ness) 1/4 cup of chopped wa lnuts In the bowl of a food pro cessor add your banana s and maple syrup (you ca n adjust the amount of syrup based on your de sired level of sweetness) .

Pulse until the bananas break down, resembling a smooth creamy consiste ncy. Remove mixture an d add to a bowl. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Serve immediately or pop ba ck into the freezer for a more solid consistency.

Recipe Courtesy of Kate Alexander, Two Fit Moms

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Overnight Chia-Oat Pudding

Serves one

Helpful hint: If you prefer a sweeter pudding, consider ond using a sweetened alm le or coconut milk -- or drizz d honey on top. For adde texture consider adding nuts. The possibilities are endless!

We know you are pressed for time, so our Overnight Chia-Oat Pudding is the perfect mak e-ahead breakfast (or snack) that you can prepare the nigh t before and will be ready to eat the next morning ! You can even take the breakfast with you to the offic e - just grab a mason jar so you can grab or go with out any hassle.

We love this overnight pudding bec ause it’s satisfying without being sweet. Feel free to top your pudding with some fresh or frozen berr ies to add texture and additional flavor and nutrients. ½ cup rolled oats 2 tablespoons chia seeds 1 tablespoon almond butter ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¾ cup milk (I use cashew milk) 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or more, to taste) Mix all ingredients in a jar, portable container or drinking glass. Place in the refrigerator ove rnight. Serve as is or with berries/fruit.

Recipe Courtesy of Masumi Goldman , Two

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Fit Moms

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Himalayan Pink Salt,

the Good Salt

Top photo by Ivaylo Ivanov/Shutterstock; Bottom photo by Ilizia/Shutterstock

What is it?

Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt contains the same 84 natural minerals and elements found in the human body. This unrefined, unprocessed “raw” form of salt is hand-mined from salt caves that have been maturing over the past 250 million years as ocean salt settled in certain geologic pockets around the earth. This intense tectonic pressure creates an environment of zero exposure to toxins and impurities.

How is it different from regular salt?

Table salt is composed of 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals like iodine, absorbents and sugar.

Common salt is dried at more than 1,200° Fahrenheit, which zaps the natural chemical structures, stripping most its nutrients. The body sees this as a threat which can result in high blood pressure and a host of other problems which is why we often hear the warnings about the dangers of sodium intake.

Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt is actually considered an essential compound for long-term health. This mineral

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helps with the absorption of nutrients and managing pH levels in the body. Salt therapy has also been used to treat respiratory illness. For centuries, salt mine workers were found to have a very low rate of respiratory illnesses due to their exposure to the salt while working in the mines.

How to use it?

Keep it in the kitchen to add flavor and essential nutrients to your recipes. Invest in a Himalayan salt lamp to purify your environment by reducing the toxicity of EMF’s, the electromagnetic frequencies emitted from electronics. Himalayan salt is drug free, all natural and non-invasive. Add this mineral to your medicine cabinet to treat: • Allergies and asthma • Dehydration • Excess stress • Hangovers • High blood pressure • Respiratory infections • Skin conditions

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Staff Picks ired by and THE BHOGA INFINITY BLOCK is insps of our body.

contour designed for the natural shapes and body’s provides– our Perhaps the most vital shape within d weight distribunce stability, support, empowerment, bala t classic and Tha e. forc tion and transferring of directional k’s shape Bloc ity Infin vital shape is the arch. The Bhoga the arch of ics nom provides the fluidity and natural ergo sides. flat of g ndin combined with the stability and grou ral, natu ble, forta com Super- ergonomic shape provides has k Bloc ity Infin The enlivening and empowering action. of s tour con into rally an ideal grip and also nestles natu ly explore virtually the back in reclining poses. Creative m a.co unlimited possibilities. www.bhog

igns an excluCONFUSED GIRL IN THE CITY, desway stretch),

ings (4 sive line of high quality printed legg

by HEALING ired made in L.A. The designs are insp different stone. a nts CRYSTALS and each pair represe tals balance crys ling hea The and cultivate rgy ene g yin/yan y and healing. tivit crea , courage IN THE CITY L GIR SED CONFU ling and hea ut abo d is a bran nfused “Co The . nce accepta est and hon le, erab vuln is Girl” LEG CE GRA se The e. brav a from d erne patt are GINGS tal. crys x Ony Rose Onyx is associated primarily with the root chakra. It assists with challenges in life, especially those caused by a drain of energy. It also helps with grounding and controlling or eliminating excess or unwanted energies. Check out their website for other styles and healing properties! confusedgirlinthecity.com WW W.YOGAD I GEST. CO M

WATERLUST

creates media and apparel which aims to inspire people to consider their relationship with water. Their bold, aqua-inspired printed leggings are made from rPET recycled polyester (aka post-co nsumer plastic bottles), have a UPF rating of 50+ to keep you sun-safe, and look and feel grea t during any activity (in and out of the water).

