The summer series concludes with a focus on athleisure, books, self-care, travel, and post-workout recovery, bringing together movement-friendly staples and mindful tools for staying grounded, comfortable, and well wherever summer leads.

Summer Athleisure

Summer athleisure is all about pieces that move effortlessly from workouts to travel days, errands, golf outings, and casual weekends. This edit highlights comfortable, elevated styles that feel polished without sacrificing ease, think breathable fabrics, flattering silhouettes, and versatile pieces that can be worn from a morning walk or studio class to lunch, lounging, or a weekend getaway. These brands make wellness dressing feel functional, stylish, and seasonally fresh.

Sonrei Skin

Sonrei Skin – AquaGuard UPF Hat – The perfect summer piece that blends style and function. The AquaGuard Hat offers everyday comfort. Featuring UPF 50+ sun protection, water-repellent fabric, and laser-perforated panels for added airflow, it helps keep you cool and protected all day long. Available in black, white, sand, and gray. MSRP $40.

Spiritual Gangster

Spiritual Gangster brings a soulful, practice-first approach to athleisure. The brand is designed for people who treat their practice as something personal, spiritual, and grounding, while still needing pieces that move easily through everyday life. The Cassidy Bra Top and Formosa Biker bring a polished, performance-ready feel to summer athleisure. The Cassidy is crafted in seamless rib with a second-skin feel, front ruching, a scoop neckline, interior shelf bra, and braided back strap detail that elevates even the simplest studio look. Paired with the Formosa Biker, made from shimmering AuraLight Rib fabric, the set is lightweight, sweat-wicking, fast-drying, and designed with high-stretch comfort for heated workouts, yoga, Pilates, or everyday movement. MSRP $176 (Bra & Biker set).

Pointe Studio

Pointe Studio brings a playful, polished approach to athleisure with grip socks and movement-ready essentials designed for Pilates, barre, yoga, lounging, and everyday wear. Known for its comfortable fit, stylish colors, and functional grip support, the brand makes it easy to move from studio class to errands or travel days without sacrificing comfort or style. Perfect for summer workouts, at-home movement, and wellness weekends. MSRP $16 for one pair and $50 for a pack of 3.

Age of Attitude

Age of Attitude is redefining athleisure for women over 40 with activewear designed to feel flattering, functional, and confidence-boosting. The woman-owned brand’s bestselling Pocket Leggings with Scrunch  feature ultra-soft, sculpting stretch fabric, a curve-enhancing scrunch-back seam, and functional flap-back pockets that make them easy to wear for workouts, walks, errands, or everyday movement. The leggings offer comfort, support, and style for women who want activewear that keeps up with their lives. MSRP $50.

Subscriptions & Books

For anyone looking to keep their wellness practice consistent at home or on the road, subscriptions and books offer an easy way to stay inspired. From yoga education and mindfulness tools to streaming platforms that support movement, meditation, spirituality, and personal growth, these resources help bring calm, structure, and intention into the summer season:no studio required.

Glo

Glo is a digital wellness platform offering on-demand yoga, meditation, Pilates, fitness, and educational classes designed to meet users wherever they are either at home, while traveling, or in between busy summer plans. With more than 8,000 expert-led classes across styles like Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Mat Pilates, HIIT, strength, breathwork, and mindfulness, Glo makes it easy to create a personalized practice from any device, with the option to download classes for offline use. A Glo membership is currently $30/month, or $245/year.

YogaRenew

YogaRenew is an all-in-one platform that delivers live classes, on-demand content, and a deep library of wellness resources, making it easy to unroll the mat anywhere, anytime. With over 1,000 classes, courses, series, and challenges available across the App Store, Google Play, Apple TV and web, it’s becoming the go-to destination for anyone serious about building a sustainable yoga practice. The platform spans a wide range of styles,Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Prenatal, Gentle, and more, so there’s always something new to explore at any experience level. Users can filter on-demand yoga classes by instructor, duration, body part, or focus area, and even adjust music volume separately from the instructor’s voice. Bookmark favorites, or work through yoga challenges for beginners and beyond, focused on sleep, back health, strength building, breathwork, and recovery. Available at $14 per month or $84 per year.

Gaia

Gaia subscription is your guide to conscious life. A go-to for staying grounded through the busy summer season, Gaia offers unlimited access to yoga classes, guided meditations, breathwork, and sound baths. Whether at home or while traveling, it’s an easy way to maintain a consistent wellness routine and create intentional moments of pause. Annual subscription starting at $139.99 a year.

Beauty Apothecary: Soulful Remedies to Foster Beauty Inside and Out

Beauty Apothecary: Soulful Remedies to Foster Beauty Inside and Out by Lorraine Anderson is a holistic self-care guide for cultivating beauty from the inside out. Through rituals, meditations, beauty recipes, and at-home practices, the book invites readers to nourish the mind, heart, soul, and body while embracing self-love, intentional living, and sacred adornment. More than a beauty book, it reframes beauty as something rooted in authenticity, harmony, and the qualities that make each person uniquely radiant. MSRP $24.95.

Eat to Heal

Eat to Heal by bestselling author Lee Holmes offers an anti-inflammatory roadmap for supporting the gut, brain, and body. Drawing on scientific research, integrative medicine, and more than a decade of clinical experience, the book explores how systemic inflammation may contribute to digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, cognitive health, autoimmune conditions, and overall well-being. With a focus on the gut-brain connection, microbiome health, trauma, stress, and nutrition, Holmes provides practical tools to help readers address inflammation at its core. Complete with expert guidance, actionable protocols, mindfulness practices, and 60 anti-inflammatory recipes, Eat to Heal is a holistic guide for feeling more energized, balanced, and resilient. On sale August 4th. MSRP $18.95.

Solalma Massage Card Game for Couples

Solalma Massage Card Game for Couples – is a guided intimacy and relaxation ritual created by a massage therapist Viktoria Kovacheva. Designed to help couples slow down, reconnect, and melt away stress, the deck blends simple massage techniques with breathwork, eye-gazing, intention-setting, and gratitude practices. It is a thoughtful summer wellness activity for couples to enjoy at home, during a quiet evening, or even as part of a beach picnic. Favorite cards include scalp massage, which uses slow circular pressure to release tension, and eye-gazing, a quiet practice that invites couples to pause, be present, and truly see one another. Available on  Amazon MSRP $23.99

The Chair Yoga Deck

The Chair Yoga Deck– by LA-based Certified Yoga Therapist and licensed psychotherapist Lauren Maher, LMFT, C-IAYT, offers an accessible approach to gentle movement at a time when low-impact fitness and sustainable wellness are increasingly in demand. Featuring 50 guided, chair-based exercises, the deck is designed to support mobility, flexibility, strength, and emotional well-being without the strain of traditional workouts. Requiring only a sturdy chair, it is especially useful for older adults, beginners, or anyone managing injury, chronic pain, or limited mobility. Drawing on Maher’s more than two decades of experience teaching yoga, mindfulness, and meditation—including work with cancer patients, chronic illness, trauma recovery, and anxiety management—the deck makes chair yoga practical, customizable, and easy to incorporate into everyday life. Pre order (releases 8/26).MSRP $20.

Travel  & Post-Workout Tools for Summer Wellness

Summer wellness doesn’t stop at the gym, it follows you through airport terminals, beach walks, road trips, outdoor workouts, long sightseeing days, and weekends spent in the sun. This category brings together travel-friendly essentials designed to keep you organized, hydrated, refreshed, soothed, and grounded wherever the season takes you. From rolling backpacks and portable mindfulness tools to cooling recovery products, herbal drink mixes, healing balms, hydration gummies, facial massage tools, and foot sprays, these picks help make movement, travel, and recovery feel easier, more intentional, and part of the summer ritual.

Blast Pro 43L Roller Backpack

Blast Pro 43L Roller Backpack is a practical travel essential designed to move with every part of the journey, from smooth airport terminals to crowded walkways to weekend getaways. Carry-on compliant, it features smooth PU wheels, organized multi-compartment storage, a lockable 15.6-inch laptop sleeve, a foldable structure, and a compact 4-section handle for daily use. Made with scratch-proof TPU material, waterproof lining, premium YKK waterproof zippers, detachable waist support, and an RFID-blocking anti-theft side pocket, it helps keep travel essentials secure, organized, and easy to access on the go. MSRP $159.99.

Buddha Board Enso

Buddha Board Enso is a a travel-friendly mindfulness tool designed to help calm the mind, ease tension, and bring a moment of creativity anywhere. Inspired by the Japanese word for “circle,” Enso uses only water and a refillable brush, allowing you to paint, watch your design fade, and return to the present moment with no ink, paint, chemicals, or mess. Complete with a protective cover that doubles as a stand, it is an easy, portable ritual for stress relief at home, while traveling, or whenever you need a mindful reset. MSRP$24.95.

Chilltherapy’s Medium Breaker

Chilltherapy’s Medium Breaker is a summer recovery essential for cooling down after workouts, travel days, sun exposure, or time spent outdoors. Made with premium silicone and innovative wave technology, it contours comfortably to the body while delivering soothing cold relief without the harshness of a traditional ice pack. Reusable, elevated, and designed to warm gradually, it makes post-sun and post-sweat recovery feel easier, calmer, and more luxurious. Also available on Amazon. MSRP $34.

Elderleaf Healing Skin Balm

Elderleaf Healing Skin Balm is a must-have for summer adventures this nourishing botanical balm designed to soothe and support skin through summer’s everyday mishaps, from scrapes and cuts to burns, bug bites, and outdoor irritation. Packaged in a portable tin, it is an easy staple for beach bags, travel kits, camping trips, and family adventures. Founded by Emilia Rizzuto after her own health journey with Crohn’s disease, All Things Elderberry focuses on simple ingredients, beautiful presentation, and wellness products made for daily use. MSRP $24.

IN TOTAL WELLNESS

IN TOTAL WELLNESS is a modern herbal wellness brand founded by a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist along with a CPG expert.Inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine and designed for modern lifestyles, the brand’s herbal drink mixes target some of the most common travel-related wellness challenges. IN MOTION  supports recovery, mobility, and everyday aches associated with long flights, walking-heavy itineraries, and extended travel. MSRP $23.99 (20 servings).

Manuka Honey Sachets

Manuka honey gets a summer-ready upgrade with these convenient single-serve Manuka Honey Sachets, designed to move beyond the kitchen cabinet and into beach bags, picnic baskets, carry-ons, and hostess gifts. Each box includes 30 individually wrapped 10g packs of raw, UMF-certified Manuka honey, making it easy to stir into iced tea, drizzle into a non-alcoholic spritz at a BBQ, or pack for travel as a simple wellness add-on for gut health and immune support. Made with UMF 15+ / MGO 550+ 100% pure New Zealand Manuka honey, each sachet is raw, unfiltered, independently audited for potency, authenticity, and origin, and traceable from hive to home.MSRP $60  (box of 30 x 10g sachets)

RAD Face Roller

The RAD Face Roller is a  2-in-1 facial massage and gua sha tool is designed to help refresh and revive tired-looking skin. Ideal for summer travel, beach days, and post-sun self-care, it can be chilled for a cooling boost that helps soothe, depuff, and leave skin feeling refreshed. Compact and easy to use, it is a simple beauty ritual for whenever your skin needs a quick reset.. Also available on Amazon. MSRP $65.

The Original Worm

For anyone carrying tension from travel, workouts, long workdays, or simply the pace of summer, The Original Worm offers an easy way to roll, release, and reset. This portable full-body massage roller combines the targeted pressure of therapy balls with the convenience of a foam roller, using four neoprene-encased solid rubber massage balls to help address stiffness, muscle tension, joint discomfort, and everyday stress. Available in two sizes  & colors, it is compact enough to slip into a carry-on, gym bag, or briefcase for recovery on the go. MSRP $27-$35.

Plant People Wonder Hydrate

Plant People is a leading functional wellness brand crafting science-backed, zero-sugar Wonder gummies. Plant People Wonder Hydrate recovery gummies are a convenient, on-the-go way to support everyday hydration during travel, workouts, commutes, walks, and busy summer days. Designed for the growing shift toward electrolyte-focused fluid optimization, each serving includes magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium, Himalayan pink sea salt, vitamin C, and chicory root fiber in a zero-sugar, lower-sodium formula made for daily use. With just 50mg of sodium per serving, Wonder Hydrate offers a balanced alternative to many higher-sodium powders, without the sugar crash. The portable gummies make hydration support easy, poppable, and genuinely enjoyable. MSRP $29.99.

Vital Purple

Vital Purple is a cacao-based daily supplement designed to support cardiovascular health, healthy blood flow, stamina, and clean, sustained energy without the crash. What sets it apart is the brand’s approach to preserving cacao in its most natural, nutrient-dense state: while cacao is naturally purple at harvest, traditional fermentation turns it brown and can reduce its antioxidant content. Vital Purple removes moisture within 24 hours of harvest to help prevent fermentation, preserving the cacao’s vibrant purple color, high flavanol content of 750 mg per serving, and potent antioxidants. Also available on Amazon, it is an easy wellness add-in for anyone looking to support energy and heart health through a functional daily ritual.MSRP $34.99.

Lorena Tapiero

Lorena Tapiero is a first generation Colombian-American who has lived and worked in Los Angeles, New York City, and Dubai. Her global experience and perspective gives her a powerful lens to reflect on food, trends, and health and wellness. Lorena is a yoga therapist as well as a writer and longtime media professional.

www.considercoco.com

The post Summer Wellness: Essentials for Athleisure, Travel, and More appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Part Two of our summer essentials round-up turns to accessories, beauty, and bedtime rituals, with products that support glowing skin, hair care, travel organization, sun protection, and restorative sleep.The right accessories can make summer wellness feel both functional and stylish. From sun-protective hats and easy pouches to sunglasses and outdoor-ready add-ons, these pieces help support long days outside, travel organization, and everyday ease. They are the kind of thoughtful extras that make summer plans feel more comfortable, polished, and prepared.

Accessorize for Living the Summer Life

Alf Grande Pouch (Mesh)

The Alf Grande Pouch is polished, practical accessory for summer organization, travel, and everyday wellness on the go. It is handcrafted in lightweight mesh with vegan leather trim and brushed gold hardware. The oversized pouch is a roomy daily essential while still feeling effortless as a clutch. It can be used on its own for errands or evenings, or tucked inside a larger tote as a stylish organizer for sunscreen, beauty staples, tech, snacks, or travel must-haves. An easy, lightweight add-on for beach days, flights, gym bags, and busy summer schedules. MSRP $59.

Meller Lani Tigris Brown Sunglasses

The Meller Lani Tigris Brown Sunglasses are a chic summer staple that blends classic inspiration with a modern, easy-to-wear rectangular silhouette. Designed for everyday comfort and durability, the frames add just enough character without feeling overdone, while polarized lenses, UV400 protection, anti-scratch coating, and a superhydrophobic finish make them practical for beach days, travel, driving, and long afternoons outdoors. Made with bio-based materials, they are a stylish, sun-smart accessory for anyone looking to elevate their summer wellness routine with a little extra eye protection and polish. MSRP $65.

HEIRÉE The Cuticle Pen

Summer wellness is often about the small rituals that help you feel put together amid busy schedules, travel, and time spent outdoors. HEIRÉE’s The Cuticle Pen makes nail care an effortless part of that routine with a clean, non-greasy formula designed to nourish cuticles and support stronger, healthier nails. The treatment-grade serum is dispensed through a precise click applicator, making it easy to use at home, poolside, or while on the go. Formulated with nourishing ingredients and free from endocrine-disrupting ingredients, preservatives, and fillers, The Cuticle Pen transforms nail care into a simple daily wellness ritual that takes just seconds but delivers lasting results. MSRP $30.

Beauty Upgrades for Your Summer Glow

Summer beauty is all about feeling fresh, protected, and glowing through heat, travel, sun exposure, and long days outdoors. This season’s essentials include skin-nourishing face and lip care, sheer SPF, hydrating under-eye masks, brightening elixirs, mood-setting fragrance, and haircare that helps refresh and rebalance the scalp after sun, saltwater, chlorine, humidity, and styling. From botanical skincare and cooling scalp scrubs to warm-weather-ready scent and glow-boosting staples, these picks support effortless radiance from head to toe.

Aerchitect

Aerchitect is a nervous-system fragrance brand designed for modern rituals, these fine-fragrance mists are a natural fit for summer recovery, mindfulness, and travel. Each scent is built around a physiological state rather than a mood: CALM helps support a post-day downshift, FOCUS encourages directed attention, and GROUND helps bring the body back to baseline. Designed to be misted on skin, hair, fabric, or into the air, the portable mists can complement a yoga practice at the beginning to center or at the end to extend the feeling of calm. They are especially fitting for summer’s constant transitions—from flights and hotel rooms to busy social calendars and long days in the sun—offering a sensory cue to pause, breathe, and reset. MSRP $95 Mood Toolkit, trial sizes of all three.

Badger SPF 40 Tinted Face

Badger SPF 40 Tinted Face is a sheer, daily tint that blends seamlessly, providing a light, matte, sun-kissed finish. This lightweight, waterless moisturizer is dermatologist-tested, and added iron oxide makes it adaptable for light to dark skin tones. The result is a silky skin-feel with SPF 40 broad-spectrum protection, 40 minutes of water resistance, and blue light protection. Moisturizing, vegan, reef-safe, and made with just 10 clean ingredients, including zinc oxide. Family-founded, women-run and a certified B-Corp company.Also available on Amazon. MSRP: $22.99.

Kandesn® Pure Bio Cellulose Under Eye Masks

Inspired by advanced K-beauty innovation, Kandesn® Pure Bio Cellulose Under Eye Masks are crafted from pure bio-cellulose, a material derived through a natural fermentation process that creates a second-skin fit for enhanced ingredient delivery. The masks help hydrate, soothe, and refresh tired-looking eyes, especially valuable during the warmer months when travel, sun exposure, and seasonal allergies can leave the delicate eye area looking fatigued.MSRP $39.61.

