Category: Yoga Education

Why Is Movement So Important?

Humans are meant to move! It’s important for our mental & physical health. 

Our ancestors moved a lot, but today we live mostly sedentary lives. We sit in cars & at desks, we sit on the couch & is scroll through our phones or binge one of the MANY streaming services we have at our fingertips…lots of sitting…and it’s horrible for our physical & mental health. According to the World Health Organization in 2017, physical inactivity was the 4th leading risk factor for global mortality.

Let’s take a look at some of the side effects of living a sedentary lifestyle:

Anxiety, cardiovascular disease, migraines, digestive issues, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, lipid disorders, obesity, osteoporosis, scoliosis, spinal disc herniation (low back pain). Physical inactivity may even increase the risks of certain cancers & can cause a decrease in skeletal muscle mass. This is only a small list!

Personally, I know when I’m more sedentary I feel; fatigued, irritable, stressed, depressed, anxious, aches & pains throughout my body, tension, stiffness, headaches, more emotional, less motivated & productive, insomnia, less creative, etc. 

Stress, energy, toxins & emotional/physical trauma gets stuck in the body! So get unstuck & move your body!!! Of course I’d love it if ya’ll pulled out yoga mats right now & did a solid 60 min. session BUT yoga isn’t for everyone. What works is choosing a physical activity that is pleasing to you. Walk, bike, DO YOGA (wink, wink), pilates, swim, hike, CrossFit, weight train, etc. Find something you love & incorporate it into your schedule TODAY! You can even exercise at your desk, or invest in a standing desk & see how this positively affects your physical & mental health, concentration, productivity, creativity, etc.    

According to the Center for Disease Control you should do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes of a more vigorous regimen weekly. Walking 10,000 steps a day (approx. 5 miles) is another great goal for improving health & reducing risks caused by inactivity. Pair this with mindfulness practices & breathing techniques & you’ll be in good shape, both physically & mentally.          

You Are NOT Your “Disease”

When living with a chronic or terminal disease you have to talk about it a lot! I lived at the doctor’s office, I lived in hospitals, the dialogue was always about my disease. That eventually bled into all of my conversations with family, friends, people I had just met, etc. Two things happen, in my opinion, you get so used to talking about your disease that it just becomes natural to talk about it, and you become addicted. Just as someone gets addicted to a drug, or trauma, you become addicted to your “disease.” My disease, Lupus, became my crutch and excuse for everything, for all my problems. It was the reason I couldn’t do this or that, it was the reason I was a certain way, or acted a certain way…but it wasn’t. I was swimming in my own sorrow. Of course my disease is limiting, there truly were and are certain things I cannot do, but where did I draw the line… I didn’t.

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Rest & Recover

Rest is SO SO SO important. If I could workout 7 days a week I would BUT because I am a good yogi I allow myself one down day per week (typically Sunday), and one restorative day per week (typically mid-week, like Wednesday). Listen to your body! It will always tell you what it needs, you just have to listen. If you’re body is telling you that you need to workout like a maniac 7 days a week, be the boss and tell it to simmer down. When we overwork anything it becomes worn out, our bodies are no different. It needs rest to be healthy and happy. If you don’t give yourself time to recover from anything (work, illness, exercise) you will get sick, your body will eventually call it quits. So take one day off during the week, and also take one day to practice restorative work. That being said, take a look below for some easy restorative yoga poses. Practice safe my friends ❤ Continue reading “Rest & Recover”

Backbend For A Healthy Spine & An Open Heart

Backbends are some of my favorite yoga poses to practice! I love the way they make me feel, and I love the way they challenge me. Also, how cool are they? The shapes we can make with our bodies still fascinates me. As with most or even all yoga poses, backbends offer many benefits, let’s take a look at some of those benefits, as well as poses to get you started.

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Stay Warm This Fall With Heat Building Sun Salutations

It’s the first day of fall and I couldn’t be more excited! This is my favorite time of year. Might have something to do with the fact that I am OBSESSED with Halloween. There is just something about fall. In Wisconsin where I’m from the leaves change colors and the air is crisp. It seems the world is filled with pumpkin farms and corn mazes serving hot apple cider, and I can’t think of a time of year I love more. It’s that time of the year for big comfy sweaters, hot chocolate, turning on the fireplace and of course adding in those yoga poses that build heat to warm up, right? Hahahaha 🙂 Let’s get started…oz8sfrszfj

 

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Yoga Q & A

I get A LOT of questions about yoga. Emails, texts, phone calls…oh the mystery that is yoga. Today I have decided to answer some of these questions. Though I know I will not be able to answer them all, I have chosen to answer the most frequent questions. Let’s get started and dissect some yoga stuff today.

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