They’re comfortable, supportive, breathable and quick drying; not to mention, each unique print is adapted from a photograph taken by the Waterlust team! 10% of profits from each pair sold is donated to a relevant research lab or non-profit organization! Look and feel your bes t, while promoting scientific discovery and adv enture! Enter ‘yogadigest’ at checkout and save 10% off your purchase! www.waterlust.org/sho p

Since its founding in 2004, KIND has been on a mission to make the world a little kinder one snack and act at a time.

All award-winning KIND snacks are made from delicious, wholesome ingredients and are gluten free and non GMO. KIND currently offers six different snack lines including: KIN D® Fruit & Nut and KIND® PLUS, two lines of deli cious whole nut & fruit bars; KIND® Nuts & Spic es, a line of whole nut & spice bars that naturally have only 5g of sugar or less; KIND Healthy Grains® Clusters made from five super grains; KIND Healthy Grains® Bars, a line of crunchy and chewy granola bars; and STRONG & KIND®, a line of savory-flavored bars featuring 10g of protein.

To snack happy visit kindsnacks.com , and to join the community visit kindmovem ent.com.

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Shelter to Soldier: Saving Lives, Two at A Time

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”

—Anatole France

BY JENN BODNAR

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P

ets make great companions because they provide love, comfort, safety, warmth, happiness, laughter, and friendship. They can create strong bonds and ease stress for the entire family. Dogs tend to be the most popular choice for family pets. Sadly, 3-5 million animals enter housing facilities each year and 2 million of them are euthanized, many of which are dogs. The largest reason for this is lack of sufficient space to house the animals, second to that is behavioral issues, which are often misunderstood, and finally medical conditions contribute to the extreme number of animal euthanizations we see annually.

I had the pleasure of talking with Graham Bloem, President of Shelter to Soldier, a non-profit organization that rescues shelter dogs and trains them to be psychiatric service companions for wounded combat veterans. In addition to the shocking statistics above, I also learned from Bloem that 22 veterans and 1 active duty service member in the U.S. will commit suicide each day.

Though the information is difficult to swallow and staggering to say the least, Shelter to Soldier is on a mission to change that. “Saving lives 2 at a time” is their tagline, quote and overall goal. This task, however is not an easy one. It can take up to two years to raise, train, graduate the dog and match him/her with their handler. In addition, the handler must go through handling training for 3-5 months. The process is lengthy and costly.

To date, Shelter to Soldier has rescued 15 dogs. Three did not pass the service dog needs and were adopted as pets to local families in San Diego where they’re headquartered. After 90 days into the training, an evaluation is performed on the dogs progress to determine whether they can continue in the service dog program.

I was curious how one goes about training a service dog and what exactly they are trained to do for the veterans. Bloem breaks it down into several easy-to-understand bullet points: Foundational obedience and social skills for being out in public settings.

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The Number One Thing We Are Asked For Is A Best Friend That Can Provide Unconditional Love And Watch My Back!

—Graham Bloem, President of Shelter to Soldier

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I went from having purpose in the Navy to having no purpose. I was lost. I felt alone —Vic Martin Interrupting a specific state like frustration, sadness or anger. Some dogs have been trained to interrupt night terrors.

They create spacers between the veteran and other people. Handlers can get overwhelmed easily in crowds, so the dog acts as a buffer offering protection, distance and comfort.

Service dogs take focus off the handler. Veterans tend to have social anxiety and stress. The dog will take attention away from them because people are more likely to interact with the animal more than the person.

Some dogs will track the handlers car for them. When dealing brain injuries, short term memory can be affected and service dogs can help to find their parked car.

Bloem says the reason dogs are of such great service to veterans is because they are inherently born without judgment, bred to work, intelligent and intuitive. I shared with Bloem that my own dog, who’s no genius by any stretch, is highly intuitive when a storm is coming.

She plops right on my chest, shaking and excited long before the first lightning is seen or thunder is heard.

Bloem says that dogs can also sense the internal human

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storm. They notice when that kind of storm is brewing inside their handler. That’s when they connect and stop it from arising. Bloom says that the service dogs don’t just help their handlers but have helped entire family’s.