NEVRA  Frost Cooling & Tightening Mask

NEVRA  Frost Cooling & Tightening Mask is a cooling, creamy clay mask designed to refresh, smooth, and reset tired-looking skin. Formulated with kaolin clay and French pink clay to gently absorb excess oil and impurities, it also features rosehip oil, coconut milk powder, and colloidal oatmeal to keep skin feeling soft, calm, and comforted. Stored cold as part of the NEVRA ritual, Frost delivers a chilled, soothing sensation while leaving skin looking clean, balanced, and freshly renewed. MSRP $39.

Ora Juice Skincare Golden Beryl Elixir

Ora Juice Skincare Golden Beryl Elixir is a silky, fast-absorbing botanical face oil designed to support the skin barrier, replenish moisture, and restore a healthy glow without feeling greasy. Made for normal to dry, dull, compromised, or sensitized skin, the clean, hormone-conscious formula features antioxidant-rich botanicals, Coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, turmeric root, ginger root, and bearberry extract to help improve softness, elasticity, radiance, and long-term skin resilience. Leaping Bunny certified and free from parabens, phthalates, sulfates, silicones, artificial colors, and synthetic fragrances, it is a thoughtful addition to sensitive-skin and mindful beauty routines. MSRP $59.

Poppy & Pout: The Retro Surf Trio

Dive into cool, natural hydration with the Poppy & Pout Retro Surf Lip Balm Trio, featuring three jumbo-sized balms in summer-inspired flavors Citrus Sunrise, Midnight Mint, Coconut Coast that capture the carefree feeling of endless beach days. MSRP $26.95.

ACTIIV Defense SPF 30 Hair, Scalp + Skin Spray

ACTIIV Defense SPF 30 Hair, Scalp + Skin Spray is scalp-first hair health that uses cold-extracted botanicals to maintain the nutrient profile of the hair especially during the summer months. Formulated with Avobenzone and Octisalate, along with conditioning agents and cold-pressed micro-green red clover, it helps maintain softness, manageability, shine, and color vibrancy without weighing hair down, leaving a chalky finish, or disrupting styling. Safe for color-treated and keratin-treated hair, the mist absorbs quickly and can be applied throughout the day. MSRP $20.

Philip B  Peppermint Avocado Scalp Scrub

A luxurious crème shampoo and sea-salt scalp scrub, Philip B  Peppermint Avocado Scalp Scrub works double duty to gently exfoliate the scalp while cleansing away dirt, oil, sweat, styling products, and environmental buildup. Infused with sea salt, avocado, peppermint, eucalyptus, witch hazel, arnica flower, and aloe, the formula uses naturally deep-cleansing ingredients to leave the scalp feeling clean, refreshed, and revived. It is especially ideal post-workout, when hair needs a fresh reset. With its invigorating scent and scalp-refreshing feel, it helps hair look bouncier, feel lush, and start with a healthier-feeling foundation. MSRP $92.

Zenagen’s Eclipse Color Preservation Shampoo and Conditioner

Zenagen’s Eclipse Color Preservation Shampoo and Conditioner is a professional-grade, color-safe haircare system designed to gently cleanse, condition, and help maintain the look of vibrant, healthy hair between salon visits. Ideal for color-treated and chemically processed hair, the shampoo removes buildup without stripping moisture or dulling color, while the conditioner restores softness, smoothness, shine, and manageability without weighing hair down. Powered by ingredients like antioxidant-rich tangerine, horsetail, butterfly ginger, hydrolyzed quinoa, grape-seed extract, and acetyl tyrosine, the duo helps support scalp balance, hydration, strength, resilience, and long-lasting color vibrancy for salon-quality results at home. MSRP $28-$48 for 6.75 fl ounces.

Supportive Bedtime Rituals

Summer sleep calls for rituals that help the body cool down, unwind, and restore after long, active days. From breathable cooling sheets and plant-powered magnesium cream to temperature-regulating sleepwear designed for hot sleepers and hormonal night sweats, these brands make nighttime wellness feel both practical and luxurious.

Breescape’s Cooling Sheet Set 2.0

Breescape’s cooling sheet set is a summer sleep essential for hot sleepers looking for a cooler, more comfortable night’s rest. Made with patented BlendTek™ fabric, the set is designed to feel instantly cool to the touch while enhancing breathability, moisture management, and all-night comfort. Each set includes one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and two pillowcases, with soft anti-slip grip strips that help keep the flat sheet in place. Available on Amazon, the sheets range from $159.99 to $199.

Nowful Sleep Magnesium Cream

Nowful Sleep Magnesium Cream offers a simple, calming way to incorporate magnesium into a nightly wellness ritual as interest in natural sleep support continues to grow. Made with magnesium, valerian root, passionflower, and lavender oil, the topical balm is designed to help relax the body, ease muscle tension, and support deeper, more restorative rest. The concentrated, non-greasy formula melts into the skin and can be applied to the feet, neck, or temples before bed. Made in the USA by a women-owned company, it is crafted with natural ingredients and is free from parabens, phthalates, and artificial fragrances. Also available on Amazon . MSRP $29.99.

Piper & Mint Drier Nights Sleep Tee & Pant Set

Luxurious cooling sleepwear is designed for hot sleepers and those experiencing hormonal night sweats from postpartum, perimenopause, or menopause. The Piper & Mint Drier Nights Sleep Tee & Pant Set is made from the brand’s proprietary blend of LENZING™ Modal and Mentha rayon—a plant-based fiber infused with natural mint essence, the fabric is soft, breathable, moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and naturally antibacterial. The collection includes nursing tanks, sleep tees, shorts, pants, and pajama sets. Inspired by founder Jackie Hutson’s own infertility journey, a portion of every sale supports BabyQuest, a nonprofit that provides fertility grants to individuals and couples pursuing parenthood. MSRP $120.

Tingle Toes Soothing Organic Foot Spray

Tingle Toes Soothing Organic Foot Spray is a refreshing plant-based spray for feet, hands, and mats. Made with organic peppermint and tea tree hydrosols, organic witch hazel, aloe, yarrow, white willow, and sweet birch, the formula helps cool, refresh, deodorize, and gently cleanse without preservatives, emulsifiers, or synthetic ingredients. Perfect for summer sandals, post-practice refreshes, gym bags, beach days, post shower, and travel, it can even be stored in the fridge for an extra cooling spritz after a long day. MSRP $20 / 4 oz.

Lorena Tapiero

Lorena Tapiero is a first generation Colombian-American who has lived and worked in Los Angeles, New York City, and Dubai. Her global experience and perspective gives her a powerful lens to reflect on food, trends, and health and wellness. Lorena is a yoga therapist as well as a writer and longtime media professional.

www.considercoco.com

The post Summer Essentials: Beauty, Bedtime, and Seasonal Accessories appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

CBD photo courtesy of Charlotte’s Web

The Basics of CBD Oil and the Cannabinoids

In recent years, there is an entirely new supplement section that has taken over shelf space in groceries and health food stories. CBD is the latest and some say the greatest addition to the marketplace. Product lines have sprouted up. These include everything from lines selected and branded by medical professionals, multi-level marketing companies, supplement innovators, and product activists seeking to raise the profile of the plant to benefit both farmers and the general public.

While it seems like CBD exploded onto the scene just yesterday, the medicinal benefits of the various phytochemicals of the hemp plant have a long history. The current popularity of CBD for anything and everything can be attributed to a number of factors converging at this point in time. From the perspective of modern biomedical research, one of the factors at play is the identification of the body’s endocannabinoid system in the early 1990s. Another is the growing activism supporting legislature allowing the American farmer to legally grow hemp, including the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalizes the growing of non-psychoactive hemp on US soil.

In addition, we’re seeing a rapidly growing body of research studies published in peer-reviewed journals documenting the medicinal benefits of the phytochemicals found in the hemp plant. State-specific legalization of medical and recreational marijuana use has also contributed to an expansion of the conversations surrounding the different aspects of just what exactly is found in these different strains of what’s become a famous plant species. The economic factors, legal issues, scientific and medical research are all at play in the proliferation of CBD.

Okay—so what is CBD?

CBD is a Cannabinoid. What’s important to note is that there are a lot of cannabinoids. In plants. And even in the human body. First let’s start with Cannabis. This plant genus Cannabis has a number of different species. The most famous are Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa. They’re native to Central Asia and India where they have a long history of use including as food, fiber, medicine, and a psychoactive.

That slang name – ganja – is the Sanskrit word for the plant. Hemp is a member of the Cannabis sativa plant while marijuana can be either Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica. A trained eye can distinguish the differences between the plants in a line-up, but what really makes them unique is, you guessed it, THC.

How THC Factors into the Discussion

The full name of THC is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. (It’s why we most often see it abbreviated as THC.) THC is what gives marijuana its psychoactive effects. THC is what gets you high and it is what makes marijuana, well, marijuana.

The body’s receptors that are docking sites for THC were discovered in 1988. This led to the search for the similar chemical compound produced by the human body itself that fits the same receptors.

In 1992, that endocannabinoid was discovered, and fittingly named “anandamide.” We may recognize within that name, the Sanskrit word for bliss, ananda. Anandamide (N-arachidonoylethanolamine) is a fatty acid neurotransmitter.

What are the Endocannabinoids

To put the prefix “endo” in front of the word cannabinoid means that it is made inside the body. The naming of the first endocannabinoid with a bit of bliss was not accidental. After all, these molecules can affect our state of mind, but they also affect multiple physiological pathways and states of body. They’re active regulators for everything from the immune system and our inflammatory responses to sensations of pain, our ability to fall asleep, and a number of other systems. In general, the endocannabinoid system is involved in many of the big-picture, internal communications structures within the body.

Psychiatrist Hyla Cass MD (cassmd.com) says that the endocannabinoid system is involved in establishing and maintaining health, homeostasis, and balance throughout the body/brain. She goes on to explain that this system is important for facilitating communication between different cell types and is involved in the immune, neurological, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems. THC is merely one type of cannabinoid made by plants. But it’s not the only one.

That brings us to the CBD that we see on the labels of all of those products. And it brings us to one of the mastermind molecules that influences our endocannabinoid sytems. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid. That means that it is made by plants. The hemp plant. The cannabinoids is the name of a group of chemicals. It’s important to point out that we have different receptors in the body for these chemicals. And they have slightly different effects. Some promote sleep, some don’t, and so on.

CBD is Not THC

Unlike THC, the classes of other CBD/phytocannabinoids are not psychoactive. You can buy them without a prescription. They’re not subject to the laws surrounding recreational marijuana use. And the different CBDs actually have the opposite effect of THC when it comes to psychoactive effects. This is where that distinction of marijuana vs hemp becomes significant.

And in fact, over the counter CBD products sold on shelves must have less than .3% THC. What’s also significant is that many CBD-rich products are labeled hemp oil, or full spectrum hemp oil. This is because what we call CBD or full spectrum hemp oil actually derives its potent effects from a variety of different active cannabinoids that work together synergistically.

The medicinal effects are also influenced by some of the other phytochemicals, such as pharmacologically active terpenes. Terpenes are another group of organic compounds, which are found in many essential oils and provide the familiar aromas we associate with not only cannabis but other foods, herbs, and plants.

Health Benefits of CBD

Now, literally thousands of research studies investigating the array of health benefits of CBD oils have been published. And while people may be treating themselves with CBD, some medical professionals like Dr Cass are actively using CBD in their practice. Dr Cass even sells her proprietary brand. She says, “They’re master modulators that help make neurotransmitters work better, provide a brain boost, address hard-to-treat issues, can be helpful in working with healing trauma, and are powerful in helping us to relax and protect us from overload.” They’re known to have a wide range of anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and anxiety- and stress-reducing effects. And these are only a few of the documented benefits that continue to be collected.

How to Take CBD

While Dr Cass says that at low doses, CBD is generally safe with not many contraindications, it is important to note that each one of us possesses our own individual biochemistry. This means if you choose to use CBD in your life, it is important to start with small doses and titrate up slowly as you pay attention to your personal response. When it comes to the dosage on the body, many tinctures will identify the dosage in the whole bottle. So each dropper-full is a titrated amount of that dosage. These days, you can find CBD in dropper bottles, capsules, sprays, lotions and salves, transdermal patches, vape delivery systems, in pharmaceuticals, infused in foods and drinks, and formulated for pets.

Reading Labels and Selecting A Brand

Joel Stanley, Co-Founder of CBD market innovator Charlotte’s Web (cwhemp.com) offers the following advice when looking to purchase CBD. “I recommend a little research to find the right brand for you. First, find brands that are working for others and have an established track record. Second, ask a few simple questions of the companies: Does the company control the source supply from the farm to the final product? Does the company use third-party testing to ensure their product is free from the possible contaminants that can come from poor manufacturing and agricultural practices? Do they supply customers with batch records?”

“Verifying the answers to these questions is even more important for CBD because hemp is a bioremediator, or soil cleaner,” Stanley continues. “That’s great for some purposes and why it’s been grown at Chernobyl. This is why testing the soil before planting must become a common practice in this industry. Third-party testing of final product for metals, pesticides, solvents, and microbiologicals is an absolute must!”

Massage, Skin Care, and CBD

The active compounds of CBD are oil-soluble. Theypass through the lipid layers of our cell membranes, including our skin. CBD is being used in a number of skin-care lines since it has both nourishing and anti-inflammatory effects. When used for massage, the cannabinoids can enhance muscle and full-body relaxation and restoration. Vanessa Marquez, CEO and Founder of CBD Care Garden (cbdcaregarden.com), has developed a wellness and beauty skincare line designed to deliver a premium massage and self-care experience. Glen Ivy Hot Springs (glenivy.com) is one of the California spas to launch this healing enhancement to their massage services.

CBD: Here to Stay?

CBD has quickly gained a reputation in the wellness industry. It is infused in a variety of food and drinks and it is even being suggested for use by anxious dogs. Statistics reveal that hemp-based CBD industry sales reached $190 million in 2017. These days, millions of people are using CBD regularly. A number of brands are offering CBD products in a variety of forms, including cannabis oil concentrate. But just remember that even though CBD may seem to be everywhere, a person’s reaction to any natural substance is unique. Be conscientious with your choices as you learn to tap into your own inner bliss.

Felicia M. Tomasko

Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.

www.blissnetwork.com

The post CBD 101 What you need to know about the cannabinoids appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Goddess Garden Team and Family loves the beach so they produce and advocate for reef safe sunscreen.

Working for Reef Safe Sun Protection for People and the Planet

In the long days of summer (as well as year-round), we want to enjoy the benefits of our time in the sun while protecting our skin from excess exposure. According to expert dermatologist Raja Sivamani, MD MS AP, “Sun protection used to be about avoiding a sunburn. But, we have come a long way from then and have become more sophisticated with our science and our approach. Good sun protection means you reduce or eliminate overexposure to ultraviolet type A, ultraviolet type B, and high energy blue light.”

Reef-Safe Sunscreens

While sun protection is important, so is protecting our sensitive coral reefs; the delicate ecology of coral reefs can be affected by some of the chemicals in conventional sunscreens. Two of the ingredients that have been identified as being the most problematic are oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Kate Solomon is the founder and CEO of Babo Botanicals. She’s one of a group of skincare companies who are committed to making products that are healthy for both people and the planet. She says, ”Millions of people visit beaches each year and it has been proven that chemicals in sunscreens can destroy reefs, as well as be an endocrine disruptor in humans. I founded Babo Botanicals so people would have environmental and healthy choices.”

Kate is in good company. Goddess Garden Founder and One Planet Brands CEO Nova Covington is another entrepreneur on a mission. “My daughter’s allergies to the chemicals in common skincare products inspired the start of our company [Goddess Garden]. But these chemicals are also impacting coral reefs. A single drop of oxybenzone, a common chemical sunscreen, can kill the coral reefs in an area the size of 6.5 Olympic-sized pools. Because every bottle of natural mineral sunscreen used is one less bottle of chemical sunscreen in the environment, we focused on making clean, reef-safe options easily accessible to everyone.”

Advocacy for Reef Safe Sunscreens

Companies are taking leadership roles to develop reef-safe sunscreen formulations by providing labeling and engaging in advocacy and education. In 2018, the state of Hawaii banned the sale of reef-destroying chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate; a ban which went into effect in 2021.

Ingredients to Avoid

So when it comes to choosing reef-safe options , just say no to oxybenzone and octinoxate. Some of the other chemicals to avoid include: avobenzone, avobenzine, ethylhexl, methoxycinnamate, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene.

What is reef and skin-safe?

Zinc oxide and titanium oxide are reef-safe mineral-based sunscreens. Choose non-nano, mineral-based options for body, face, and lips. Be an informed consumer and take good care of your skin.

Maurice Lord

Maurice Lord is an award-wining director, magician, writer and creator, and avid wellness enthusiast. Maurie’s wellness interest include discovering new vegetarian foods and exploring the outdoors.

The post Why Choose Reef Safe Sunscreens appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

In a world where we are so often silenced and disconnected from our true essence, there exists a path back home — a path paved with the alchemy of voice and the medicine of movement. This fusion of sound and dance is not only healing but transformative, inviting you to embody your truth and reconnect with your soul’s deepest longing.

Music as Medicine: The Power of Voice Alchemy
You don’t need to be a professional singer to experience the magic of your own voice. By tuning into the song of the heart, you open a portal to raw, honest self-expression. As internationally acclaimed musician and vocal alchemist Nessi Gomes shares:

“When we sing from a place of vulnerability, it’s like we’re offering a prayer. We reveal parts of ourselves we’ve kept hidden, and in that process, something deeply transformative happens.” — Nessi Gomes

Your voice becomes a tool not just for communication, but for liberation. Each sound carries an intention that can heal old wounds, release stuck emotions, and help you step fully into who you are meant to be.

