Seriously, who doesn’t want a tighter tummy?  And the older you get, the tougher it is to find exercises that help fight that little tummy drop we all go through eventually.

Here are a couple of quick and easy moves to help you keep that little pouch at bay.  They’re a perfect addition to your daily dose of yoga moves:

Abdominal Lift:

-First, stand straight with your legs about a foot apart, and place your hands on your upper thighs

-Inhale deeply and then exhale

-While the air is out of your lungs, pull your abs in and up.  Hold for about ten seconds and release

-Repeat twice

Abdominal Contractions:

-Place your legs about one foot apart

-Inhale as deeply as you can; exhale

-Keep the air out of your lungs and lean forward slightly

-Place your hands on your upper thighs as you snap your abs in and out 10 times

-Relax, inhale, and repeat two times

These are simple, easy and help release the tension we often feel in our tummies when we’re really nervous and stressed.  Tip: Focus on the breathing.  Proper breathing will help release your tension and aid the abdominal contractions that help make these exercises a success.

Peace.

Post from: EveryJoe

A Couple of Great Yoga Tummy Tighteners

Regardless of what level your practice is at–beginner, intermediate, exploratory or advanced–the eight limbs of yoga (ashtanga) are vitally important stops along the way to the ultimate goal of transformation.

My last post focused on sustainability, and living a simpler, more beautiful life.

To continue along that thread, I wanted to talk a little bit about purity, or saucha, one of the observances belonging to the second limb.

Saucha is purity that operates on many levels. And it’s this purity of thought and action that can lead us to a more sustainable, contented lifestyle.

On a daily basis, we aspire to cleanliness for our bodies by washing ourselves, maintaining clean, organized homes, eating well and drinking clean water. Even more importantly, we must also aspire to an intellectual “cleanliness,” by not polluting our minds or speech with negativity, or clinging to emotional and physical obsessions. In other words, we must strive to find a balance that will provide us with a prescription to helps us keep ourselves clean, inside and out. This is such an important concept, as saucha is itself a pre-condition for experiencing the fullness of yoga and enlightenment.

It is believed–and true–that cleanliness and order within our minds and our lives helps lift our self-esteem and reinforces our knowledge that we are in fact deserving of good experiences. It helps improve our personalities, so we can experience the ultimate proposition of our practices–balanced self-awareness. And on a very practical level, when we feel pure and clean, we can be clear and precise about our intentions, unfettered by the imbalances that can often plague our bodies and our minds.

Every day we can practice purification in a variety of ways. In addition to the basics like bathing and taking care of our teeth, there are some less obvious ways we can achieve purification. I like to take mindfulness walks in nature (yes, all year round), singing, chanting my own personal mantras, burning incense and other natural oils, brushing my tongue (I know, but it does help), fasting from sleep or food for a day, and much to my friends’ delight, mona, which means refraining from talking for a day. I have all but removed watching television (haven‘t quite been able to remove it entirely J ) on a daily basis, religiously clear out clutter and excess, recycle, and laugh–a lot. These are all great and practical ways to purify your mind and your environment.

In yoga, there are several methods that are used to purify energies. My very favorite is the practice of tarka, which is a daily reflection on our activities and how we respond to them, done at the end of each day. Or you can use your own creativity to incorporate new purification techniques into your life to bring you more joy. The rituals themselves are important, but it is the acts and the intentions that are crucial.

I know this seems like another layer to add to your very busy lives and days. However, incorporating some of these techniques will move you much closer to achieving the purity of mind, spirit and body we are all trying to strive for with our own practices.

Once you move closer to that purity of mind through daily, prescriptive actions, you’ll see your own transformation begin to take place, with an enhanced clarity of thought and awareness.  New, comforting and pure.

Peace.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Pure Bliss of Yoga

Yes, yoga has taught me yet another lesson. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or be a conspicuous consumer to be happy or have nice, meaningful things or a beautiful existence.

One of the key lessons of yoga is that it teaches you to appreciate the simpler things in life. To be present. To be in the moment. This practice alone has not only helped to quiet my mind, in recent months it has also saved me a lot of money.

In fact, my shopping habits have changed significantly. I buy less processed, ready-to-serve foods and eat more healthfully and more simply. I’m cooking at home and packing my lunch a lot more, and it is making a big difference.

Instead of heading out to malls, I now spend my time looking for vintage and resale shops, and I am finding a lot of bargains, not to mention a lot of cool, unique and thoughtful items for my home and my wardrobe that aren’t mass-produced.