Vic Martin served 4 years in the Navy. In 2012, while in Bahrain, he was serving as a “mine man” specializing in underwater explosives. He collapsed suddenly, remaining unconscious for nearly an hour.

He was in ICU for 10 days. When he woke, he had trouble speaking. The severity of his injuries were unknown until he started to return to normal family errands. He became very forgetful, leaving behind his wife, Kacy and daughter at a shopping mall. Other symptoms included anxiety and fear of the outdoors.

Neurological testing revealed that Martin experienced significant brain trauma.

Veterans Administration medical providers identified Martin as a “perfect candidate” for a service dog companion. But the Martin family was unable to pay the thousands of dollars necessary to train a service dog.

Eventually, Martin’s wife, Kacy, discovered Shelter to Soldier and everything changed.

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CONNECT Shelter to Soldier: Saving Lives, Two at A Time “Shelter to Soldier gave me my husband back. After he was medically retired from the Navy, it was like his body was here, but he was wasn’t. He was withdrawn from the kids and our family time suffered. He couldn’t leave the house, and if the phone rang or someone knocked at the door he would start to panic. Eventually he began to retreat deeper into himself and give in to depression. I feared the worst and would often wonder if I would come home from work to my biggest fear.

When Vic received Kira, everything changed. He found new purpose and focus, and slowly the man I knew as my husband began to reappear. Shelter to Soldier gave him the gifts of security and confidence, but even more importantly he is now able to participate in our children’s lives and has created close and loving bonds with them. I cannot thank Shelter to Soldier enough for what they have done for our entire family.”

—Kacy Martin “Shelter to Soldier saved my life on more than one occasion.”

—Vic Martin

When Vic received Kira, everything changed. He found new purpose and focus, and slowly the man I knew as my husband began to reappear.

—Kacy Martin It costs $25 per day, per dog just for food and supplies. You can help by spreading the word about this amazing organization or by donating! Even $1 a day goes a long way.

Visit www.specialtydogtraining.com/ shelter-to-soldier/ to learn more.

Service Dog vs. Therapy Dog trained Therapy dogs are to many, to provide therapy spital setting. most likely in a ho trained to Service dogs are task to provide a specific eir an individual for th medical needs.

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Comfort Zone Out of

With

Your

Kurt Johnsen

The Family

Fork Challenge!

Family meals play an important part in the development of a healthy and happy family. Taking the time to actually sit and eat with your spouse and/ or kids can both encourage healthier eating habits and create stronger family bonds. Finding time to have these meals can be a real challenge given the hectic lives we lead, so you might start small with just a couple of nights a week and work up to a goal of four to five meals per week. Breakfast counts, too!

Once you make the commitment to eat together, you can use my current challenge to make the most of shared mealtime. It’s called the “Family Fork Challenge” and, in addition to being fun for the whole family, it can improve digestion, manners and conversational skills.

Do you or your kids hunker down over your food and shovel it in as if you were scared someone was going to try to take it from you? It is an unsightly, uncouth and, frankly, unhealthy way to eat.

The digestive system starts not in the stomach but in the mouth. Enzymes in saliva begin to break down food and prepare it for digestion. Our teeth are designed to increase the surface area of food eaten, which helps our stomachs work more efficiently. The problem in our fast-paced, fast food world is that we tend to tear through meals and snacks like a seagull, simply cocking our heads back and swallowing what is in front of us. I’ve seen many a family dinner with all heads down and a constant shoveling of food.

Besides taxing our digestive systems, speed eating typically leads to overeating because the body can’t keep up with the massive intake and the brain doesn’t have time to signal the body it is full.

From a yogic standpoint, scarfing down food takes away the appreciation of the elements of the food like taste, texture and smell as well as some of

the energy we can derive from being truly mindful of what we eat.

The challenge is simple and effective. (I often find those two go hand in hand.) Each time you sit down to a meal, simply put down your eating utensil between bites. If you are eating something with your hands, like a sandwich, set the food down after every bite. Even if you only pause for a few seconds, this practice will slow you down and bring a heightened awareness to your eating.

This simple change makes the entire act of eating more civilized and is likely to increase conversation around the dinner table as well.

You and your family will eat more efficiently, enjoy food more and have more opportunity to enjoy conversation during meals. Make it a game and even little kids will love to participate in the fork challenge.

Bon appetit~ Kurt

Kurt Johnsen is the founder of the nationally rec-

ognized 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.

Interact with Kurt at YogaDigest.com/Kurt-Johnsen 82

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