Movement as Medicine: Somatic Dance & Conscious Expression
Through somatic movement therapy and conscious dance, the body becomes an instrument of awakening. Movement unblocks stagnant energy and helps you chart a path to a life of exuberance, purpose, and soulful connection. Parashakti Skye, founder of Dance of Liberation®, guides participants into a state of deep embodiment where movement transcends steps or choreography — it becomes a spiritual act.

“When we’re really in alignment with what it is that we deeply desire, then we can voice it and dance it.” — Parashakti Skye

No prior experience with singing or dancing is necessary. By creating a ceremonial space that welcomes all, these practices invite fearless expression and help cultivate peace, vitality, joy, and confidence.

Ancient Roots of Sound & Movement as Healing
Cultures around the world have long recognized the power of sound and movement to heal and transform. Indigenous traditions on every continent have used drumming, chanting, and ecstatic dance in rituals designed to realign body, mind, and spirit.

In West African cultures, rhythmic drumming and dance are integral to community healing ceremonies. In Native American traditions, songs, rattles, and dance are used to restore harmony between individuals and the natural world. Ancient Greek physicians, such as Pythagoras, spoke of “musical medicine” as a tool to rebalance the soul. Meanwhile, in Eastern spiritual practices like Qigong or Sufi whirling, movement combined with breath and sound serves as a pathway to transcendence and deep peace.

These timeless practices remind us that sound and movement are not merely art forms but profound medicines that have guided humanity toward wholeness for millennia. Today, by reclaiming these traditions, we open doors to healing that modern life often leaves closed.

Experience the Fusion for Yourself
This September 7–12, 2025, you have the unique opportunity to immerse yourself in this profound fusion of music and movement at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. World-renowned musician Nessi Gomes and transformational healer Parashakti Skye are joining forces to offer a retreat where you can:

* Reclaim your voice and awaken your heart’s song
* Liberate your body through the Dance of Liberation®
* Embody your truth in a safe, sacred, and supportive environment

Whether you are an artist, healer, seeker, or simply curious, this retreat is designed to help you reconnect with your essence and chart your own path toward a more joyful, purposeful, and aligned life.

Join us — your journey begins here.
** Space is limited. ** Click here to reserve your spot today.

Parashakti

Parashakti’s shamanic healing work is born of more than two decades of experience facilitating workshops, trainings, and retreats around the world, in Los Angeles, New York, Mexico, Bali, Guatemala, Indonesia, Israel, and Greece.  As a lifelong dancer, her path as a healer followed a severe injury – a period of what is often called shamanic dismantling, after which her mission shifted towards healing. Over the last 20 years, Parashakti has developed the Seven Foundations and the Dance of Liberation™, as maps for her spiritual practice, living and breathing these foundations in daily ritual. Dance of Liberation™ has been practiced by over 10,000 dancers around the globe. It’s was born of a mission to help people experience ecstasy – without taking it.
Above all, Parashakti is dedicated to serving community and creating a sacred container where people feel safe enough to experience their deepest essences, honor their voices, and shine their brightest light. Join her on the Dance floor: www.parashakti.org

parashakti.org/

The post Music & Movement as Medicine: Awaken Your Voice, Liberate Your Body appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Ayurveda, an ancient holistic healing system from India, dates back over 5,000 years and pairs closely with the principles of yoga. The Sanskrit term Ayurveda translates to “knowledge of life” and helps us achieve and maintain our capacity for wellness, ensuring our digestive fire (agni) is in balance. Ayurveda draws its foundation from the elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth and Ayurvedic patterns are presented in the form of three energies (doshas) vata, pitta and kapha.

Ayurveda, Food, and Remedies

Ayurvedic cooking prides itself on eating with the seasons, choosing the right spices and fresh foods for your body constitution which in turn nourishes your physical, mental, and emotional body. We encountered several innovative brands and founders championing these principles at Foundermade, Naturally New York network and the concluding Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia, rebranded as Newtopia Now. As we head into the winter season, these brands promise to be the soulful companions you’ll crave through the chilly months.

Dancing Elephant

Amidst the bustling heart of New York City, two moms Saira Malhotra & Chandni Prasad, united by their passion for Ayurveda, found an instant connection at a cooking class led by Saira, an alumna of The International Culinary Center in New York.

As the two reminisced about their Indian origins, they realized their childhoods were infused with Ayurvedic wellness principles. Inspired by their shared heritage and driven by a collective dream, they created Dancing Elephant.

Dancing Elephant is a brand aimed to demystify Ayurveda through balanced, flavorful foods. Their primary offering, Kitchari, is a cherished Ayurvedic delicacy, a harmonious blend of grains and lentils and functional spices catering to everyone’s lifestyle. Created for the person who is on-the-go, the Pea Prana, Spinach Shakti and Butternut Karma are ready-to-cook, plant-based, gluten-free pouches made in 20 minutes to create a wholesome Ayurvedic meal.

Saira and Chandni shared their vision behind the name Dancing Elephant explaining,” The elephant, revered for its wisdom, strength, and grace, symbolizes the profound essence of Ayurveda. To dance is to be in perfect harmony, and thus, Dancing Elephant mirrors Ayurveda’s promise – to infuse life with balance, vitality, and joy.”

Green Goddess Kitchari Burger

Burger Patty

• 2 cups leftover Spinach kitchari, chilled
• 4 scallions 1/2 cup dill, finely chopped
• 1/4 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free, if necessary), ground
• 1 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg (optional, leave out for vegan burgers)
• 1 TBSP flax seed

Burger Sauce

• 1 TBSP Dill
• 2 TBSP Mayo
• 1/2 Dill Pickle, finely diced
• 1 TBSP pickling juice

Accompaniments

• Burger buns of choice
• Optional Add-ins: thick slice of tomato/lettuce

Follow @dancingelephant_ayurveda Website: thedancingelephant.com

Divya Alter shares her love of healing foods. Joy of Balance, by Divya Alter; photography by Rachel Vanni (Rizzoli, 2022)

Divya Alter Wants you to Eat for How You Feel

Divya Alter is a pioneer of Ayurvedic cooking in the West, having taught over 20,000 students for the past 13 years, both in New York City and abroad. Born and raised in Bulgaria during the communist regime, Divya Alter found solace in her family’s garden – a lush haven bursting with fresh produce.

Discovering yoga in her teens, Alter embarked on a plant-based culinary journey in the serene environment of a yoga ashram in Bulgaria. Trading her novice kitchen skills for yoga lessons, she emerged not just as a yogi but as a master chef, infusing her dishes with plant-based goodness and age-old Ayurvedic wisdom. Consequently, Divya became a certified nutritional consultant, educator and chef in the Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda tradition.

Divya’s mission is to create awareness and education surrounding the secrets of Ayurvedic cooking, personalized health, and ultimate balance. In 2016, Alter cofounded Divya’s Kitchen, an award-winning plant-based restaurant in New York City that reimagines classic dishes through an Ayurvedic lens.

Divya’s brand has since expanded to include plant-based retail food products and educational videos. Alter is also the cofounder of Bhagavat Life, a nonprofit culinary school offering cooking classes and an Ayurvedic chef certification program. Alter is the author of two cookbooks: Joy of Balance: An Ayurvedic Guide to Cooking with Healing Ingredients; and What to Eat for How You Feel: The New Ayurvedic Kitchen.

Alter is dedicated in helping people find joy, nourishment and balance through food and creating awareness with the notion that the principles of Ayurveda in relation to food are universal.

“You can see the best doctors and take the best courses on Ayurveda, but when you go home, the most immediate application of knowledge comes down to the food you eat. How do you mix and toast the spices? How do you chop the vegetables and what cooking techniques do you use to protect their prana (life-force). What cookware do you need? How do you prepare a balanced meal for your family and friends who all have different doshas? People need answers in the kitchens.”

Connect with Divya Alter

Website: divyas.com

Instagram: divyas.nyc

Joy of Balance, by Divya Alter; photography by Rachel Vanni (Rizzoli, 2022)

Kitchari recipe from Joy of Balance, by Divya Alter

• 1/2 cup yellow split mung dal, rinsed, soaked in water for 30 to 60 minutes, rinsed again, and drained
• 1/2 cup white basmati or baby basmati rice, washed and drained
• 2 TBSP ghee or olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 6 fresh curry leaves or 2 dried cassia leaves
• 1 TBSP minced fresh ginger
• 1 small green Indian or Thai chile, seeded and minced
• 2 cups medium diced vegetables: carrots, zucchini, green beans, broccoli, daikon radish, asparagus, to name a few
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp ground fennel
• 2 handfuls chopped spinach, kale, chard, or arugula

Kitchari Garnishes

•  Olive oil or cultured ghee
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro, thyme, or basil leaves
• 1 slice of lime per serving

Khalo Founder Ankita Sankla

Khalo Makes Masala Bases for Everyone

Khalo, meaning “Let’s Eat” in Hindi, is a brand set to revolutionize the culinary world with a line of functional Indian masala cooking bases rooted in Ayurveda. Khalo is launching direct-to-consumer nationwide in Spring 2024.

Founder Ankita Sankla, a proud first-generation Indian American born in India and raised across various corners of the world, including San Francisco, London, New York, and New Jersey, originally enrolled at Rutgers University as an engineering student and quickly noticed her passion for business. Landing marketing roles at Lancôme, Dior, and Ayurvedic skincare startup Aavrani, Ankita’s transition to college life had unwittingly ushered in dietary changes, taking a toll on her gut health.

Her soul, however, remained tethered to the memories of her mother’s kitchen – a haven of spices, fresh ingredients, and age-old Ayurvedic wisdom. Ankita immersed herself in an Ayurvedic culinary school, aiming to share the magic of Ayurveda with the world, culminating in the idea of Khalo.

Ankita expresses, “I founded Khalo as a result of my personal health journey and the transformative experience of healing through the power of food and Ancient Ayurvedic Wisdom. I aspired to make the magic of Ayurveda accessible to the world, and Khalo was the realization of that vision. After all, how you eat, is how you live.”

Khalo has plans for a broad spectrum of innovative products. Their current offerings come in three distinct flavor profiles, Hot Take Masala, Gold Rush Masala, and Essential Masala. Every creation is deeply entrenched in Ayurvedic principles, promising not just taste, but holistic well-being. Think better digestion, a rejuvenated gut microbiome, and optimized nutrient absorption.

Khalo aims to redefine our relationship with food by highlighting a lifestyle that harmoniously intertwines health, taste, and ancient wisdom. Khalo’s masalas represent more than just powerful spices and ghee. They are an invitation to cook with love, eat with intention, and digest with ease. Steeped in quality and intent, Khalo is set to make Ayurveda an attainable and everyday experience for everyone.

Ayurvedic Ginger Spinach Recipe

• Serves 2
• Cook time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb baby spinach washed and roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and grated
• 2 small green chili chopped
• 2 TBSP Khalo Gold Rush Masala
• 1 cup of Basmati rice 2 TBS Ghee
• 1 TBSP Cumin seeds
• 1 TBSP Himalayan salt
• 2.5 cups of water

Ginger Spinach

• Add 1/2 tbs ghee to a sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add chopped ginger and green chili.
• Roughly chop the spinach and add to the pan gradually while mixing.

• Once all the spinach is wilted (4-5 minutes) add the Khalo Gold Rush Masala.

Cumin Rice

• Wash and soak basmati rice for 15-30 min.
• Add 1.5 tbs ghee to pot on medium heat and add cumin seeds.
• Once the cumin is sizzling add the water.
• Bring the water to a boil once it’s boiling add the washed and drained rice.
• Place the top of the pot on and reduce flame to low heat and cook for 12 minutes.
• Let the rice rest for 5 min before fluffing and serving

Connect with Khalo

Follow @khaloworld Website: khaloworld.com

Ayurvedic Wisdom and Wellness

Internationally renowned Ayurvedic healer, Vedic speaker and former president of The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, Acharya Shunya states in her book AYURVEDA Lifestyle Wisdom, “Ayurveda teaches us that true health is our birthright- and that by artfully adapting to the rhythms of nature, we can restore ourselves to balance and experience optimal well-being.”

Dr. Siva Mohan, founder of AyurvedabySiva and author of Ayurveda for Yoga Teachers and Students expresses, “Wellness is a lifestyle choice. One of my gifts is to show how you fit Ayurveda into the container of your modern urban life. And then, use it to change the container entirely.”

In the end, we are the guardians of that choice.

Lorena Tapiero

Lorena Tapiero is a first generation Colombian-American who has lived and worked in Los Angeles, New York City, and Dubai. Her global experience and perspective gives her a powerful lens to reflect on food, trends, and health and wellness. Lorena is a yoga therapist as well as a writer and longtime media professional.

www.considercoco.com

The post Aligning with Ancient Wisdom: Ayurvedic Living in Fast Times appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Ah, modern dating! Where technology, desire, love and emotions whirl together leaving us dazed, confused, occasionally exhilarated, ghosted, catfished, soft launched, cobwebbed or all of the above and more. To say that dating and the quest for connection has changed in today’s modern world, is an understatement. I mean, c’mon, it’s got its own vernacular.

From the historical, societal and cultural roles that men and women play, to the ways we connect and interact with potential partners, dating has undergone a major shift due to changing gender roles, the rise of the feminine, and technology. And, even though we are more connected than ever, are we making any real connections?

Connection is digital.

Dating apps have revolutionized the dating game by providing a convenient platform for people to connect and meet potential partners. They have expanded the dating pool worldwide and made it easier to find compatible matches, breaking geographical and social barriers — but not without consequence and a few kicks to your limbic system; the part of your brain that regulates emotion.

In the age of Bumble, Tinder, Hinge et al, it’s as simple as swiping left or right; or is it? Swiping through profile after profile (after profile) can feel like a never-ending buffet line; where you’re hoping to find that rare delicacy and taking a little bit of everything as you move through. But where does it end?

Is it any surprise that dating apps have actually altered the dynamics of human connection?

They have introduced new norms and behavior by encouraging a more superficial approach to dating; where initial judgments are often based on appearance and limited information. The focus seems more on physical attractiveness rather than compatibility, shared interests and similar intentions, like someone looking for casual sex versus an LTR, friends with benefits, etc… Does anyone even read these profiles before swiping right?

In our pixelated universe, intimacy has also taken on a whole new meaning.

Before even meeting a match in person, we find ourselves baring our souls (and other things) to virtual strangers, exchanging electronic sentiments, instead of whispering them into the warm ear of someone we’ve met and KNOW we want to connect with.

So, what IS human connection anyway?

On a rudimentary level, connection is chemical; the intricate play of biology and physiology that pretty much acts like a drug inside of us. Hormones such as oxytocin, known as the “bonding hormone,” play a crucial role in forming feelings of trust, intimacy, and attachment. We get a dose of oxytocin when we give or get good hugs! Neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine activate and influence our mood and reward systems, curating experiences of pleasure, and social bonding.

Connection also consists of emotional and psychological bonds that form between people that results in mutual understanding, empathy, and shared experiences, creating closeness, intimacy and eventually, love.

In doing research on the phenomenon of connection, I came across a book called, The Evolved Masculine by Destin Gerek, a relationship coach, certified sexologist, and founder of his company by the same name. The book’s tagline is: Be the Man the World Needs and the One She Craves?. I was intrigued.

As a woman on a spiritual path that has only deepened throughout the years, I am only interested in connecting with a man who fully embraces his evolved masculine self, his highest potential. A strong, self realized, self actualized man who is in the right relationship to his power and has the ability (and desire) for deep and sacred exchange. Needless to say, I was curious AF about this book.

In general, women seek emotional connection as a means of deepening relationships, weaving intricate tapestries of support and empathy. Men have historically faced societal expectations to suppress feelings and emotions and we’re seeing just how this plays out on the world stage.

Destin Gerek, who is dedicated to redefining and evolving masculinity for the 21st century says, “Our broken world does not need less masculine power, we need more men in the right relationship to their masculine power.” Amen.

While generalizations can never capture the full complexity of individuals, there are some distinct patterns that emerge in how men and women approach and experience connection.

With gender norms evolving and the growing Women’s Empowerment Movement, we have witnessed the rise of the feminine and the #MeToo movement, advocating against sexual harassment and assault, and promoting gender equality. More men are now embracing their emotional depth and authenticity, connecting with their inner worlds, tapping into their full presence, and the highest version of themselves.

Shift happens.

But, let’s face it, we can only connect with others as deeply as we connect to ourselves. We must embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness so we can truly understand our own desires, values, and boundaries. Delving into our own depths, we cultivate a sense of authenticity, self-love, self-acceptance, self-confidence and emotional intelligence, but it takes work. Time. Discipline and maybe, therapy.

Know thyself.

But, how can we begin to connect with ourselves deeply and authentically?

There are many ways. These include, but are not limited to:

• Meditation.
• Contemplation.
• Reflection.
• Silence.
• Yoga.
• Ecstatic dance.
• Prayer.
• Therapy.
• Breath work.
• Chanting.

These practices introduce so many physical and mental benefits, lowering stress, raising self awareness, and allowing for higher states of consciousness and connection to unfold.

Gerek has some ideas of his own.

Mindfulness.

He invites us to explore the realms of sensual embodiment, meaning ‘of the senses’, urging us to put down our Smartphones and step into the physical world of our five senses. The present moment. Now, where our deepest presence lies.

“Being present means not being in your mind chatter, not being in anxiety, fear, or fantasy. Presence means not worrying about the past or what has happened before, or being concerned about what might happen next.” Gerek writes.

“Being present is being IN your body and connected to your sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. When you are in your five senses, you are not in your mind. You are present in the moment, and women are incredibly attuned to this presence, even though many wouldn’t necessarily be able to articulate it.” Hmmmmmmmm…

Here’s where Gerek’s book really got me. He authored this text for men, to teach and inspire men to BE and become their best, most evolved selves yet as a woman reading it, these teachings revealed so much to me about the vast and lush psyche of a woman.

