Oh you guys, I’ve been starting and stopping this post or well over an hour. I stopped, had a cup of tea, did a little colouring, quizzed my husband about watercolours (I’m looking to expand my painting from just acrylics to include watercolours as well. It’s times like this that it’s super helpful to be married to an Art History major), and eating some Reese’s Peanut Butter Bells. And by the end of that little break I was no closer to having formulated a cohesive post from my jumbled up ideas. So instead, I present to you a mis-mash of yoga related things I’ve been collecting to share for quite some time.
Some of these are geared at the yoga novices – those who have yet to try or experience yoga, and some are for practicing yogis. But all are informative and worth reading/watching to help you better understand your body – and why I think every one of you reading this needs more yoga in your life (myself included).
How Yoga Changes Your Brain
Yes people, it actually physically changes your brain.
Did you know that yoga chills you out in the same way that alcohol “chills” people out? Maybe it’s time to swap that 5 o’clock drink to unwind with a 5 o’clock yoga class!
https://draxe.com/how-yoga-changes-your-brain/
The Science Behind Yoga
One of my clients shared this video with me last week and I finally had a chance to watch it this afternoon. It’s so exciting that science is starting to catch up with yoga in that we are now beginning to be able to prove what yogi’s have been saying for hundreds of years. It helps so much to legitimize yoga, meditation and mindfulness when you have the data to back up what you are saying.
http://upliftconnect.com/watch-science-behind-yoga/
Don’t have time to watch the whole video? Well know this, only 1% of illness is related to our genes. 90% of illness is related to stress. NINTY.
It’s only 26 minutes long, so why not run yourself a bath and watch/listen to it while you take a nice relaxing soak in the tub? It’s definitely worth your time.
Why We Need To Talk About High Functioning Depression
This article from Huffington Post isn’t specifically yoga related, but if you’ve gone through some of these other links you’ll understand why I’ve included it. Why We Need To Talk About High Functioning Depression IS as case for yoga. It is exactly why we as a society need to embrace yoga and more specifically meditation/mindfulness. Our brains are filled with so much clutter, think of an overstuffed drawer that won’t even close.
Of course we are stressed and depressed and filled with anxiety. If only there were a way to de-clutter that overstuffed drawer….oh wait. There is. It’s called yoga.
read it here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wellgood/why-we-need-to-talk-about_b_12126160.html
Reduce Wrist Pain With Cupcake Hands
Many yogis experience a degree of wrist and joint pain in different poses, which is something that we want to avoid. Especially starting out, it can be difficult to follow all of your instructor’s cues and when you are simply trying to survive, perfecting which fingers are pressing into your mat is a bit beyond your control. But once you’ve started to move from beginner into a novice yogi, this is the time to start listening a bit more closely and learning to make the necessary tweaks. If you are still feeling discomfort talk to your instructor, s/he should be able to provide you with some guidance or an alternative pose to help you.
I really enjoyed this article from the yoga journal talking about “cupcake hands” and not just because of the word cupcake. 😉 It goes over a number of tips for common poses and how to reduce or eliminate joint pain while in them:
http://www.yogajournal.com/beginners/cupcake-hands-saved-vinyasa-learning-flow-annie-carpenter/
Why You Should Set New Year’s Intentions
http://www.thewellessentials.com/blog/why-i-set-new-years-intentions-and-why-you-should-too
I used this idea from The Well Essentials blog in my yoga class last week. I’ve long been a supporter of new year’s goals versus resolutions, and after reading this, I’ve moved that from goals to intentions. We may be just over a week into 2017, but there is still lots of time to set some intentions. And let’s be real, just saying, “My intentions for 2017…” already makes you sound pretty awesome.
Zen Wellness
This one is a bit of a personal plug – but it’s free so don’t run away! Because it is becoming my passion to help not only myself, but everyone live a happier, wellness focused life I’ve created a new community on Facebook in a closed Facebook group called Zen Wellness. Through this group I want to coach others to find their happiness and their version of wellness and I’d love for you to join! It is a closed group so you’ll have to request to be added, but I’m pretty quick at approving new members 🙂
Join here: Zen Wellness on Facebook
And finally, this has nothing to do with yoga except that it brings me so much joy each and every time I see it. Therefore, I am sharing it with you: https://www.facebook.com/IamUbaidaly/videos/374002586299627/
[Tweet “A Case For Yoga & Why you need more of it in your life.”]
That’s is for today friends, I hope that you’ve found something interesting here that might make you look at yoga a little bit differently and maybe, just maybe you’ll give it a try if you haven’t already.
Have a great day!