Now I will say this–it does take a little more time to shop this “new” way. But even that aspect alone is an exercise in mindfulness for me. It has taught me that I don’t need to scoop up every new and shiny thing that I see, but instead to take the time to really scavenge through and find what I am looking for. And I feel a lot better when I return home from shopping these days. I know I have spent the time and have been aware of every purchase I make, which has really helped me fight off the urges and impulses that used to leave my credit card on the verge of melting, and my bank account deflated.

I am also finding that I value things now, much more so. When I go back and look at what I have purchased, having taken the time and put some thought into it, I am finding that I really like what I have brought home much more than in the past. Those old shopping days when I would spin through a mall, bring home bags of stuff and often wind up disappointed that I had spent so much, and gotten so little satisfaction are over. This change in my way of thinking has really transcended across every area of my life, and now it is saving me money and making me feel more peaceful and content. That’s really saying something.

Now that I am thinking about it, I am going to sign off, hit my mat and see what else awaits me. It’s really quite a journey. It’s helping me in even the most unexpected ways.

I would love to hear about everyone’s journey toward a more sustainable lifestyle. There are so many creative ways to think about improving your daily life that are as unique as each individual in the universe. Let’s really be sustainable together, and share some of these ideas with each other.

I can’t wait to hear.

Peace.

Post from: EveryJoe

A Simpler Life Can Be Beautiful

Just sitting here on this cold and snowy Friday in northeast Ohio, making Thanksgiving and holiday plans, and thinking about the blessings in my life.

While I can always think of something to be cautious or worry about (sorry, healthy skeptic in recovery here), I have to say, my practices–both yoga and meditation–have not only changed my life, they’ve made my thoughts healthier, too.

There are so many areas of my life where I can see change and positive energy, that in the past I had either overlooked or not even considered.  My practices have spurred me to take self-care more seriously, made me more accepting of myself and others, and helped me appreciate the universe on so many levels. 

Where I used to look and see nothing but obstacles, I see opportunity.  I am more vigilant in my relationships, not to mention a great deal kinder and more open-minded.  The best thing–I feel better physically, mentally and emotionally.  I am more curious about the world around me and how things fit together, and, sometimes, how they don’t, and maybe even shouldn’t.

Yoga and meditation are nothing new.  But they are growing in popularity, and based on my own experience and evolution, I am not at all surprised.  Really, nothing feels better than being in touch with your own body, mind and spirit, and understanding and owning your decisions.  It’s very freeing and peaceful.

We’ll all be posting holiday shopping pages in coming days.  I plan to find as many ways as I can to open up the door to a more centered way of life for as many of my readers as possible.  I really want to share what this lifestyle has done for me.  I have gone from being extremely anxious and stressed-out, and moved on to a much more relaxed, peaceful and accepting place.  And it has been a natural and healthy transition. 

I’d love to hear from all of you about your success stories.  I hope you’ll share.  It’s a cold–but great–time of the year to share thoughts and feelings.  Let me know how yoga and meditation have worked in your lives. Sometimes just sharing our ideas can help lift another soul.

Peace. 

Post from: EveryJoe

How Have Yoga and Meditation Changed Your Life?

Well, it’s not earth-shattering news, but apparently, there is a new category for folks who are vegetarians MOST of the time :-)  You’re called flexitarians, and around Thanksgiving, I have to admit, I become one of you, too.

 In fact, the food industry is targeting these folks, providing vegetarian fare with just a wee bit of protein on the side.  Flexitarians could and would be considered vegetarians most of the time.  But when a slice of meat or fish passes under their noses, they don’t say no.  And restaurants and grocery stores are beginning to package food and menu items just for you!

In truth, a true vegetarian diet can be deficient in protein, iron and essential amino acids.  You do have to be vigilant about what you eat to be a successful vegetarian or vegan.  So from a nutritional perspective, there is an argument in favor of the “flexitarian” diet.

As someone who practices yoga and meditates regularly, I really do buy into the belief that it is healthier for me spiritually to abstain from meat–although I do like my holiday turkey and fish at times. 

Either way, it is kind of an interesting way to categorize the almost-vegetarian person.  And here I thought I was just cheating a little. Didn’t know a whole new category was emerging just for me and my comrades :-)

Peace. 

Post from: EveryJoe

Any Flexitarians Out There? Raise Your Hands!

Ok, I really am trying to watch my spending these days.  But…some of the clothes and accessories on the market for yoga are pretty hard to resist.  I know, it’s hard to keep up.  One day I’m pondering the value of yoga becoming an Olympic sport, the next I am ready to empty my pockets at Lululemon. 