More intrigue.

Gerek knows and understands the entire spectrum of masculine energy. I actually felt a little voyeuristic peeking directly into this complex circuitry of man but it was Gerek’s understanding of FEMININE energy that spoke to something primordial in me.

Gerek states that, “women are primal huntresses for masculine presence.” I never knew how to verbalize this innate, archetypal dynamic, but he just did. He says that as a man, if you want to “open a woman into the fullness of her desire—wet, hot, hungry and coming back for more (and not just for sex but for you and your heart, as well)—you need to build your capacity for presence. Women want and crave a man who is willing to invest in himself on all levels so that his very presence and beingness invites her to unfold into her most alive and exalted expression. She wants her own actualization to blossom into the fullness of who she is capable of becoming.”

Now that’s connection.

See, in her highest expression, the evolved feminine embodies a depth of qualities that transcend societal expectations. Embracing her sensuality, she celebrates her body as a vessel of joy and creativity. She is a catalyst for change, using her voice and her unique perspective to create a more compassionate and equitable world. She embraces her nurturing nature for others, also honoring her own well-being. She is in touch with her emotions and embraces vulnerability as a source of strength.

The evolved feminine values connection and collaboration, fostering inclusive and supportive relationships. The evolved masculine embodies a range of qualities that extend beyond traditional stereotypes. He embraces his strength, and emotional resilience, cultivating presence, self-awareness and introspection. This allows him to understand and navigate his own emotions and those of others with empathy and compassion.

The evolved masculine balances assertiveness with receptivity, knowing when to take action and when to listen. He values integrity and authenticity, choosing honesty and transparency in his interactions, respecting boundaries and creating a safe space for others to express themselves, especially women.

These archetypal aspects of feminine and masculine energy, the very universal laws that move the stars and the planets, the Yin and Yang of it all that ensures all things in the universe remain in constant harmony and motion, elicit the perfect landscape for true intimacy and exchange.

Connection is a choice.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love technology and dating apps serve their purpose, but in a world where someone new is a just swipe away and grass is proverbially greener on the other side, the plethora of options contributes to the paradox of choice, making it harder for individuals to commit and invest in a single person.

With a seemingly infinite pool of potential partners at our fingertips, we can become trapped in an endless loop of “What if?” and “Could there be someone better out there?” diminishing our abilities to connect with anyone at all.

Gerek teaches that commitment and choice are not enemies. It’s about knowing yourself and finding that rare person who makes you want to hide or delete your dating profile and take a leap into something deeper, more profound.

Connection is a gift.

One that could last a moment, a night or a lifetime. You could be on the other side of the world at a conference and meet a beautiful soul that changes your life, serving as a mirror and a catalyst for transformation: A Twin Flame…But, that’s a whole other article.

Ultimately, connection is an inside job, because the best relationship you could ever have is the one with yourself. As we learn to navigate and evolve our own emotional intimacy, we can live our best lives, our highest expression and share it with others for the good of all. Our world needs this. And so it is…

Rossana Jeran

Rossana Jeran is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hello Computer, Inc., a social purpose company that is passionate about creating Mobile Apps that blur the lines of education and entertainment. They are the creators of the award-winning “StoryTime International” Mobile app, that translates and reads aloud in 137 languages, promoting literacy and imagination for Preschoolers, Kindergarteners and early readers worldwide. She studied Psychology and Communications at the University of Missouri, Kansas City and is a social Entrepreneur. Her diverse background includes social work, arts management, philanthropy, private equity, the dotcom Tech industry and Hollywood; by way of her work with music industry legend, Freddy DeMann, former Manager of Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Eagles, Billy Idol, Perry Farrell, Macy Gray and Shakira. Rossana is a published writer, a public speaker, an award winning Media Artist and bi-lingual, speaking Spanish fluently as a second language. Most recently she spoke at the Los Angeles County Women’s Leadership Conference (2022), the World Literacy Summit (2023) at Oxford University in the UK and most recently featured as a rising Entrepreneur in Vision Magazine, a subsidiary of Palm Springs Life Magazine. Her work as the Business Manager of Grand Arts (The Margaret Hall Silva Foundation) exposed her to the non-profit sector, managing the organization’s business, budget and philanthropic affairs while producing shows for some of the best National and International visual Artists every eight weeks. In 2010 she founded Fit Conscious Happy, a lifestyle coaching practice that guides people to reach their highest potential using fitness and Meditation for complete mind/body wellness. Rossana is certified by the Chopra Institute as a Primordial Sound Meditation Teacher and teaches Mindset and Mindfulness meditation online as well as in and around Southern California and beyond. A true and well-balanced dichotomy, Rossana balances her life between entrepreneurial work, and her passion for helping people. She believes literacy, imagination and technology are human rights. More info: www.rossanajeran.com

rossanajeran.com

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How to Build Your Digestive Fire using Ayurvedic Techniques

How does Ayurveda define our body’s digestive fire?

Agni is responsible for the following.

• Skin health
• Digestion
• Temperature
• Vision
• Blood health
• Confidence
• Courage
• Joy
• Laughter
• Cheerfulness
• Mental clarity
• Intellect

Ayurveda advises us that the health of our agni is directly related to the following.

• Overall strength and vitality
• Our disease resistance
• Longevity
• Our very existence of life

Without a balanced agni, how could we possess the vital energy needed to lead a life of purpose?

Increasing Qualities of Agni

• Light
• Hot
• Dry
• Penetrating/Sharp

Decreasing Qualities of Agni

• Heavy
• Cold
• Wet
• Bland/Dull

Simple Ways you can Build your Digestive Fire

How do I know if my digestive fire is functioning well?

How do I regulate and build my digestive fire?

Eat all three meals at the same time each day.

What if I intermittently fast or skip meals?

What can I do to improve my digestive fire?

• You can drink a warm 8 ounce glass of water upon waking up with a squeeze of lemon to activate your digestive system for the day ahead.
• You can also put 1/3 tsp of each seed (cumin, coriander, and fennel) in 8 ounce hot water and drink this tea 30 minutes before each meal to stimulate digestion.
• Eat your food well seasoned with spices like pepper, ginger, cardamom, coriander, fennel, turmeric, nutmeg, clove, celery seed, cumin. These herbs have specific properties that not only increase digestive fire, but also mineral absorption. Using spices also helps stimulate your appetite.

What foods should I be eating to build my digestive fire?

• It is best to stick with easy-to-digest foods that are warm, moist, well-seasoned, freshly prepared, and produce that is in season.
• Raw vegetables are difficult for your body to digest and can actually decrease your digestive fire if eating in excess. According to the Ayurvedic teachings around digestion,  it is often best to eat vegetables that are lightly steamed or sauteed.

What should I avoid eating?

Different foods have different rates of breakdown, and therefore it is not recommended to eat fruits with any other food items. This is also why melons should be eaten solo and not accompanied by even other fruits. Some incompatible foods are dairy with meat, fruits, or sour foods. In fact, meat is best eaten with only steamed or sauteed vegetables, avoid eating with rice, other proteins, and starches as they are difficult to digest.

How should I be eating my food?

• Proper digestion relies on having the space within your stomach to go through the transformation process.
• Eat until you are half full, one quarter filled with room temperature water, and one quarter empty.
• Avoid eating and drinking cold items at meals, as this will reduce the agnis ability to digest your meal.
• About one of your hands made into a fist represents ½ of your stomach size and the approximate amount that will sustain our body.
• Eat your meals in a silent space with no distractions.
• Be sure that you are sitting for the duration of your meal.
• Make your meal time a ritual that gives the highest respect to the foods you are nourishing with and your intention behind eating those foods.
• After meals, avoid immediate activity and create a least 20 minutes of intentional rest so that your body can focus all its energy on digesting the meal you just consumed.

There are endless ways to cultivate, maintain, and embody an optimal internal fire.

When your digestive system is thriving, you will have the power and drive you need to show up as your highest self.

Leading a successful life starts with a strong physical fire.

Embrace your inner fire one meal at a time.

Are you ready to build your internal fire through empowered living?

Shanel Miller

Shanel holds an Ayurvedic Practitioner Certificate from the Southern California University of Health Science with over 2000 hours working in the clinical setting including Pançakarma therapies, mentoring under skilled and experienced Ayurvedic Vaidyas (doctors). She has been serving her community through yoga, Ayurveda, body therapies, and the healing sciences for over 10 years. She is the owner of Cali Veda LLC ayurveda wellness for intentional living and offers coaching, consultation, and educational workshops.

Shanel developed a deeply personal and intimate relationship with yoga ?sana 20 years ago. Being immersed in a culture of “sev?” and community-centered approach  she created an integrative yoga experience for K-12 students. When working with students and the community as a whole, she guides participants to develop their own relationship with their body outside of the “modern” social setting of a yoga studio through simple and approachable movements. Her service is rooted in inclusive opportunities for underserved communities. Shanel has facilitated multiple retreats and out of the country experiences for groups.

www.caliveda.com

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Seasonal Ayurveda: Fall Energetics and Healthy Habits

Did you know that Autumn is a great time of transition? In fact, we move from summer’s expansive energy to winter’s contractile energy without even knowing it. This is the time to incorporate healthy Ayurvedic hacks for seasonal wellness.

From my advanced studies in Ayurveda (the 5,000-year-old ancient holistic science that originated in India) to experience as an Intuitive Health & Life Coach, I incorporate Ayurveda Fall Energetics to better position my clients, and myself, to thrive during seasonal changes.

In Ayurveda, every season is associated with an element. During Autumn, air and ether become the strongest elements in our environment. In principle, air and ether are inherently cold, dry, mobile, and light. Picture the leaves falling in the wind. The autumnal yellows, oranges and reds momentarily painting the crisp blue sky and then settling onto the earth below. Imagine the wind in your hair, blowing across your face and brushing up against your skin.

Ayurvedic Hacks for Autumn Health

From the ancient Ayurveda teachings, we learn that Autumn is the time to reset your body as well as your boundaries. I suggest that clients create a strong and self-loving container for themselves. As you may know, boundaries solidify and strengthen what is within. By setting healthy boundaries and daily structure, we are able to better contain the mobile air and ether energy that otherwise would drive us crazy. Using the following Ayurvedic hacks for better health are key to thriving this season and throughout the year.

7 Ayurveda Tips for the Fall Season

1. Favor Warm Foods

Substantive, oily, nourishing foods that are high in protein, high in fat, brought to life with warming, stimulating spices, and served hot, will go a long way toward maintaining your internal reserves of moisture and keeping you grounded through the season.

Some of the best warming food choices include the following.

• Sweet, sour, and salty tastes.
• Cooked grains, steamed vegetables, hearty grains, soups, and stews are grounding and moisturizing.
• Dairy products and all nuts and seeds are also beneficial for adding healthy fats.

2. Change Your Exercise Routine

While seasonally-appropriate exercise isn’t really a concept in the US, Ayurveda recommends that you adjust your workouts according to nature. In fall, your strength may be a little lower so our capacity to exercise could be decreased. During fall, slower and more gentle exercise is best for the body. Fast and intense workouts or any kind of erratic physical movement could be scaled back at this time. One of the best workouts for this season is yoga, especially a grounding yin yoga or hatha practices.

3. Make Time For Yourself.

While the well-known Italian quote “ Il dolce far nulla” (the art of doing nothing) isn’t really embodied in the American culture, in Ayurveda too much activity or stimulation during fall season can derange the energy known as vata. It is important to slow down and take more time to bask in the sun, meditate, practice pranayama, or take a short walk outside can keep your vata in check.

4. Oil Up

Massage your skin with warm, organic sesame oil or with herbal oil. This will help you calm your nervous system, awaken your tissues, and ground your energy by massaging your skin. Follow this practice with a warm, relaxing shower, leaving a coat of oil on the skin to absorb throughout the day. Steam baths and humidifiers can help preserve internal moisture as well.

5. Dress For The Season

An essential Ayurvedic hack is to dress for the season. Wear autumn colors when appropriate — reds, yellows, oranges, and whites — and wear enough clothes that you stay warm throughout the day. When you step out into the elements, cover your head and ears to protect them from the biting wind and cold.

6. Maintain Consistency

While many of us rebel at the idea of routine, the body craves and needs routine and rhythm. You don’t need to restrict yourself to the same exact pattern day in and day out, but try to do the same things (wake up, exercise, eat meals, go to bed, etc.) at roughly the same times each day. Set the tone for your day by rising early, taking full advantage of the silence, stillness, and peace that are intrinsic to the early morning hours — somewhere along the lines of 10:00 p.m. — 6:00 a.m. This kind of regularity tames vata so that your nervous system is relaxed, your digestion is strong, and your energy is stable.

7. Perform A Cleanse

The transition of the season to fall signals “rejuvenation” in Ayurveda. Not only is rejuvenation beneficial for mitigating current imbalances, it also helps prevent future illness. Ayurvedic rejuvenation involves gentle cleansing and restorative actions, including a combination of dietary guidelines, herbal formulations and supplements.

More Holistic Living Tips

If you want to learn more, find me TikTok, Instagram, or my website,
LoveHolisticLiving.com.

Sara Garofalo

With her deep Italian roots and passion for healthy cooking, Sara Garofalo’s cookbook, Mangia, is being released in January 2023. Sara is the Founder of Love Holistic Living, Intuitive Health and Life Coach, Ayurveda Counselor & Energy Healer. She moved to California from Italy in 2018 and is a mom of 2 young children.

www.loveholisticliving.com/

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Mohonk Mountain House: A Wellness Destination in the Hudson Valley

Located in the Hudson Valley just 90 minutes north of New York City and surrounded by thousands of acres of woodlands and miles of hiking trails, Mohonk Mountain House is a Victoria Castel resort that has been owned by the Smiley family for 150 plus years.

We spoke with Nina Smiley, Director of Mindfulness Programming to find out more about what this famous and unique resort offers and how she works elements of wellness into her own life.

How long have you been with Mohonk Mountain House, and what do you do with this property?

I have been with Mohonk Mountain House for 32 years, and I am the Director of Mindfulness Programming. Mindfulness Meditation at Mohonk Mountain House is all about sharing “modern mindfulness” with guests, coaching them in how to bring the benefits of a meditation practice into real-life.

Our classes at Mohonk are based on a book I wrote, The Three Minute Meditator, and which teaches guests how to work with mindfulness so that it will be available in real-time, as needed. I teach classes, private sessions, and lead weekend programs several times each year.

Our mindful eating program, Never Diet Again, is an immersion into a new relationship to food.

In a recent addition to our offerings, I lead “Forest Bathing” walks where I integrate mindfulness with nature in our inspirational setting. These forest bathing experiences are a guided opportunity to be fully present in the moment exploring the nuances of sensory awareness on trails that lead us through the woods alongside timeless cliffs around a pristine mountain lake.

Classes on Mindfulness and Relationships are offered at our Couples Weekends for an experience where partners can learn and share a new perspective.

There are so many hotels, resorts, retreats and tour operators offering wellness programs and packages – tell us a bit about Mohonk Mountain House, and what are the main points of distinction?

Mohonk Mountain House is a Victorian Castle Resort that combines the charm of an old-world aesthetic with modern amenities. It has been family-owned and operated by the Smiley family for 153 years, and we greet guests with a warm “Welcome to our House.”

Our mission has always been to offer re-creation and renewal of body, mind, and spirit in a beautiful natural setting. Mohonk is set on 40,000 acres of woodland in the Shawangunk Mountains with 85 miles of hiking trails on our doorstep. The setting is an invitation to step outdoors and be nurtured by nature. A main point of distinction is the way Mohonk uses the outdoors for well-being, offering complimentary walks with our naturalist, guided hikes, and a spa that delights in wellness-without-walls.

Our award-winning spa just opened the Lakeview Summerhouse where guests enjoy treatments outdoors overlooking the lake in a cliff-top area where mindfulness and massage services invite guests to relax into the moment in a very special way. A new outdoor Lakeside Immersion fall activity features contrast therapy: a cold plunge into Lake Mohonk to invigorate, followed by yoga nestled in a warm room.

Another point of distinction is that our rates are inclusive of meals and complimentary activities where guests can create their own well-being “sampler” experience.

What pandemic-inspired policies and procedures has (Mohonk) implemented to keep travelers healthy and safe?

Our protocols for cleanliness have always been at the highest level and remain at the highest level as we keep our travelers healthy and safe in these challenging times.

What does Mohonk offer that might attract a potential visitor like the readers of LA Yoga?

Mohonk Mountain House is an iconic Hudson Valley resort, where there are so many things to do. We have daily classes that include yoga, meditation, singing bowls, and fitness modalities.

Our yoga and mindfulness weekends are full immersion. As rates include meals, many of the daily activities, and evening entertainment, guests are able to relax without having to think about the details that go into planning the logistics of a vacation. It’s a seamless integration of wonderful, healthy food prepared by award-winning chefs, a wide range of activities that include seasonal lake swimming, boating, archery, tomahawk throwing, disc golf and tennis, with horseback riding, golf and the full-service newly refreshed 30,000-square foot spa.

Winter features 35 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails, ice-skating and snowshoeing. Many of our rooms have wood-burning fireplaces perfect for snuggling on a winter night.

We like to say that Mohonk is about “options” and that you can be as busy or relaxed as you want to be. This means enjoying a sense of spaciousness where you can relax, renew, and refresh in your own way in your own time.

How do you incorporate wellness into your own daily life?

I go outdoors to be in nature as often as I can and I call upon my senses one at a time.

I begin by closing my eyes and experiencing the sense of touch as I notice the fresh air on my skin. Then I become aware of the sense of smell, and take in the sounds that surround me. When I open my eyes, I invite myself to “see with new eyes”, without a filter of thought. I notice the colors, shapes, and textures of the natural world and it’s almost as if the channel has changed and colors are brighter, shapes are more distinct, textures are more visible.

