Wake Up! Cool Down!

“Summer is kind of like the ultimate one-night stand: hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it.”~Cosmopolitan

Enjoy these next few months by taking risks & having a bit more adventure in our day. As each summer arrives we all have plans to try new things or plan to get around to the things we missed out on the year before. Whatever we have in store be it, rafting, climbing, canoeing or maybe even laying in the sun day in & day out, take care of our body! With a healthy body & appetite, the things we love or plan to enjoy are only going to be that much better!

Hopefully, we all have been keeping up with our morning routines from one of my previous blogs. Keep active in the morning with Sun Salutations. Restore our bodies at night with some hip openers or a few minute inversion. These allow us to relax & calm the mind. At the same time we are giving our muscles a memory to refer back to when its time to either "wake up" or "cool down". Speaking of those, here are some great techniques to keep in the back of our mind.

"WAKE UP"

Challenge yourself with a Vinyasa Flow or Power class. Awakening with heat purifies our muscles & organs, ridding of all our bodies toxins. While we increase blood flow we are also replenishing our organs & our body systems. All of this is increasing health before we even leave our house! Try this quick flow 4x on each side:

Crescent Lunge>>Warrior II>>Extended Side Angle>>Reverse Warrior>>Warrior II>>Runners Lunge.

This flow goes with these breath cues: Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale

Remember, Sun Salutations are always a great back up for linking our breath!

"Cool Down"

During summer it may be too hot to do much of anything. That being said, it doesnt mean we cant stay stress-free, fit & supple! Relax the hips & calm the mind with some of these great poses that are also great for stretching!

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana- Pigeon

Supta Baddha Konasana- Reclined Bound Angle

Adho Mukha Svanasana- Downward Dog

Marjariasana- Cat Pose

When we have reached our summer limit of road rides, hiking, lake games, etc. sit down & allow the body to take a few breaths. This breath practice allows our body to taker in fresh cool air & calm our minds.

"Shitali Pranayama"- Take a few deep inhales & let them go to clear our airway. Now, we all know the trick "taco tongue". Stick your tongue out & curl it in making that "O" shape. Once we have our taco tongue, inhale through the mouth/"O" & exhale through our nose. Repeat 5-10x

Enjoy your Summer yogis!!

Dirty? Clean it up!

The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in. (B.K.S Iyengar)

I love this quote. I also believe that this should be said about where we reside! Our homes & surroundings should be just as clean. I myself have uncontrollable OCD habits & with a child, cleaning my house is like shoveling the walk way before the snow storm is over. I get it, I do. But if you were to be given a million dollars right now on being judged for the cleanest car or house, would you be a million dollars richer?

On some of the hot days coming up we tend to want to be inside more than frying outside, so turn the AC up & pick up around the house! You don't have to clean your entire home, but start somewhere & work down. Dust, clean,vacuum, etc. Get around to couch covers, curtains & bed sheets. I have mentioned before what a great feeling it is to have a "clean sheet night"! Rid of all the junk & clutter. I know that there are items or clothing sitting around your house that have no reason to be there & if I have to be the one to tell you ITS TIME, I'm ok with that job! It's time to rid of what isn't used.

Our society has a hard time letting go of material possesions & tend to be very attached to our "things". In order to clean up internally & externally we need to start by practicing non-attachment also known as "Aparigraha". By keeping our lives clean, our bodies are taking in less dust & dander, less negativity & our senses are enriched with clean fresh air; a new pallet. With all this new clean energy we can begin our practice!!

My favorite cleaning pose is Virabahdrasana III. This Warrior is great while I am dusting, cleaning in the kitchen or anywhere I can really stretch & balance! Try it out & have more fun while you clean.

Once we finish cleaning, enjoy some yoga squats! Hands up, hands out, hands at the heart, wherever they may be embrace this posture! Once we've held for 1 minute or 2, flow for a few breaths & really work those legs. Inhale, lengthening the legs & arms, exhale our hands to the heart as we squat, inhale reach up again, exhale sink back down & place the arms out to our sides. Play with these! If you are looking for a bigger sweat, lift up onto the balls of both our feet & balance our squats! Alternate from the left ball to the right, keeping our hips centered. It'll hurt sooooo good!

Happy Squatting!!

Get Your Fix!

Energy and persistence conquer all things. -Benjamin Franklin

More energizing ideas for your summer!

• Pickles are a great way to stay energized. Researchers found that the crunch, salt & vinegar wake up your senses & boosts brain function in 60 seconds! So, keeping those in mind I'm sure you can find many more crunchy, salty treats! This could be another great reason to check out your local Farmers Market or even a near by grocery store. With all these ideas of treats, I'm sure you can make this fun!
• As a massage therapist, I'm a huge advocate on this, but even if I weren't I'd still go for it!! Massage your toes!! Rubbing your feet & the spaces between each toe can amp energy levels by 50% for up to 2 hours! These spots hold great acupressure points that increase blood flow to the brain. Lazy? What is even better than rubbing your feet? Having someone else rub your feet! Set up a pedicure, have a friend or significant other rub them for you. You can even eat pickles while you get treated! Whatever you may decide, set something up for yourself this weekend! Still not persuaded? I can give one mean foot treatment, so just let me know & I'll make the time for you!

Remember to be keeping up with your practice, especially for these long summer days! Engage your core this week & work on your balance! My pose of the week is "Balancing Chair".

Remember to tuck our tail-bones, have our navels in & always remember to breathe! Try for 5-8 breaths

Once we are in Utkatasana, lift ourselves onto the ball of each foot, lifting our heels off the ground. Sink our glutes back & focus.

Want more of a challenge? REALLY engage our core & transition smoothly into a Virabhadrasana-Warrior I, still keeping our hips closed. Do this 2-3 times on each side. Enjoy!!

Namaste