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Yoga and Seasonal Stress
As the busy and stressful holiday season approaches, it is important to examine your powerful emotions authentically with this new yoga article by Alexandra Goldwell, Registered Clinical Counsellor and yoga instructor.
As spiritual beings having a human experience, we sure have a huge range of emotions we are capable of experiencing and sometimes several show up at once! The holiday season is upon us which can be one of the most stressful times of the year where emotions run high. It’s a good time to begin to become more aware of your emotional experience in yoga practice and use the practice and breath to release tension and pent-up emotion.
So whether you’ve been practicing asanas for a while or you have just started, the best starting place is simply to know that yoga can bring a whole gamet of emotions to the forefront. You may notice yourself in Savasana choking back tears. Or maybe the teacher holds the class in warrior posture forever and you feel anger. Maybe you look at others in the room that seem to be balancing perfectly or are more flexible and you feel jealous. You could be in childs pose and feel relief or sadness or anxiety. Yikes! Why does this happen? What to do?
Click Here to read the rest of this article.
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Food Matters: Invest in Your Health
With nutritionally-depleted foods, chemical additives and our tendency to rely upon pharmaceutical drugs to treat what’s wrong with our malnourished bodies, it’s no wonder that modern society is getting sicker. Food Matters sets about uncovering the trillion dollar worldwide ‘Sickness Industry’ and gives people some scientifically verifiable solutions for curing disease naturally.
Become inspired to invest in your health through changing your eating habits and through empowering yourself about the truth of the food and agricultural industry. Enjoy this free movie trailer of Food Matters:
Food Matters Movie Giveaway!
Tell us how healthy food matters in your life! Share your inspiring story and tips, and be entered to win 1 of 10 free viewings. Click Here for more details and to enter.
To learn more about Food Matters, visit their website.
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Foods, Digestion, and Immunity-What is the Connection
My Yoga Online has posted a new nutrition article by Sarah Holvik, B.Sc. Nutritional Science, that reviews the concepts and nutritional elements that support healthy, intestinal immunity. Food, Digestion, and Immunity offers tips on improving digestion function that will lead to overall energy and vitality.
Considering our knowledge of the intimate relationship between our digestive and immune systems, we should never get sick. With this information, we could technically manipulate our diets in such a way that conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, hypertension, lowered immunity and cancer would not exist. However, the truth is that the modern Western diet does not tip the scales in our favor in terms of immunity.
In fact, research now shows that the average Western diet can actually weaken our immune systems and make us more prone to disease. But don’t worry, there is hope; discussed here are some foods with potent immune-boosting effects due to their influence on our digestive systems.
Click Here to read full article.
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Foods, Digestion, and Immunity-What is the Connection
My Yoga Online has posted a new nutrition article by Sarah Holvik, B.Sc. Nutritional Science, that reviews the concepts and nutritional elements that support healthy, intestinal immunity. Food, Digestion, and Immunity offers tips on improving digestion function that will lead to overall energy and vitality.
Considering our knowledge of the intimate relationship between our digestive and immune systems, we should never get sick. With this information, we could technically manipulate our diets in such a way that conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, hypertension, lowered immunity and cancer would not exist. However, the truth is that the modern Western diet does not tip the scales in our favor in terms of immunity.
In fact, research now shows that the average Western diet can actually weaken our immune systems and make us more prone to disease. But don’t worry, there is hope; discussed here are some foods with potent immune-boosting effects due to their influence on our digestive systems.
Click Here to read full article.
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Superfoods-Supercharge Your Diet
Why Superfoods? Superfoods are a category of foods found in nature, they are superior sources of essential nutrients-nutrients we need but can not make ourselves. We all may be adding more salads and vegetables to our diets, but concern for the quality of foods grown on mineral depleted soils makes superfoods popular. They are nutritionally more potent then regular foods and are wonderful food sources of anti-oxidants for healthy healing. Superfoods are nutrient dense and calorie sparse.
Click to Learn More about the 5 Categories of Superfoods:
GREEN Superfoods
BEE Superfoods
SEAWEED Superfoods
HERB Superfoods
FRUIT & NUT Superfoods
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Artificial Sweeteners Exposed
Inform yourself of the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame and Saccharin, with our latest nutrition article by Joan Ullyett BA, RHN-Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Find out the history of these dangerous sugar substitutes and discover health, natural alternatives.