This process of deepening awareness takes me outside of myself as I connect with the natural world in a deeper way. I feel a sense of spaciousness that nurtures me.

What are some of the top wellness trends you are seeing at Mohonk Mountain House?

People are very interested in being outdoors and are increasingly understanding the value of being nurtured by nature. There’s also an interest in learning more about things that can be brought home and practiced, including yoga, mindfulness and tips from our massage therapists and fitness instructors. There’s a trend towards understanding the value of self-care and a commitment to practicing it.

Do you feel technology is important as it pertains to wellness, and if yes, how and why?

I think technology can be helpful as an entry point to wellness. I also think that it’s not the whole story because technology can be a distraction from the actual practicing of wellness activities. I would prefer to see tech as an opportunity for a beginning, that then becomes an opportunity to customize well-being for oneself and take “self-care” wherever it needs to go.

Wellness is an ongoing process that needs to be dynamic based on changing needs, changing circumstances, changing seasons. Learning to tune in to one’s own body is nuanced, and it’s important to remember that you are the expert on yourself, without relying overly on technology.

Do you and, if yes, how do you incorporate the local community or culture into the programming at Mohonk?

We work with local farms and incorporate farm-to-table best practices into our cuisine. We have an active relationship with our local art community and hold artists’ events and programming at the Mountain House throughout the year. On property, we have remarkable gardens and invite local colleges to have their students work on sculptures that go into our gardens to incorporate young people’s excitement and creativity for our guests to enjoy.

We host an annual Gingerbread Competition during the holiday season and donate proceeds from this event to our local food bank.

What is your final note of advice for living your best life?

It’s very simple. Remember to breathe! We get so busy at times that we forget the calmness and joy that can come with a full gentle breath in, and a full gentle breath out. Also, remember to recognize and enjoy small moments of happiness and nurture this awareness. Creating an inclusive sense of satisfaction and well-being within the fabric of life is an on-going opportunity for self-care, rather than waiting for “something big” to feel good about.

Anne Dimon

Co-Founder and President /CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association, Anne Dimon has been a travel writer and industry journalist for close to 25 years, and has traveled the world as a columnist/contributor to a variety of publications. Anne is also Owner/ Editor of TravelToWellness.com launched in 2004 as the first online magazine/resource for the wellness-minded traveler. Prior to her life as a journalist, Anne was president of her own public relations company specializing in hospitality. She has also worked in the hotel industry as a director of public relations. An acknowledged wellness travel expert and industry consultant, Anne is also the co-author of The Travel Institute’s new Wellness Travel Specialist Course.

www.TravelToWellness.com

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The Art and Science of Affirmations that Work for You

You may cringe when you hear the words, “think positive.” Especially when things are tough! I know I recoil when I hear snippets of positivity that seem to me a form of spiritual bypassing. However, I’ve learned to embrace the practice of positive affirmations after learning and experiencing their benefits.

We will talk about the how and why of creating personally meaningful positive affirmations that work for you.

In the process, watch yourself evolve and thrive, as you add them to your repertoire of spiritual and personal growth practices.

The practice of reciting affirmations reflects the confluence of yoga philosophy and modern psychology, with backup by neuroscience.

 

My Story of Positive Affirmations

I’ve been including affirmations and intentions in my personal spiritual practice for over a decade now. While some life events have seemed like a “magical” unfoldment of my affirmations, looking back I can see how the positive statements I crafted for myself guided me in making choices and decisions. Perhaps some of these even allowed the magical and serendipitous into my life.

Besides bringing in new and welcome experiences, the practices of affirmations and intentions helped me grow as a person.

The practice of positive affirmations has helped me embody empowering qualities and traits and enabled me to outgrow or transcend limited beliefs.

To me, this personal growth is the most valuable part of the practice, even more than the “magical” things that have unfolded in my life. The practice of positive affirmations in alignment with my core self and values has created lasting change that prompts continued progress in the path of pursuing my dreams and desires.

More important than “manifesting” a desired object, experience, or relationship, the greatest benefit of using affirmations and intentions in daily life has been becoming a person highly aware of and living in integrity with my core self and values.

Affirmations that Work as a Form of Self-Empowerment

Affirmations and intentions are a form of self-empowerment. that cultivates personal growth and change through enlisting the psyche as well as the mind-body connection, using conscious thought to override the often limiting belief system of the subconscious.

Affirmations give us the opportunity to articulate our values and sense of self and “rewrite the script” of core beliefs.

This helps us direct our actions and choices, and sets us up to receive new and positive opportunities.

We can use this for exponential positive change.

Mahatma Gandhi distilled the process with his famous inspirational words. “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.”

The Psychology of Affirmations that Work

One of the key psychological theories related to positive affirmations is “self-affirmation theory” proposed by Claude Steele in 1988. This theory elucidates that people, across cultures and historical periods, are motivated to maintain self-integrity, or a perception of themselves as good, virtuous, and able to influence important outcomes.

As two professors from Stanford and UCSB explain, our sense of self-efficacy and self-integrity can be maintained by telling ourselves what we believe or value (aka positive affirmations). “Affirmations have been shown to improve education, health, and relationship outcomes, with benefits that sometimes persist for months and years. Like other interventions and experiences, self-affirmations can have lasting benefits when they touch off a cycle of adaptive potential, a positive feedback loop … that propagates adaptive outcomes over time” (Cohen & Sherman).

Self-affirmations help people “maintain the integrity of the self, a global sense of personal adequacy.” When people write about core personal values in their affirmations, the “intervention” of self-affirmations “bring about a more expansive view of the self and its resources.”

Through self-affirmation, we create and maintain a narrative about ourselves in which we are flexible, moral, and capable. We create our self-identity as an ever-evolving and growing person adopting a range of identities and roles, while remaining true to an inner system of core values.

If our sense of self can evolve and change, our definition of success can also evolve … which serves our growth.

Enicia Fisher Shares Her Love of Affirmations

A Personal Story of Affirmations

When I was 15, my definition of success was winning the election for Junior Class President and making a lot of friends. A few decades later, I define success as the freedom to engage in work that is authentic to my core values while receiving compensation commensurate to the quality of my offerings, my skills and experience.

I may not have all the things that others in my social circles would label “success” at this stage in life. (Such as owning a house, driving a luxury car, et cetera.). But I’m able to reframe my situation with the acknowledgment that I have a lot of freedom in my life, which is one of my core values.

This is the psychology of self-affirmations at work.

I can choose to articulate it in the following way. “I enjoy freedom and success as I engage in meaningful work, and I receive abundant compensation commensurate with my skills and experience.” This positive affirmation helps me override the beliefs of limitation, financial insecurity, and fears of the future.

Affirmations can help override negative self-talk or self-sabotaging beliefs.

• Affirmations can potentially help us “re-write” the subconscious patterning by replacing them with more empowering narratives.
• Self-affirmation theory confirms that my ability to view aspects of myself as positive allows me to adapt to different situations.
• Adaptability is an asset working in today’s culture of constant change and the sometimes dramatic upheavals we are all experiencing.
• Affirmations can help us integrate new ways of thinking, which is the premise of cognitive restructuring in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Next time you meet with your therapist, ask about co-creating a positive affirmation as a tool in addressing a thought pattern that makes you feel limited!

The Neuroscience of Affirmations

Besides the research of psychologists, neuroscientists acknowledge that positive affirmations can affect the brain itself. According to a study published by Oxford University, MRIs suggest that certain neural pathways are activated when people practice self-affirmations (Cascio et al).

Affirmations engage parts of the human brain that process positive valuation, information about our self, and rewards. People who use affirmations show increased activity in neural networks, especially when reflecting on core values and when related to the future.

The “neuroplasticity” of the brain can further amplify the results of self-affirmation by reinforcing a positive outlook on life.

Yoga Philosophy and Affirmations

People who practice yoga love it when modern psychology and science “backs up” the teachings of the ancient philosophy and teachings of yoga. Setting an intention is a common practice in yoga classes. But the practice of positive affirmations also derives from the focus on development of self-awareness, the foundation of yogic wisdom.

Yoga originally developed as a practice and way of life based on becoming aware of one’s inner self and finding equanimity amidst the ever-changing fluctuation of thoughts and emotions.

The primary purpose of yoga asana practice is to allow a person to “take a seat.” This leads to meditation and stillness. The intention behind asana and meditation within the yoga tradition of India is to cultivate inner equanimity and observation of thought patterns, while discovering the essence of self, or identity.

This inner awareness is a foundation for mental health and well-being. When a person is familiar with who they are at their core, their essential self, they can notice when they are off-track or “out of alignment” with their self and values.

Awareness is the first step for self-regulation.

Affirmations are one of the many practices, along with asana, breathwork, meditation and mindfulness, that help us come back “home” to our essential self, our values and purposes.

Psychotherapist and yoga teacher Gretchen Suarez explains it further: Yoga gives a person “the chance to explore personal and psychological patterns and … the opportunity to establish and cultivate a relationship with their inner awareness…. A yoga practice will certainly improve the look and health of your body, but the true benefit is becoming aware of who you are and know, accept, and love yourself unconditionally.”

What are Affirmations?

The definition of affirmations gives a clue as to why they are so powerful.

Simply put, an affirmation is a positive phrase or statement that is used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.

The Psychology Dictionary describes affirmations, in the context of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as “a brief phrase which is spoken again and again…to plant seeds of happy and positive notions, conceptions, and attitudes into one’s psyche.”

Psychologists note that the most effective affirmations are created by a person for themselves and reflect their particular values and identity (Sherman). Affirmations give people the opportunity to identify their core self and values–who they are, who they want to become, what is important to them, what really matters in the larger context of life.

Affirmations are not just superficial self-esteem boosters. They give a person a chance to regain perspective and confidence that they can overcome challenges.

How do Affirmations Work?

Positive affirmations put the spotlight on a person’s sense of adequacy and values. Affirmations affect motivation and can set in motion a series of events that reinforce the feeling of self-adequacy. Affirmations assist in big accomplishments and small everyday acts, which can have large effects over time.

When applied to challenging situations, affirmations can ease stress and help a person make positive choices. A person’s confidence in their ability to overcome future challenges grows and contributes to a person’s “self-reinforcing narrative” (Cohen et al).

Affirmations do not take away a challenge or stressor. But they help a person place it in a larger context so they can rise to the occasion and find more creative solutions to problems. This may make events seem less stressful, while also helping a person focus on their priorities, which can create a self-reinforcing cycle of positive change.

Affirmations also help people learn from their mistakes and reassure people that they have integrity and are “okay” despite the adversity they may be facing.

Affirmations give people confidence to approach problems instead of avoiding or giving up. Practicing them can reinforce a person’s self-concept as someone who can overcome difficulties successfully.

Affirmations help a person construct a self-narrative of adequacy.

This in turn strengthens their confidence and resolve for the next adversity, which then reinforces the narrative of adequacy and success.

In this way, affirmations can have significant and long-term effects. When affirmations reinforce psychological processes, their effects can grow over time and can even bring about a turning point that sets off a series of reciprocally reinforcing events, creating a positive feedback loop that can increase a person’s potential (Cohen et al).

As seen with students and athletes, affirmations not only help a person’s performance and self-assessment, but also affect others’ positive expectations of them. This can create an additional positive feedback and reward system, and bringing more opportunities.

Affirmations have proven to have lasting benefits in education, health, and relationships. These are areas where problems typically emerge over time and grow when unaddressed.

Affirmations can trigger a positive cycle or interrupt a negative one. The interactive processes of using positive affirmations (even if done by only one person in a relationship!) can bring about positive and lasting change in academic and career performance, health, and the quality of relationships (Wilson & Linville).

Benefits of Affirmations

Research from psychology and neuroscience suggests that the practice of positive self-affirmations offers many benefits. Positive affirmations are shown to have the following benefits.

• Decrease stress and improved health and well-being.
• Increase rates of physical exercise.
• Ability for us to face challenges with less resistance and more success.
• Make us less likely to dismiss or avoid health concerns.
• Encourage us to make positive behavioral changes. These can include, but are not limited to exercising, quitting smoking, or eating more fruit and vegetables.
• Boost achievement in education and career.
• Help us cope with illness, maintain hopefulness, and improve recovery.
• Lessen rumination and other harmful thinking, including negative self-talk.
• Empower us to make better life choices.
• Help us postpone short-term gratifications for the sake of long-term goals.
• Reduce our tendency to linger on negative experiences and instead encourage an optimistic mindset.

Putting it into Practice: How to Craft Affirmations that Work for You

We know what affirmations are. We have endorsement from psychology professors and ancient yoga philosophy, along with backing by neuroscience, and we know the benefits.

Like yoga, affirmation practice is not an out-of-the-box, one-size-fits-all practice.

The affirmations that work for one person may not work for you. Not everyone shares the same values or has the same priorities and goals.

How do we craft our own affirmations that will work?

While an affirmation might seem like magical thinking, the key factor to its efficacy is that it helps a person identify and align with their core self and values. It affirms who a person is (or strives to be) in terms of their abilities, values, relationships, and life goals.

Affirmations are more successful when they are focused on what a person wants to do, who they want to be or become, or what qualities they will embody.

Some Basic Tips for Crafting Affirmations that Work

1. Keep it Positive

Effective affirmations are stated in a positive way of what one wants to be or experience, rather than fixated on the past, on a negative, or on what one wishes to avoid.

2. Be Specific and Clear

Be clear rather than vague. But avoid fixating on specific things or certain events (or even people). For example, instead of “I am happy to drive my new luxury electric car,” a more effective affirmation might be, “I enjoy a life of luxury and ecological awareness.”

3. Keep it Simple

Write an affirmation that is brief and easy to remember. Choose no more than 1-2 sentences. Use everyday language.

How to Begin a Daily Affirmation Practice

Identify the core values that resonate most with you.

Ask yourself some of the following question to get started on identifying your core values.

• Do you value freedom over security, or vice versa?
• Do you identify most with compassion and generosity, or persistence and power?
• How do you define your true nature?
• Are there particular strengths you wish to draw upon and activate in your daily life?
• What qualities do you equate with success?
• What is most important or worthwhile to you?

Write your affirmation in a positive statement incorporating the core values you wish to access.

• You may wish to include targeted actions you will take and positive emotions to reinforce a positive mindset.

Create a daily practice to recite your affirmations.

• At least once in the morning and once in the evening is a good goal.
• See if you can incorporate your affirmation into something you already do on a daily basis. For example, recite it as you wait for your morning brew, while you walk the dog, or after brushing your teeth.
• Try to feel your affirmations–what emotions or sensations arise? Do you feel a full-body, full-hearted YES? Feel it fully!
• Visualize yourself fully embodying the affirmation. What are you doing? What kind of person are you becoming? As you are in this process, what life events are taking place? Picture the goals you will achieve.
• Express gratitude. Give thanks ahead of time for the good you will receive as this affirmation comes to fruition (more on this topic in my article, Gratitude as a Spiritual Practice).
• Reflect and revise. If the affirmation doesn’t “light you up,” try writing it differently. If it “gets old,” freshen it up with some new wording or write a new affirmation.

Pro Tips for Affirmation Success

• Journal about your affirmation, its process and your progress.
• Incorporate your affirmation into a daily meditation or contemplation practice.
• Make it available and/or make it pretty. Write your affirmation on a sticky note and post it on your desk or mirror. Print it in an attractive font and hang it on your fridge. Write yourself a “love note” inside an eye-catching card with your affirmation. Write your affirmation on a piece of watercolor paper painted with vibrant colors. Place your affirmation on a vision board (see my article, How to Create a Vision Board that Really Works).
• Recite your affirmation in front of the mirror for additional self-reinforcement.
• Incorporate affirmations into your goal-setting and see if you achieve the action steps more effortlessly.
• Practice your affirmations regularly and consistently over a period of time if you want to make lasting changes, especially when confronting an old thought pattern.
• Keep an expectant attitude and watch for opportunities and synchronicities that bring your affirmation to life.
• Have fun and enjoy the process and your affirmations will begin to work for you.

Make your affirmation something you can believe and embody.

You want your affirmation to feel true for you, and not something completely opposite to your belief system. If you are challenging a particular limiting belief, make your affirmation a bridge statement that can help you “step up” to what you want to integrate into your mindset.
A good check for affirmation success.

Make sure that instead of having your inner voice reply, “Yeah, right!” your inner self replies “Oh, yes!” to your affirmation. You can also tune in to your body to see if your energy seems to shrink or expand with your chosen affirmation, and adjust accordingly.

A popular reinforcement to repeat after an affirmation is “And so it is!” Another option can be, “Thank you, Universe!”

Get Started with Writing Affirmations that Work

Back to psychology, Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., developed the Internal Family Systems model to help clients become aware of the core self and its values. He identified key traits such as compassion, connectedness, creativity, patience, and persistence. People who express these qualities are more likely to have a positive mindset, greater well-being, and higher levels of success in life.

Here are some affirmations based on the Internal Family Systems which I wrote as examples. Please feel free to adapt and try them out!

1. Calmness. “I am calm and serene throughout my day.”
2. Creativity. “I am a creative being and infuse my life and work with creativity.”
3. Clarity. “My inner clarity guides me to make empowering decisions.
4. Curiosity. “I can be curious and expand my perspective.”
5. Courage. “I have the courage it takes to follow through.”
6. Compassion. “Compassion brings me greater peace and understanding.”
7. Connectedness. “I enjoy meaningful connection with friends and family.”
8. Presence. “I am fully present to my loved ones when we spend time together.”
9. Patience. “I have an infinite reserve of patience within.”
10. Perspective. “My true nature provides me with greater perspective.”
11. Persistence. “I have the persistence to follow through on what is important to me.”
12. Playfulness. “I can be playful and lighthearted.”