The best yoga wear designers try to keep it about function–mostly.  If I think about it from a purist’s perspective (and I must to win this point;-)), I have to argue that it is great that yoga is moving so far into the mainstream that people actually have the desire to dress for it, and enjoy it so much that they want to look good while they practice.  And you will look good.  Designers like Blue Lotus, Lululemon, Margarita and Rogiani all try to keep their togs functional, but they are great looking, too.  

It isn’t hard to find the more outrageous items for your practice if you look around a bit.  Marc Jacobs has designed a $400 yoga mat bag–yes $400–for Nuala/Puma.  Pretty cool, and probably a must if you hit up the trendiest yoga studios on the planet.

I’ve been salivating over these clothes all day.  Had to stop myself from overloading my shopping cart and my credit card a couple of times.  Now I’m on a mission to secure some of these gems for all of you to compete for in a contest.  I’ll keep you posted!

Check ‘em out at the links above.  They are sublime. 

Peace.

Post from: EveryJoe

Yoga + Fashion= Must Have It!

The benefits of yoga are fairly simple to calculate and see.  You become more flexible.  You feel stronger.  You have improved balance and coordination. You breathe easier.

Because we are employing our minds to do all of the work, sometimes the benefits are not immediately noticeable.  The benefits are extraordinary, however.  A stronger sense of peace.  An improved sense of ourselves and our impact.  And utimately, a fuller awareness of ourselves, others and the world around us. Increasing our awareness–our ability to exist in the here and now–is probably the most important aspect of meditation.  At least in my view. 

The simple fact that meditation has the ability to help us turn down the volume inside our own minds–and turn off the negative thoughts and feelings we all experience is so freeing, so amazing.  It quite literally gives us each the opportunity to wipe out negative, past programming and rewrite how our minds, bodies and spirits process information and react to our own environments.  As we become more aware of the troubling, pervasive thoughts that can sometime invade our minds when we least expect them, we can more easily shut them down and move on to a better, healthier place. And we actually feel better physically, too.

With meditation and thought we are offering ourselves a choice–do I want to live an abundant life, or do I want to dwell in negativity?  Should I continue to think this way about my job, my friends, etc., or do I want to think differently?  Meditation can clarify all of these questions for us, drawing us more deeply into our thoughts, to a place where we can see them for what they are, sort them out and make the best choices for ourselves. 

Meditation can deepen our yoga practices.  It can also deepen and expand our lives.  Once you begin to focus on the source and context of your thoughts, you can begin to heal and move away from the fear and negativity that we all feel some days, and lead a more productive, positive life in full awareness.  I suggest journaling as you undertake this exercise–and in many ways–exorcism. Soon you will see a pattern for the way you think.  Then address each of these issues, and move forward into the present. You’ll find yourself forgiving yourself and others for past pains and transgressions, and will begin living a fuller, happier life–today.

Peace. 

Post from: EveryJoe

Why Meditation is So Important

In this busy, busy stressed-out world, I can’t think of a better way to get children hooked on a healthy lifestyle and exercise than through yoga.

Considering all of the activities our children are involved with, not to mention the video games, 24/7 nature of television, and the business of their parents’ lives that they can’t help but get pulled into, yoga offers a soothing and disciplined way for them to learn more about their minds and bodies, and find the relaxation they need, too.

Kids can derive significant benefits from yogas, much like adults.  They can achieve flexibility, and enhance their strength and coordination while their at it.

Not to mention the lessons it can teach, like helping them to be aware of their surroundings, learning how to be in the present and how to more effectively concentrate–great for sharpening those studying skills!

And as we sometimes take for granted as adults, yoga can provide kids with a deeper understanding of their connection to the natural world, and the things they are already fascinated by, like plants and animals. 

I am not a mom, but the people I know who provide their children with yoga instruction and take them to classes have all shared the same sentiment with me–yoga has helped their children learn to be patient, expand their awareness, and, their kids tell them, they want to keep working on their own yoga practices.  A very healthy way to start a young, active life and a lifestyle that will endure over many decades.

Yoga has provided their children with a healthier attitude toward life, a method for managing stress and dealing with anxiety (children get stressed, too!)  that no other form of exercise can offer. 

So grab your kids and hit the mat!  They’ll have fun, learn a lot, and feel great.  For a lifetime.

Peace. 

Post from: EveryJoe

Yoga: A Great Form of Exercise for Kids