Many of us over the age of 30 will remember the Sweet n Low craze that seemed to reach its height in the 1970s. Messages were all around us about the evils of sugar: it caused cavities, made us gain weight, wreaked havoc on blood glucose levels and was simply unhealthy. To the innocent, media-bombarded bystander this seemed a logical enough argument and prompted millions of North Americans to jump on the artificial sweetener bandwagon.
Sweet n Low was the sugar substitute of the day and could be seen on restaurant tabletops everywhere; it tasted virtually the same as sugar with no known unhealthy downside. Thanks to modern science we thought we could finally have our cake and eat it too. Between 1903 and 2002, a handful of artificial sweeteners were introduced to the North American public, each with its own promise of low-calorie, guilt-free goodness.
Click Here to read the entire article.
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Fall and Winter Cleansing-A Tune Up for Your Body
My Yoga Online has posted a new article by yoga instructor and writer, Insiya Raiswala-Finn, titled Fall and Winter Cleansing-A Tune Up for Your Body. This yoga and healthy living article has many amazing tips to keep your body full of vitality during this busy time of year.
So, it is that intermittent season, autumn, replete with rain and dampness. The perfect time to reminisce about summer, to catch that cold that is going around, (the constant temperature variations do not help); and to begin to accept the inevitable approach of winter.
The fluctuations of late fall and early winter also make it an optimum time to go on a detoxifying dietary cleanse. It is easier in this season, say most streams of alternative medicine, to change our habits and inject new life into our tired routines.
Simply put, a cleanse can give your body a short break from the effort it expends digesting food (40% of your body’s energy goes into digestion-that’s a lot) and instead, divert some of that energy into expelling toxins and healing.
Cleansing is essential in detoxifying our bodies from the various pollutants we come in contact with in our daily lives, such as environmental toxins, residue from household or cosmetic products, pesticides in food etc. It also allows us to reduce the possibilities of succumbing to allergies, degenerative disease, and even cancer. Think of it as a tune up to keep your body functioning as health-fully as possible. It can last anywhere from 2–3 days or as long as 10–12 days, depending on your needs and goals.
And lest you shudder in recollection of your last experience with one of the many packaged cleanses that clog up the shelves at your local natural foods market, breathe. Here’s a primer on safe and effective ways to cleanse this winter, with tips from holistic health experts.
Click Here to read the full article.
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Neck Relief with Yoga Retraction Exercises
Neck pain and discomfort is experienced by most people, especially for those who spend extended periods of time sitting at a desk or computer. This neck pain is often generated by poor posture habits and head positioning. To relief this discomfort, we have a few simple and quick yoga exercises that can help restore the balance needed for neck health.
Cause of Neck Pain While Sitting
Prolonged sitting with activities that position the arms forward of the body (like using a computer) have a tendency to collapse the spine forward. This forward collapse is most prevalent by the head.
The vertebrae of the neck (cervical spine) are designed to carry the weight of the skull in a balanced fashion. The musculature of the back of the neck are primarily classified as phasic muscles meaning they are designed to generate voluntary, short-duration contractions. This is the opposite to tonic muscles that are designed for long-duration (and often ‘unconscious’) postural support.
When we allow the head to float forward off the balancing point the cervical spine, the posterior neck muscles are forced to function with endurance thus requiring them to act like tonic muscles. Since these muscles are not functionally designed to be tonic muscles, they elongate and weaken transmitting a cascade of disfunction throughout the neck and upper back.
This disfunction becomes exacerbated by the development of tight anterior shoulder and chest muscles. With the arms chronically reaching forward, these anterior muscles shorten and tighten, thus deepening the collapsing posture. This chain of weakening and shortening progresses into further neck problems, reduced energy, reduced quality of life, and poor work performance.
How Do We Reduce the Effects of Poor Sitting Posture on the Neck?
1) First eliminate factors that generate poor posture as much as possible:
*Insure that your chair has proper support and height. Your hips should be slightly higher than the level of the knees as this will encourage you sit up into the center of the sitbones.
*Position your keyboard and mouse closer to you and at a level slightly lower than elbow height. With you arms kept closer, the anterior muscles become less dominant and the upper body can remain more extended.
*Position your computer monitor or any other primary work materials directly in front of you. Looking to one side chronically will develop muscular imbalance in the neck and back. Also position monitors at a height and angle that prevent the eyes from dropping. When the eyes move down, the skull drops forward which again shifts the neck muscles into that undesirable tonic state. If you are required to type constantly, learn to type without looking at the keyboard-again, this will help prevent the gaze and head from falling down. There are many free online learn-to-type tools available.