Many people wish to start with affirmations related to self-acceptance. If you think about it, how can you be in touch with your inner self and your core values if you don’t first accept yourself, flaws and all?

Examples using cognitive behavioral therapy to reverse negative core beliefs.

1. By being myself, I bring happiness to myself and others.
2. Through courage and dedication, I meet my goals and set myself up for success.
3. My desires and goals are worth the investment of my energy and resources.
4. I admire and respect myself and I love who I am becoming.
5. I am grateful to have unlimited resources available to me at all times.
6. My body is amazing just the way it is, and I accept and honor myself by taking good care of it.
7. I contribute to positive change in the world by following my unique purpose.
8. I surround myself with loving and supportive people who bring out the best in me.

Inspire Yourself with Affirmations that Work!

I hope you are feeling as inspired and motivated to incorporate affirmations into your life as I am!

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below as you put it into practice. And I look forward to sharing affirmation practices with like-minded people like you on our next retreat in November.

Enicia Fisher

Enicia Fisher loves to hold sacred space for healing and transformative experiences by guiding people to come home to their body, breath, Nature, and Spirit. She has been curating, hosting, and offering healing retreats since 2012 in the US and Mexico. Founder of Sanadora Sanctuary Retreats and Sanadora Yoga International Teacher Training Program, Enicia has taught yoga since 2005 and has been practicing yoga personally since 2000. She loves yoga because of its mind-body approach and because of the healing power of integrating all aspects of being through the wide range of yogic practices: body, emotions, mind, soul, spirit, philosophy and mindset, and lifestyle practices.

Enicia created and leads Heart Alignment Yoga? and “heartfulness” meditation with an emphasis on Divine heart qualities and life-affirming yoga philosophy that inspires people to live with a deeper connection to their own heart, body, and spirit.
Enicia has a Master’s degree in Education, founded a small private school in Southern California, and is registered with Yoga Alliance as a highly trained and experienced teacher, E-RYT 500.

Enicia is a mother to two wonderfully creative and grounded young adults and is also an author currently preparing her first novel for publication. A Southern California native, Enicia now divides her time between her family base in Los Angeles and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Enicia began leading retreats in the Riviera Maya in 2015, and has offered ten retreats in the region since then. She lived in Akumal/Tulum for three years and continues to collaborate with local healers and ceremonialists on all of her retreats, in honor of the indigenous traditions and cultures being incorporated.

Enicia wishes to honor the Mayan guardians of the sacred lands of Tulum (Ekab), and her teachers who have shared their wisdom and practices:  Leon Xochitl Coatl, Adrián Salas Xopan, and Devi Chandra Ma from Quintana Roo, and Ashley Fiala, Doreen Madison, and David Kutruff from Shraddhaa Yoga School.

www.eniciafisher.com/

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Lifestyle Medicine at Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami

It was way back in the 1970s when California visionary Nathan Pritikin introduced the concept of combining of exercise and good nutrition to prevent, and even reverse, heart disease, and other lifestyle-induced medical conditions.

Since then,  countless scientific studies have proven him correct, and his pioneering philosophy continues to prevail at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami. We spoke with Carol Espel, MS, Fitness & Program Director, about this based-on-science retreat, and how she incorporates wellness into her own life.

How long have you been with Pritikin Longevity Center, and what do you do at this property?

I joined the Pritikin team in Miami as the Fitness Director two years ago, after over 30 years of senior leadership in the fitness industry, both nationally and abroad.

There are so many hotels, resorts, retreats and tour operators offering wellness programs and packages – tell us a bit about Pritikin, and what are the main point(s) of distinction?

Pritikin offers one and two-week Longevity and Lifestyle Programs based on each guest’s individual health needs and goals. One of the biggest differentiators at Pritikin is the integrated, holistic approach to health, wellness, fitness and sustainability. Our team of medical doctors, behavioral psychologists, culinary experts, nutritionists and exercise specialists deliver a compelling experience, that’s not only safe and appropriate but relevant and results-focused.

Both programs include physician and specialist-led educational seminars, off-site excursions, plus a wide range of structured small group training sessions including those dealing with strength training, cardiovascular exercise, balance and stability, spinning, Latin dance, and others. Plus there are lectures on topics such as belly fat, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, mindset maintenance, emotional eating and achieving a perfect posture.

What pandemic-inspired policies and procedures has Pritikin implemented to keep travelers healthy and safe?

The safely of our guests’ and employees is our top priority. The Pritikin programs are supervised by a team of on-site physicians. Their guidance has been invaluable. We continually monitor the situation, and adapt new policies and procedures as needed.

What does Pritikin offer that might attract a customer like the readers of LA Yoga?

Taking a mindfulness approach to most every aspect of the guest experience at Pritikin builds the personal value of the stay, but more importantly, supports the continued success after leaving. The specialized week-long programs such as Mind-Body Week and Women’s Health Week are engaging and purposeful and great for most anyone seeking more self-care formats, behavioral change, healthier lives and overall calm and peace of mind.

How do you incorporate wellness into your own daily life?

My morning ritual starts with a ”prayer” of gratitude for my life, my family and a hope for peace for all of us and the world at large. Next, on to my favorite coffee and then to the gym or Pilates workout.  I am a huge fan of hot yoga, even in Miami! Also, I have made sleeping and meditating a priority.

What are the top wellness trends you are seeing at Pritikin?

The top wellness trends I am seeing among our guests are mostly focused on finding ways to keep movement and exercise fresh and fun. For instance, our newer outdoor excursion classes include a full morning Miami Beach workout. We continually add new and innovative classes that specialize in meditation, self-care, Pilates, Barre, and even HIIT programs for fitter populations that are all aspirational and motivational.

Do you feel technology is important as it pertains to wellness, and if yes, how and why?  If no, why not?

Technology is incorporated throughout Pritikin to provide a more personalized, informed guest experiences. The personal tracking APPS and data available are huge among the fitness community here. We include specialized educational lectures that introduce all the possibilities for evaluating individual real-time data.

For instance, number of steps per day, HR, sleep, et cetera,  and exactly what that means to each guest. We use the MYZONE system for heart rate monitoring in classes, utilize the FIT 3D Body composition and postural assessments, plus we have our proprietary APPs, including our 3D Body Scanner, that are accessible and simple to use, to name a few.

Do you and, if yes, how do you incorporate the local community or culture into the programing at Pritikin?

We offer all kinds of off-site excursions that showcase Miami and the surrounding areas. We highlight special restaurant trips, places like the Design District, local State parks and beaches, and even a grocery shopping trip with the nutrition team to learn how to make better food choices.

What is your final note of advice for living your best life?

Slow down. Make each moment count. Nothing is more valuable than your time. Take time to just breathe, to hug and love.  Celebrate all the gifts of your life and share your energy and love with others.

Anne Dimon

Co-Founder and President /CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association, Anne Dimon has been a travel writer and industry journalist for close to 25 years, and has traveled the world as a columnist/contributor to a variety of publications. Anne is also Owner/ Editor of TravelToWellness.com launched in 2004 as the first online magazine/resource for the wellness-minded traveler. Prior to her life as a journalist, Anne was president of her own public relations company specializing in hospitality. She has also worked in the hotel industry as a director of public relations. An acknowledged wellness travel expert and industry consultant, Anne is also the co-author of The Travel Institute’s new Wellness Travel Specialist Course.

www.TravelToWellness.com

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In today’s world we seem to be moving faster and faster, while taking on more and more. There are only so many hours in the day, and we’re expected to do a lot in those hours.

• Errands
• Work a job
• Care for kids
• Attend to relationships
• Clean the house
• Socialize
• Self-care

What Can Lead to Feelings of Being Overwhelmed

It’s a list that doesn’t seem to stop, which makes us feel overwhelmed. Even self-care can become a part of the overwhelm, because you know you need it, but where the heck are you going to put it!?

Overwhelm. It’s enough to take the brightest and the best of us down.

But overwhelm doesn’t have to win.

Overwhelm is your brain feeling so overloaded that it can’t figure out where to start.

Perfectionism and Being Overwhelmed

The number one trigger for overwhelm is actually perfectionism. Perfectionism doesn’t just apply to hyper-organized people. We think of perfectionists as being those with perfect homes, and perfect systems to run their perfect lives.

In truth, perfectionism will halt you in your steps so that you can’t attend to your home, you have no systems, and nothing ever seems to ever get done.

Even if you never seem to have a hold on your life, you may be a perfectionist, too.

Do you ever do any of the following when you are feeling overwhelmed?

• Not start something because you don’t know the “right” place to start?
• Feel like you’re failing because you can’t get everything done?
• Take on more than you can handle then criticize yourself for not being good enough?
• Avoid tasks you don’t think you’ll be able to finish in one go?

And finally, do you ever:

Feel totally overwhelmed and refuse to give yourself a little grace?

What can you do when you feel overwhelmed?

First, accept that you’re as human as the rest of us who aren’t doing anything perfectly either.

Second, break it down.

It sounds simple because it is.

The only thing standing in your way is your refusal to slow down and take the time to chunk up your tasks.

How to Chunk

Be willing to break it all into more manageable chunks. Accept the idea that some things have to happen in stages.

1. Identify one thing you want to get done out of all of the things you could do.
2. Write that project down at the top of a piece of paper.
3. Starting from the bottom of the page write in all the sub-tasks that need to happen to get to your goal, starting with the first and working your way up.

For example:

Goal: Do the Dishes

5. Put hand-washed dishes on the dish drying rack.

4. Hand wash remaining dishes.

3. Fill sink with soapy water to wash remaining dishes.

2. Move the dirty dishes from the sink to the dish washer.

1. Empty the dishwasher.

Step by step you’ve completed one task. Now, on to the next one.

Why Be So Detailed?

Clients ask all the time why they have to write this down, and why they have to be so detailed. The task of chunking out your tasks can sound like just another thing to overwhelm you.

It isn’t. You’ll have to trust me on this and give it a go. Run the experiment.

If you’re stuck and aren’t getting anything done because of overwhelm, it’s better to take time to think a single task out and get it done, than continue spinning your wheels. After a while you won’t need to write it down, but you’ll come back to this method when you’re stuck again.

The great thing is, once you get one thing done, the next one often flows more easily behind it, because you have forward momentum. Seeing progress can be a strong motivator to keep going.

Trusting Yourself

If you believe you can’t be trusted to follow through on things or to finish what you started, you’ll keep doing things (or not doing them) to prove your belief correct.

But when you follow through on something, even the smallest of tasks, you get evidence that your limiting belief isn’t true.

When you chunk something out from the crowd to take on first, choose something that’s easily attainable so you get more rapid gratification.

If you choose too large of a task, one that isn’t attainable, or will take days to accomplish, you’ll continue to feel overwhelmed. But if you’re determined that this big task needs to get done, chunk it down to smaller tasks.

When you see what you’re capable of you’ll start to believe in yourself, and feel in control of your life again.

Finding Motivation when Feeling Overwhelmed

If the existence of a task to complete was all it took for us to become motivated to do things, everything would get done!

We are motivated by our desire for an outcome. If you really don’t care about the state of the fridge, you’re not going to clean it.

Here’s the tricky part: even if you want a clean fridge, you still might not clean it because something else is more important. That something else might be cooking dinner, reading a book, going to bed, or getting your daughter to softball. It could even be more important to you to not have to face the task, or how you feel about it.

You will have to decide cleaning that refrigerator is a priority.

You will have to decide it is worth your time. You will have to give yourself the chance to prove to yourself you can do it. You will have to decide you deserve a clean fridge, or that you are looking forward to how good it will feel once it’s cleaned.

You Can Do This! You can Win out over Overwhelm

In the end, overwhelm is a state of mind. Changing your mindset and doing things to show yourself that the thing that’s overwhelming you isn’t actually dangerous, will get you moving.

That’s what the overwhelming fear is that freezes you in your seat: that you are somehow in danger from all of this stuff.

When you take control by using these steps you will see that you’re the one in charge, and that never-ending list of things to do can’t hurt you.

Kate Evans

Kate Evans is the owner of Soulful Space, a virtual life coaching and decluttering company. Kate helps overwhelmed women declutter their lives and homes. She has worked in the field of psychology since 2004, is an RYT-200 certified yoga teacher, and a writer currently working on a book bringing self-help and decluttering together for lasting change. To learn more about Kate, the work she does, and to read her weekly blog for your mind, body, soul, and space, go to www.soulfulspacecoaching.com. Kate can also be found on Instagram and Facebook @soulfulspace.coaching.

www.soulfulspacecoaching.com

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What if I told you that one of the paths to bigger, better, James-Webb-space-exploring orgasms was to…avoid orgasm?

I’m not pulling your wanker!  Really!

For thousands of years, tantra practitioners have known this to be true when it comes to how to have orgasms.  Older, more traditional schools of tantra taught that men should avoid ejaculation altogether, because it would cause a release of the sex energy.  Instead, they urged, people should keep that energy inside themselves, allowing it to recirculate, letting that energy be fuel for our minds and bodies.  It was believed that to ejaculate and release the energy would cause a draining of the spirit.  Thus, you cannot pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to orgasm-less jail.

What a bummer, right?

Modern practitioners of tantra have released a lot of these hangups about release, favoring a more moderate approach to orgasm.  Today, most tantric practice doesn’t swear off orgasm.  Rather, it involves a deepening of awareness of one’s physical sensations, focus on the breath, sound, and conscious movement (or stillness).

In my earlier article, Ten Surefire Ways to Ignite Your Sex Life, I mentioned both slowing down and also taking orgasm off the table.

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but I promise: avoiding orgasm (at least for a while) can dramatically improve, increase, and intensify all your orgasms that follow. So how do we do this?  Swear off sex?  Strap on a chastity belt?  No!  (Unless that’s your kink, then Yes!)

First, let’s break down orgasm into its parts.

1. Arousal

This is the stage where you start to warm things up.  If you have femme energy, it’s likely that your arousal is a little slower and takes time to build.  If you have more masculine energy, your arousal may be fast.  Whatever the flavor of your energy, it’s best to start with your focus away from your genitals.

If you’re solo, you may want to start with self-massage, rubbing your chest or breasts, your neck, your scalp, then working your way back down to stroke your legs and buttocks.  I like doing this massage with CBD-infused unrefined coconut oil.  While you focus on touch and the sensations it causes, keep breathing deeply.

I highly recommend the breathwork practices in Barbara Carrellas’ Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century.

If you do this exercise with a partner, you may want to start with a tantric energy exchange, which I explain here.  Or you can start simply by lying together, your bodies a few inches apart, maintaining deep eye contact and sharing breath.  Loosen your gaze so you’re not looking hard at them, but open your eyes to allow them to see in.  Ask your partner to do the same, gently opening to let you see into their eyes too.

Gaze softly, allowing yourselves to be seen by each other, and when the time feels right, kiss each other, sharing breath more deeply. Now it will feel natural for your hands to be on each other, but try for this exercise to keep your hands away from their genitals.

2. Plateau

At this stage of arousal, if you have a femme body, you’ll likely be wet, your labia engorged.  (Unless your partner is Ben Shapiro, in which case, good luck, you’ll never get wet.)  If you have a masculine body, you’ll likely have an intense erection.  Here you start to sense a heavy, hot, possibly buzzing sensation in your groin.  Sexual energy radiates outward in your body. While for a lot of people (usually women) who have struggled with orgasm, this is the stage that usually brings relief. “YES!  I’m close to coming!” But in this practice, here’s where we’ll put the brakes on.

Take your hands off your body or, if partnered, off your partner’s body.  Take some deep breaths.  If you have a penis, you might try holding your penis between two fingers and your thumb, squeezing at the base.  Or you can try pressing on the tip of your cock with your thumb.

Keep breathing and let your heart rate slow a bit.  This should take you off the plateau, safely away from the climax.

For this practice of intensifying orgasms, you can start over from here, returning to the arousal stage, sensing what you feel in your body and where.  Tell your partner what you’re feeling and where you’re feeling it.

If you’re partnered, return to soft eye gazing, letting yourself be seen, and move on to kissing.  If you’re solo, let your hands move back to your body, but starting away from your genitals.

You can keep doing this practice, sometimes called “edging,” to get close to orgasm but then pausing and starting over, building the sexual energy and excitement.  Some people do this for hours, even days, letting it grow and grow.

3. Climax

How do you know when to climax?  This is entirely up to you.  You might give yourself a pre-ordained time limit, and say, “No orgasm until after ten p.m.,” if you’re starting at six. If you’re partnered, communicate clearly with your partner about if and when you want to climax.  When you’re ready, go for it.  With a very long build-up period, don’t be surprised if the orgasm feels distinctly different from past orgasms.  It may be more of a full-body experience rather than isolated in your genitals.

4. Descent (or Refractory Period)

This is the period just after your climax.  For some people, especially those with masculine bodies, during this stage you cannot be aroused again, and you require a bit of rest before arousal can happen again.  For some people, this is just a few minutes, but for others it might be days. It’s not uncommon for there to be intense emotions during this time.  For some, their emotions may be intensely loving, connective, and bonding.  For those with trauma, though, this can be a space filled with uncomfortable, even painful feelings, possibly of shame or fear.

Check in with your partner to see how they are feeling during this time.  And if you’re solo, check in with yourself.  How do you feel?  Where do you feel it?  What does your body need now?  What does your heart need? Give this practice a try and see what effect it has on your orgasms.  Does it make them longer and stronger?  Do you get to soar right into a nebula?

Xanet Pailet

Xanet Pailet is the best selling author of Living an Orgasmic Life. Xanet is a recovered NYC health care lawyer who lived in a sexless marriage for over two decades. After experiencing her own sexual healing and awakening in 2011, she transitioned her career into a full-time sex and intimacy educator and coach. Xanet believes that pleasure is our birthright and she is passionate about helping women and men find their way back into their bodies, their desires, and their pleasure. Xanet works with couples who are in sexless marriages and women who have experienced abuse and trauma. She helps them heal their wounds, release their shame, and reconnect with their sexuality. Xanet is a certified Somatica Sex and Intimacy Coach, Sexological Body Worker, Holistic Pelvic Care Practitioner, Tantra Educator and Somatic Experiencing Trauma practitioner. She is on the faculty of 1440 Multiversity, Ecstatic Living Institute and the Somatica Institute. Learn more: https://powerofpleasure.com

powerofpleasure.com

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5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Navigating Healthy Transitions

Are you called to made decisions that could change your life in a major way? Are you feeling inspired to take a leap of faith you have only dreamed of? Where would your heart lead you? Are you longing for balance between your mind and your heart? How are you navigating the transitions of endings and finding ways to invite in new beginnings?

Many of us resist endings of any kind. This can be a natural reaction our ego has because it thinks in terms of lack and limitation. Our ego will cling to people, patterns, material and financial objects, and attitudes and opinions. Our ego can lead us to a place of our own downfall and sometimes destruction.

This is not to say our ego is a negative aspect of our lives. It is not.

Our ego is intended to be a beautiful part of us that defines and characterizes our uniqueness.

Our culture, however, has led us to believe in separation and duality over celebrating our innate individual natures.

Our Creator intends our hearts and minds to work together balanced and living harmoniously without our own psyche and in relationship to others. This truth and the Soul-led use of our Free Will is how we are meant to thrive and grow.

Our ego personality can lead us to make choices that can cause painful endings. Our Soul, however, would have us bless and release situations the do not serve us in order to have new and positive beginnings.

What is the answer to generate this humanly-created drama into a new beginning for you and for living the life you desire?

Your growth, abundance, and ascension can be your new beginnings and can support your healthy transitions.

First, understand that our ego is fueled by our Source-given Free Will. This gift of human life is given to us to experience earth school and to learn from the choices we make here. We are born into this world with Free Will to enjoy life’s pleasures and the fruits of our labor. We are given life to further our Soul’s growth and assist others in theirs.

The conflict comes when our Free Will is misused and poor choices are made in spite of our intuitive nudges to take another path. Believing that we know better than our Soul and acting without thought or from fear is a cause and e?ect lesson. When lessons work out to the benefit of our Souls growth, we reach the conclusion that our Soul’s guidance was a better use of our Free Will.

We teach this theory to our students and initiates at our Compass Rose Mystery School of Light. The information is received with welcomed understanding, and also some disappointment that the teaching wasn’t provided years ago. Our world is changing and so will spiritual education as we continue releasing what has not served our growth.

The present is what we have now.

Practice letting go and allowing for a new beginning with a new way of being. A beautiful new personality ego Free Will choice will allow your beautiful Soul to take lead.

Your Soul knows your life purpose.

Your Soul created your life’s plan along with other members of your Soul Group. The aspect of your Soul that is you said “Yes” with clear vision. The people, places and situations you set up for your journey in place took their position and your earth life was set in motion, with Free Will your first tool.

Let’s bring our attention back to the present moment. What will be your first step in creating the life you planned and the joy you are meant to experience? What is to be your new beginning?

Ask yourself the following questions related to making transitions healthier.

1. What Soul-guided choices are you facing at this time in your life?
2. How will your life change for living a Soul Conscious life?
3. Can you imagine a life without obstacles created by old ways of thinking?
4. Are you willing to give yourself freedom to choose a new beginning?
5. Where does your life purpose take you now?

You, too, can contribute to the best world.

The world needs your Light. And your task is to unveil the beautiful being you are. Share this journey and share your dream for the greatest chance of cultivating healthy transitions in life. Find another like-minded person to share the path or work with a mentor. For difficult challenges, consider working with a skilled healer who is fully present and in alignment with Source. We invite you to reach out to us at Compass Rose for guidance and insight. We applaud you for taking the risk, raising your bar, and for the courage to engage with others for a new world.

Stacia Zadra and Daniel Naccarato

Stacia Zadra and Daniel Naccarato are Master Healers of Source Healing, Teachers, Coaches and Mentors of awakening, healing and ascension. They share their gifts and skills at Compass Rose Healing Arts in Spokane Valley, Washington. They can be reached via their website at changeyourcompass.com or by phone at 509-926-9803

www.changeyourcompass.com

The post How to Cultivate Healthy Transitions: Happy Endings and New Beginnings appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Located on Hilton Head Island on the Atlantic coast of South Carolina, and founded in 1976 by behavioral psychologist Dr. Peter Miller, Hilton Head Health (H3) is a pioneer in the field of proactive health care. Their programs are built on the philosophy that personal responsibility along with the development of healthy habits are the keys to a longer and healthier life.

Beyond the comfortable rooms at the multi- award-winning Hilton Head Health, lodging is also available at the two-story, Sweetgrass Inn which opened in March of 2021 and offers 30 rooms and suites. Its name pays tribute to the local Gullah people, who have woven the strong, yet pliable, sweetgrass leaves into beautiful and useful baskets for centuries. The baskets are incorporated into the décor of the inn to highlight the Gullah heritage. According to the H3 site, these,“Remind guests that both inner and outer strength along with flexibility are the foundations of a healthy and productive life.”

We spoke with Program Director David Chesworth about this island retreat and how he incorporates wellness into his own life.

How long have you been with Hilton Head Health, and what do you do with this property?

I have been with Hilton Head Health for ten years and I currently oversee the development and delivery of our program experiences.

There are so many hotels, resorts, retreats and tour operators offering wellness programs and packages – tell us a bit about Hilton Head Health, and what are the main points of distinction?

Hilton Head Health (H3) is a destination health and weight loss retreat. People come here because they either wish to vacation somewhere beautiful and know that they can go home healthier than they left, or, because they are ready to make a serious change in their lifestyle and become the best versions of themselves.

H3 is an immersive experience where the healthy choice is the easy choice. Balancing between the three pillars of fitness (move well), nutrition (eat well), self (be well), H3 offers a well-rounded systematic approach to wellness. We offer a diverse range of experiences from fitness classes, educational seminars, workshops, interactive healthy cooking experiences, spa services and more in order to create the ideal personal touch experience for our guests.

Ultimately, our guests come here so that they can “turn healthy into habit.”

 

What pandemic-inspired policies and procedures has Hilton Head Health implemented to keep travelers healthy and safe?

Following CDC guidance, Hilton Head Health no longer requires indoor use of face masks and/or coverings, however, at their discretion, guests and staff may choose to mask at any time. Unlike the larger health resorts, which have difficulties limiting the number of guests at any given time, Hilton Head Health is a smaller resort with a lower total capacity. This subsequently reduces the risk of exposure to Covid-19 while also allowing us to provide individualized attention to every guest.

We also offer a wide variety of courses, seminars, and programs, which means each class size is diminished and personalized. We will continue to take every possible precaution to ensure the well-being of our guests, including placing hand sanitizer stations throughout the campus and requesting regular temperature checks. While many of our guests and staff self-report that they are fully vaccinated, we do not have a requirement to provide proof of vaccination.

What does Hilton Head Health offer that might attract a customer like the readers of LA Yoga?

Although Hilton Head Healthy (H3) has Yoga programs, it is not exclusively a Yoga retreat. Offering evidence-based and holistic programs, H3 is the perfect healthy vacation destination for someone looking to stay connected to Yoga and Pilates while also experiencing a diverse offering of other fitness class styles, interactive cooking experiences, and educational health and wellness workshops.

H3 also makes for a great location to refer friends and associates who are looking to vacation somewhere and return home healthier. And, if weight-loss happens to be a goal, chances are they will lose weight along the way.

How do you incorporate wellness into your own daily life?

My greatest passion in the universe of health and wellness is human movement. My wife and I have turned our garage into a gym. If I’m not doing strength and conditioning workout that day, it’s because I’m doing a stretch and relaxation routine instead. I love seeing how strong I can get without sacrificing mobility along the way. In addition to this, I practice mindfulness and gratitude regularly throughout the week to keep my mental health in check. From a nutritional standpoint, my wife and I enjoy experimenting with at least one new healthy recipe each week.

 What are the top wellness trends you seeing at Hilton Head Health?

I can speak to our popular classes. To preface this, H3 offers a wide variety of classes ranging from Barre, cardio machines, yoga, strength circuits, tabata, aquatics, TRX, outdoor bootcamps, and more.

We provide a safe space environment for people who may be too nervous to try these things back home so they can discover whether or not they enjoy the activity. Currently the most popular classes at H3 are aquatic classes, strength machine circuit classes, and Cardio Boxing classes.

Do you feel technology is important as it pertains to wellness, and if yes, how and why? If no, why not?

Technology can be a wonderful support for many, and a potential distraction for others. Technology is best thought of as a tool that, when applied appropriately, will make success much easier.

For instance, if you have a goal of getting in 10,000 steps per day, it would be close to impossible to accurately track that without technology. Can you imagine mindfully couting every single step you take each day? For a goal like this, it is extremely helpful to have a device tracking this for you allowing you to redirect your mindful energy towards the experiences you are having in the world around you as opposed to the thousands of steps you are taking. In addition, to visually see how many steps you’re taking can be a motivating thing. With too few steps, you may be motivated to take an extra walk. With too many steps, you may feel good about being an over-achiever. And with the exact amount of steps, reveling in the success of having accomplished your goal.

Technology has also made it possible to work with programs and coaches remotely and in the comfort of your own home. H3 has recently launched a “Hilton Head Health at Home” program capitalizing on “ONDemand” technology, tracking apps, and remote coaching. This has been a powerful and helpful tool for our guests/clients in helping them to not only reach their goals, but maintain them, and take them further than they thought possible.

Do you and, if yes, how do you incorporate the local community or culture into the programing at Hilton Head Health?

We have partnered with multiple local partners to share the beauty of the nature and culture of the lowcountry area that we live in. From dolphin cruises, to barrier island tours, nature hikes and kayaking trips, we love to show off our beautiful location to our guests and to that we work with the communities of Hilton Head Island.

What is your final note of advice for living your best life?

Success in any goal cannot be sustained with an empty tank. Too often, people find themselves making goals around things they feel they “have to do” or “should be doing” in order to be healthy. This results in drained mental, emotional, spiritual energy and leading to burn out. Be sure to incorporate goals that result in “filling your tank” more often than the goals that deplete your tank.

In other words, find physical activities you enjoy, healthy foods that you love, and cultivate hobbies and skills that bring you joy. While it’s not always the quickest road to your goals, but it’s the most bulletproof road to living your best life.

Anne Dimon

Co-Founder and President /CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association, Anne Dimon has been a travel writer and industry journalist for close to 25 years, and has traveled the world as a columnist/contributor to a variety of publications. Anne is also Owner/ Editor of TravelToWellness.com launched in 2004 as the first online magazine/resource for the wellness-minded traveler. Prior to her life as a journalist, Anne was president of her own public relations company specializing in hospitality. She has also worked in the hotel industry as a director of public relations. An acknowledged wellness travel expert and industry consultant, Anne is also the co-author of The Travel Institute’s new Wellness Travel Specialist Course.

www.TravelToWellness.com

The post Hilton Head Health, A Pioneer in the field of Proactive Health Care appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

What are some of the wellness benefits of the beach? What if I told you that you could experience better sleep, reduced stress, nervous system balance, increased endorphins, and a calmer mind? Who doesn’t want more of these health benefits that directly affect one’s quality of life?

With summer upon us, people are naturally drawn to spend a day or vacation at the beach for rest and recreation.

Once you know all of the wellness benefits of spending time at the beach, you’ll likely make your next beach day, or better yet, wellness retreat at the beach, a top priority.

Besides a fun and pleasurable escape, spending time at the beach benefits our health on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.

Physical Benefits of Beach Wellness: “Vitamin Sea”

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea. — Isak Dinesen

A trip to the ocean has long been prescribed for its health benefits. Some of the obvious benefits of spending time at the beach is soaking up the fresh air and sunshine, along with swimming in the ocean or enjoying a beach walk.

While we all know to take precautions to avoid damage to our skin with prolonged sun exposure, absorbing sunshine through the skin has many health benefits.

The “sunshine vitamin,” Vitamin D, gives us many physical health benefits (including, but not limited to the following).

• Boosted immune system.
• Healthy bones.
• Regulated blood pressure.
• Regulating hormone production.
• Many people are deficient in this important vitamin which is best absorbed through the skin.

Only ten minutes in the sun at the beach can provide your daily dose of Vitamin D!

Recent studies reveal that women in particular receive physical health benefits from sun-bathing. Women who spend more time in the sun live longer and have lower risk of breast cancer.

Our bodies soak up health benefits from the ocean water.

Our skin absorbs trace minerals.

• This includes magnesium. Magnesium is important mineral for our muscles, bones, energy levels, digestion and sleep, which also contributes to lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation.
• We take in iodine through salt water. Iodine boosts immunity and prevents infection.

The ocean’s salt water detoxifies the skin.

As teenagers growing up near the beach, my brother and I would give ourselves “facials,” splashing the ocean’s water on our faces to reduce acne. We both noticed a difference in our teenage complexions when we moved away from the beach in high school.

People breathe easier at the beach.

This happens both because people  are more relaxed and because of the air quality. Besides being more free of pollen and other pollutants, the air near the ocean is filled with negative ions, increasing oxygen intake. Fuller breaths and increased oxygen create deep relaxation, reduce anxiety, and induce a better night’s sleep.

Swimming in waves is great exercise.

Swimming in waves uses all our major muscle groups and provides a great cardio workout!

Beach walks are an enjoyable and challenging form of exercise.

The soft sand creates resistance, giving a good strengthening workout for the feet, legs and heart, and increasing the effort to balance. (Did you know that balance is also correlated with life expectancy?)

Walking or running in sand requires about twice the energy than walking or running on a sidewalk.

Walking barefoot on the sand provides a method of grounding or earthing.

Walking barefoot on the beach gives another great benefit, especially for city dwellers who live in shoes. Grounding or “earthing” keeps us connected to the earth and has proven physiological benefits such as boosting immunity, reducing inflammation and stress hormones, improving blood pressure, and balancing circadian rhythms to promote better sleep. While our lungs absorb ions and oxygen from the fresh sea air, our bare feet absorb electrons from the earth, making us feel grounded.

If you’re not lucky enough to live near the beach and reap these benefits every day, an occasional visit to the beach is worthwhile. The physical benefits can be felt for days after just one visit.

Emotional: Wellness Benefits of Beach Therapy

The sea, to be happy, like hearts, must be stirred. –Will Advise

Do you like the sound of increased serotonin, endorphins, dopamine, as much as the sound of the waves?

Then head to the beach!

Besides all the physical benefits, spending time in the sun also promotes emotional health.

Our bodies respond to sunshine by producing a flood of feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters.

Sunlight triggers the release of chemicals in our endocrine system. Some of these are dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, which transmit love, excitement, happiness and a general positive mood. These regulate our physical, emotional and mental states.

Time at the beach relieves stress and helps people feel carefree, uplifted, and engaged in the present moment. Besides taking time away from work, home, or other demands, the beach itself has a number of qualities that help reduce stress.

The sound of the ocean waves relaxes and soothes one’s emotions and promotes a meditative state.

We all know that the sounds of crashing waves washes away the cares of the world. The vast ocean and endless horizon helps one’s problems fade into the background.

Ocean Sounds Cultivate Relaxation

The sounds of the sea–the regular “swoosh” of the ocean waves, occasional cry of seabirds, the breeze–engage the parasympathetic nervous system, our “relaxation response,” which is the baseline for emotional (and physical) health.

The Color Blue is Calming

Along with the rhythmic sound of the waves, the color blue–the deep blue ocean and cerulean blue of the sky induces a state of calm. The fresh air of the beach alleviates symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Being around other people relaxing and having fun also lifts one’s spirits and promotes positivity.

Walking on the Sand is Uplifting

• Long beach walks or relaxing and relieve stress, playing in the sand or ocean waves uplifts the spirits.
• Time at the beach is known to alleviate stress, reduce anxiety or depression, and dissipate emotions such as anger and sadness.

Ernest Hemingway wrote how present-moment awareness fostered by the beach can help mend a broken heart:

“In the morning there was a big wind blowing and the waves were running high up on the beach and he was awake a long time before he remembered that his heart was broken.”

 

Mental: The Blue Mind Effect

Be alone with the sea, for it is there you will find answers to questions you didn’t realize exist. –Khang Kijarro Nguyen

How the Ocean Affects Our Neurochemistry

• While people’s bodies and hearts receive benefits from being at the sea, mental experience also improves.
• The same neurotransmitters that calm and elevate moods also affect brain function and cognitive performance.
• Being at the beach can have an immediate and lasting effect on mental health, promoting peace of mind, mental clarity, problem solving, insight, introspection, and creativity. Sign me up!

In fact, research scientist and marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols wrote the book, “Blue Mind, How Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do.” His research confirms the positive and lasting mental health benefits of spending time near water. “It’s the antidote to what we refer to as ‘red mind,’ which is the anxious, over-connected, and over-stimulated state that defines the new normal of modern life. Spending time near the water is essential to achieving elevated and sustained happiness.”

The Benefits of Mental R & R

• Just as our bodies need rest, our brains need rest from constant stimulation, and the beach provides the ideal setting for this “Mental R&R.”
• Our brains are constantly bombarded by the environment, processing everything taken in by the senses on a continual basis, along with all of the information we take in every day.
• In the digital information age, human brains are more taxed than ever before.

The brain needs time to rest and recover, and the beach is the perfect setting for this.

At the beach, there is less for us to process and soothing elements such as the broad horizon, expansive sky, and natural sounds and sensory stimuli which are easier for our brains to process. Nichols explains, “When you stand at the edge of water and look out on the horizon, it’s visually simplified relative to the room you’re sitting in right now, or a city you’re walking through, where you’re taking in millions of pieces of information every second.”