*Stand up and go for brief walks as much as possible. Set a timer to tell you to get off your chair and refreshen up the spine.
Easy Exercises To Restore Neck Health
The main effect of collapsed head and back posture is the loss of the natural curve in the cervical spine. These following exercises will help return body memory to where the upper vertebrae and skull should sit in order to have healthy balance:
*Neck Retractions- neck retractions will help shift the upper neck vertebrae back into place and restore the balance lines of the head over the body. Sitting or standing tall, take a slow deep inhale. As you slowly exhale, feel like you are sliding your head backwards over the neck ending with the chin tucked in. The sliding back motion is not large, but easily felt. The tucking of the chin will create a ‘double chin’ effect. Inhale to release the head into a neutral line, and again, exhale slowly as you retract and create the double chin. You can do 6-12 of these breath-guided retractions.
*Shoulder Blade Squeeze-because the collapse of the head and spine creates weakness throughout the back, you will benefit from restrengthening key back muscles. Again, sit or stand tall, and slowly breath in. As you breath out, contract the muscles between your shoulder blades (rhomboids) causing the shoulder blades to slide together. Your chest and anterior shoulders will automatically expand and release open. After briefing holding the squeezing motion, inhale to release the contraction and continue to exhale sliding the shoulder blades again together. Again, you can do 6-12 of these exercises with the pace of your breath.
*Mobilizing and Stretching Muscles-after energizing the back body, continue breathing slowly and roll the shoulders up and around in circles moving circulation through the upper back and sides of the neck.
Into gentle stretching, begin with the front portion of the neck. Relax your arms and shoulders as you sit tall. Slowly breath in, and as you exhale, turn your head to the right and look slightly up and over the right shoulder. Relax your jaw and focus on expanding the neck muscles that start at the proximal edge of the collar bone up into the front portion of the neck and base of the jaw (you may need to play around the angle of your skull and gaze). After holding for a few breaths, slowing release and repeat on other side.
Shifting into the sides of the neck, bring your head into neutral position. Breath in slowly, and as you exhale, gently allow the head to float down and over the right shoulder. There is no need to pull or contract muscles. Allow gravity to generate the stretch. After holding for a few breaths, exit by slowing turning the chin down over the chest. Then inhale the head up to neutral, and exhale to send the head to the other side. You will feel the upper trapezius muscles opening with this stretch (across the top of the shoulder line into the sides of the vertebrae).
Another beneficial stretch is opening the chest by standing at a door frame, placing one hand on the frame (slightly lower than shoulder height), and with your elbow slightly bent turn the chest and body away from the hand. This targets the anterior shoulder and chest muscles that become heavily dominant when sitting too long.
There are many more stretches and yoga exercises that can elevate neck discomfort, but these are a few easy and adequate exercises that can be quickly incorporated into your work day. Listen to your posture and the signals that the body is echoing back to you. Recognize the signs of discomfort and low energy. Explore tools to remind you to correct your posture and employ proper biomechanics to facilitate natural neck and spinal balance. Your neck will thank you for it.
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Neck Safety and Yoga Inversions
My Yoga Online added a new yoga anatomy article by Dr. Robin Armstrong, chiropractor, titled Neck Safety and Yoga Inversions. If your yoga practice includes, or may one day include yoga inversion postures, than read this important safety article.
Turning the World Safely Upside Down-The Safe Practice of Headstand and Shoulderstand Yoga Poses
Yoga inversions can be a joyful, empowering, perspective-altering experience. They require us to do things with our body that we might not have experienced since childhood. What makes yoga inversions so exciting is the fact we are using our arms and heads in ways we do not normally do. We can also make them high risk, leaving us susceptible to injury. Our necks, in particular, can bear the brunt of injuries in certain inversions.
Click Here to read this full article.
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Neck Safety on Your Yoga Mat
Inform yourself with this important neck safety article by Dr. Carla Cupido. Our new yoga article has teachings beneficial for those new to yoga as well as for experienced yoga practitioners. Prevent injury and improve your posture by understanding yoga anatomy and mechanics of the neck.
Have you ever panicked in the middle of a yoga pose for fear that you might be injuring yourself-many of us do not understand the objective behind most yoga postures, never mind the anatomy and biomechanics of the body. We all want to benefit from yoga, but we should also know if we are injuring ourselves instead of achieving therapeutic gains.
Click Here to read this full article.