Along with a regulated nervous system, a lower heart rate and deeper breathing, our brainwaves respond to the sound of the ocean waves by slowing down, much like when we meditate, focus on our breath, or practice yoga. The calmer brainwaves and parasympathetic nervous system response–when our minds do not have to be on constant alert–helps boost concentration, focus, present-moment awareness, and mental clarity.

The Ocean Provides a Mindfulness Practice

As Zen teacher Michael Wenger points out, listening to the ocean waves is a powerful form of mindfulness practice.

“Just listening to the sound – not tying it to anything, just letting the sound wash over you – is a way of letting go of your ideas and directly experiencing things as they are.”

Meditation Practice on the Ocean: So Hum

In fact, my favorite meditation practice, one I teach on my retreats, is to link my own breath to the sound of the ocean waves along with the simple mantra, “So Hum.” Even when I am far away from the beach, I’ve “imprinted” this practice into my system so that my mind and nervous system can return to the relaxed and open state that I cultivated while meditating on retreat at the beach.

Mental Relaxation with the Sea Air

Helen Keller wrote about the mental benefit of breathing the sea air.

“I could never stay long enough on the shore; the tang of the untainted, fresh, and free sea air was like a cool, quieting thought.”

Helen Keller most likely didn’t know that the increased oxygen and negative ions present in the ocean air provided benefits to her brain, but she clearly experienced the positive effect on her mind.

Mental Relaxation = Mental Clarity

When our brains can relax, we experience greater mental clarity. While relaxing at the beach, you might find sudden clarity regarding a problem that has been consuming your mind, or just the right idea to move forward with in life. Observing the expansive horizon and vast ocean helps give your mind a break from ruminating thoughts and worries, giving greater perspective and peace of mind. A friend recently shared a humorous meme with me.

“You might not find the answer to all of life’s questions at the beach, but it’s worth a try!”

Finding Your Flow State at the Beach

Time at the beach induces creativity and “flow state,” a state of being that is treasured by humans. When we experience the “blue mind” our minds rest and wander freely, switching into what is known as the “default mode.”

Default mode includes daydreaming, imagination, memory consolidation, introspection and insight.

This mode leads to creative thought and often to those moments of sudden inspiration. These are the “Eureka” or “aha!” moments that feel like gifts that suddenly “drop out of the sky and into your head,” as Nichols says. He explains in Blue Mind.

“There are all these cognitive and emotional benefits that we derive every time we spend time by water. Once you get into it, you realize that it’s chemistry, it’s biology, it’s physiology. It’s deeply personal but it’s also strong science.”

The next time you need a break from decision fatigue or need clarity on an important aspect of your life, try a day at the beach, or better yet, a beach retreat.

One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach waiting for a gift from the sea. –Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Spiritual Wellness Benefits of the Beach: A Sense of Wonder

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. –Jacques Yves Cousteau

The simple act of sifting a handful of sand through your fingers and contemplating the countless grains of sand at the beach, or observing the seemingly infinite expanse of the ocean, induces a sense of awe and wonder. It seems impossible to avoid contemplating a spiritual essence to nature when observing the powerful ocean waves and the beauty of the sky and water.

Connecting to Awe at the Beach

The feelings of awe and wonder gives us a sense of connection to something greater than ourselves and a chance to contemplate our place in the cosmos. When we experience awe, we feel viscerally that we are “one with the universe” and connected to the world and people around us.

We gain a greater sense of self and our true essence.

In the words of poet e.e. Cummings, Whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It’s always ourself we find in the sea.”

• The beach naturally cultivates a sense of humanity while people enjoy the spectacular nature of this shared natural resource.
• We feel more compassionate and connected to others, and cultivate an increased sense of empathy, while observing people of all ages and all walks of life enjoying the simple act of experiencing pleasure, play, and peace at the beach.
• The sensory experience of the elements at the beach also conveys a sense of oneness with nature.
• We remember we are also natural beings, made up of almost the same percentage of water as our planet.

As oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle wrote, “Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.”

Our Spiritual Relationship with Nature

This visceral awareness of our direct relationship with nature provides a sense of deep reassurance during a time of anxiety about the fate of the planet. While the beach is constantly changing with shifting sands, cloud parades, breezes and weather, its basic nature remains the same. Our minds, hearts, and nervous systems are reassured by the consistent nature of the beach and ocean. While we may be concerned and disturbed by pollution of our precious beaches and oceans, the steadiness and grandeur of the environment can offer hope and reassurance.

The Power of the In-Between Spaces

The beach is a space of both continuity and transition and its shoreline represents a “liminal” or in–between space, with deep and broad spiritual implications. The liminal space represents the threshold between the known and unknown, past and present, what has been and what is to come. In Celtic and other spiritual traditions, thresholds (in space or time) represent sacred places where we have greater opportunities for connection with the divine, spiritual wisdom of mystics and ancestors.

In Mayan traditions, the Caribbean Sea is the point of new beginnings and rebirth.

My favorite time of day at the beach, especially in the Riviera Maya, is watching the sun rise over the sparkling turquoise sea or watching the sun set over the emerald green jungle. These times, on a daily basis, are opportune moments to connect to spiritual guidance, set intentions, or reflect on the day.

Author Joan Anderson, has written multiple best-selling books about the transformation and spiritual lessons gained by time at the beach. She writes, “The beach to me is a sacred zone between the earth and the sea, one of those in-between between places where transitions can be experienced – where endings can be mourned and beginnings birthed.”

Quiet moments at the beach provide ideal times for introspection and retrospection, whether through a contemplative practice, a relaxing beach walk, or simply staring at the vast ocean.

One of the Wellness Benefits of The Beach is that it Helps Us Integrate

In a world of constant change and impermanence, time at the beach can help us integrate the constant shifts in life and accept uncertainty. Our experience at the shore, physically between our everyday life on land and the vast expanse of limitless possibilities represented by the ocean, can help us gain comfort in life’s transitions or a season of facing the unknown.

Some of the greatest periods of spiritual transformation and personal growth come during times of transition.

Humanity as a whole has entered into a time of great uncertainty and change, with the ways of the industrial age no longer serving us, alarming and disheartening news on multiple fronts, the information age becoming overwhelming, and many visionaries stating that we are in the process of ushering in a new age of intuition and conscious awareness.

Change and uncertainty can be faced with intention and clarity when one takes the time to cultivate mindfulness, present-moment awareness, and healthy non-attachment.

The beach “teaches” both of these spiritual practices with its qualities. These qualities include the waves washing upon the shore that are continually in a state of creation and dissolution, as well as its grounding, expansive, and mystical qualities.

In Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke counsels, “Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

Why a Retreat at the Beach

What could be better than a day or even a vacation at the beach? A beach retreat, of course!

A Setting for Transformation

Throughout human history, people have experienced the beach as a place for healing, transformation, and sacred ceremony, as well as a place to relax and renew. Across cultures and spiritual traditions, the ocean represents creation, the Source of Life, and water symbolizes rebirth and spiritual cleansing. People are drawn to the ocean to commemorate important life moments–engagements, weddings, and memorials often take place at the beach.

Besides the beauty and pleasure the beach setting provides, it is an ideal setting for a transformative retreat experience.

Retreats are more than vacation or R&R.

A retreat sets the stage for deep healing and life-enriching transformation with a lasting positive impact on everyday life.

A retreat by the beach is an opportunity to surround oneself with positive energy from the environment, people, and activities, and to receive all the benefits of being at the beach plus the intentions established by a retreat program.

People join retreats for perspective, peace of mind, personal renewal, spiritual transformation, heart-opening experiences, and healing of the body and spirit.

Nichols writes in Blue Mind, “Water is medicine for those who need it most…and everyone else…. being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken.”

A retreat at the beach increases the benefits of being in the environment, and the oceanside environment increases the benefits of the retreat experience.

A beach retreat is an ideal time to take a break from the demands of every-day life, gain perspective, and restore mind, body and spirit.

“In still moments by the sea life seems large and simple. It is there we can see into ourselves.” –Rolf Edberg

An oceanfront retreat is an opportunity for connection to Source, spirit, and for self-discovery, spiritual awakening and transcendence. The very definition of transcendent experience defines the retreat experience: surpassing or extending beyond the limits of ordinary experience. When people immerse themselves in a transformative retreat experience, their ordinary lives take the back seat and it becomes a sacred time for personal growth and self-discovery. Like the ocean, we learn more about the infinite depths of our own being and gain a sense of the transcendent “I am…”

As Serbian poet Dejan Stojanovic articulates so beautifully, “I am the shore and the ocean, awaiting myself on both sides.”

After her own transformative and life-changing personal retreat at the ocean, Joan Anderson decided to make it an ongoing part of her life and now offers oceanside retreats for others. She says, “I am as unfinished as the shoreline along the beach, meant to transcend myself again and again.”

My Experience on Transformative Retreats

This has also been my personal experience. During my first one-week oceanfront retreat, I experienced the healing of chronic physical pain and grief, had a very deep and transformative feeling of “coming home” to myself and experiencing safety in the world, and met people who have had a lasting impact on my life. Ever since then, I’ve been committed to sharing this transformative experience with others.

Besides deep healing and spiritual transformation, a retreat at the beach makes for a vibrant and pleasurable, even fun, adventure of a lifetime. Wouldn’t you rather learn and grow through pleasurable experience, instead of the hard work of personal growth through challenge? I made that intention for myself ten years ago, before setting off on my first oceanfront retreat, and I’m grateful for the life of adventure and empowerment that I’ve experienced ever since.

Our great seas and oceans offer a voyage of a lifetime for those willing to dive in. –Rajesh

Transformation with Enicia Fisher

Thanksgiving Retreat at the beach November, 2022, with Enicia Fisher: https://retreats.layoga.com/pages/come-home-to-aia-thanksgiving-retreat-with-enicia-fisher

More about Enicia Fisher and her forthcoming book, Sea of Bliss: https://www.eniciafisher.com
More about Enicia Fisher and her healing retreats in the Riviera Maya: https://www.sanadorasanctuary.com

Enicia Fisher

Enicia Fisher loves to hold sacred space for healing and transformative experiences by guiding people to come home to their body, breath, Nature, and Spirit. She has been curating, hosting, and offering healing retreats since 2012 in the US and Mexico. Founder of Sanadora Sanctuary Retreats and Sanadora Yoga International Teacher Training Program, Enicia has taught yoga since 2005 and has been practicing yoga personally since 2000. She loves yoga because of its mind-body approach and because of the healing power of integrating all aspects of being through the wide range of yogic practices: body, emotions, mind, soul, spirit, philosophy and mindset, and lifestyle practices.

Enicia created and leads Heart Alignment Yoga? and “heartfulness” meditation with an emphasis on Divine heart qualities and life-affirming yoga philosophy that inspires people to live with a deeper connection to their own heart, body, and spirit.
Enicia has a Master’s degree in Education, founded a small private school in Southern California, and is registered with Yoga Alliance as a highly trained and experienced teacher, E-RYT 500.

Enicia is a mother to two wonderfully creative and grounded young adults and is also an author currently preparing her first novel for publication. A Southern California native, Enicia now divides her time between her family base in Los Angeles and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Enicia began leading retreats in the Riviera Maya in 2015, and has offered ten retreats in the region since then. She lived in Akumal/Tulum for three years and continues to collaborate with local healers and ceremonialists on all of her retreats, in honor of the indigenous traditions and cultures being incorporated.

Enicia wishes to honor the Mayan guardians of the sacred lands of Tulum (Ekab), and her teachers who have shared their wisdom and practices:  Leon Xochitl Coatl, Adrián Salas Xopan, and Devi Chandra Ma from Quintana Roo, and Ashley Fiala, Doreen Madison, and David Kutruff from Shraddhaa Yoga School.

www.eniciafisher.com/

The post Why Go to the Ocean: Wellness Benefits of the Beach appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Located on the sandy beaches of the Dominican Republic, the 478-room Meliá Punta Cana Beach Wellness Inclusive Adults Only offers a collection of buildings surrounded by gardens and connected to swimming pools and the beach by a network of walkways.  The wellness-inclusive concept is built around five spaces of wellness: social spaces (for activities), silent spaces, sensory spaces, culinary spaces and personal spaces, along with a significant respect for nature and exploring the local culture.

Talking to Reyes Guzman About Wellness

We spoke with Wellness Sales Director Reyes Guzman about Meliá Punta Cana Beach Wellness Inclusive Adults Only and how she incorporates wellness into her own life.

Wellness Sales Director Reyes Guzman at Meliá Punta Cana Beach

How long have you been with Meliá Punta Cana Beach A Wellness Inclusive Resort Adults Only, and what do you do with this property?

I am the Wellness Sales Director, and I have been with the company for 22 years.

There are so many hotels, resorts, retreats and tour operators offering wellness programs and packages – tell us a bit about Meliá Punta Cana Beach A Wellness Inclusive Resort Adults Only, and what are the main point(s) of distinction?

Meliá Punta Cana Beach offers a collection of activities and rituals designed to connect guests with their physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social and environmental development through the resort’s five wellness spaces: Social, Silent, Sensory, Culinary and Personal.

As part of the resort’s weekly wellness program, wellness experts (both locals plus guest practitioners) guide guests through special wellness activities including mud cleansing, holistic therapy, sound healing, ayurvedic cooking, juicing detox programs and active fitness classes.

These facilitated activities are in addition to the resort’s regular inclusive offerings of other activities such as bike tours, yoga and meditation sessions, garden workshops and a new and challenging obstacle course.

What pandemic-inspired policies and procedures has Meliá Punta Cana Beach implemented to keep travelers healthy and safe?

We have sanitising stations at restaurant entrances and most other public locations throughout the property. We maintain other Stay Safe by Meliá protocols, certified by Bureau Veritas, an international group specializing in preventative measures to keep visitors safe from COVID-19.

What does Meliá Punta Cana Beach offer that might attract a customer like the readers of LA Yoga?

Our partnership with Stay Well by Delos provides enhanced wellness accommodation thru The Level Wellness Suites by Stay Well. A total of 32 of our suites offer special features including mood-enhancing aromatherapy, dawn simulation to wake guests gradually and gently, an air purification system, thermal mattress for back support, and an interactive App with access to the Cleveland Clinic wellness program.

Other Stay Well amenities of The Level Wellness Suites include a welcome and guided digital meditation from Dr. Deepak Chopra, one spa treatment per day per person, a personal wellness concierge plus private pool spaces. We also host special wellness events on globally recognized dates such as International Day of Yoga and World Wellness Weekend (Sept. 16,17,18, 2022) plus other celebrations that are part of our Wellness Events Calendar.

Another big attraction for the wellness-minded is our weekly culinary workshops, such as Juice Therapy and Ayurvedic Cooking. And, of course, our restaurants offer healthy options for any diet including include Vegeterian, Vegan, and Gluten Free.

How do you incorporate wellness into your own daily life?

• Keeping an exercise practice based on stretching, running, breathing before starting my day’s routine.
• Taking time to meditate at the end of the day.
• Spending time with my family and friends.
• Getting enough sleep.

What are the top wellness trends you are seeing at Meliá Punta Cana Beach?

An increased interest in participating and learning more about wellness practices such as more conscious eating. Plus, more guests are telling us they want to incorporate these new practices into their daily routines after they return home.

Do you feel technology is important as it pertains to wellness, and if yes, how and why? If no, why not?

I believe that technology used consciously can be beneficial. For instance, apps dedicated to keep an exercise routine, incorporate meditation in their lives, or keep track of health improvements can all help in their own small ways.

Here at Melia Punta Cana Beach, we have integrated technology in our Wellness Suites by Stay Well with special amenities such as the Wake Up Light-Clock that helps our guests wake up gradually plus combines both light and sound to create a more natural wake-up experience.

There’s also the Air Purification System that reduce allergens, toxins, smoke and microbes from the air, and the Aromatherapy Machine allowing guests to select a specific scent intensity in their rooms.

Do you and, if yes, how do you incorporate the local community or culture into the programing at Meliá Punta Cana Beach?

We have incorporated local culture experiences and community into our programing with local wellness experts leading wellness activities and workshops including a weekly Taino Percussion Workshop where guests can learn how our Taino ancestors used to play drums on special occasions and during sacred ceremonies and rituals.

Also 90% of the products used in the treatments offering in our YHI Spa are organic and locally sourced.

What is your final note of advice for living your best life?

Be mindful, be present in the moment.

The mantra that leads both my personal and professional life is, “May Your Wellness be a Must!”

Learn More About Melia Punta Cana Beach

Meliá Punta Cana Beach Wellness Inclusive Adults Only

Anne Dimon

Co-Founder and President /CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association, Anne Dimon has been a travel writer and industry journalist for close to 25 years, and has traveled the world as a columnist/contributor to a variety of publications. Anne is also Owner/ Editor of TravelToWellness.com launched in 2004 as the first online magazine/resource for the wellness-minded traveler. Prior to her life as a journalist, Anne was president of her own public relations company specializing in hospitality. She has also worked in the hotel industry as a director of public relations. An acknowledged wellness travel expert and industry consultant, Anne is also the co-author of The Travel Institute’s new Wellness Travel Specialist Course.

www.TravelToWellness.com

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Have you experienced pangs of anxiety and overwhelm over the past three years? We’ve all had long days, even months, and dare I say years, of low-grade anxiety about the state of the world and our place in it. Is it any wonder the world of wellness is now a 4.5 billion dollar industry? One thing I know for sure, we can’t control the outer world, but we can understand who we truly are to remain at peace in a world of chaos and uncertainty. For many of us, a wellness retreat is the answer to connecting back to the Who, of who we really are. But how can you choose the right style of wellness retreat–one that suits your unique personality type?

What if You Get into the Wrong Retreat? Travelers Shared Why Their Wellness Retreat Was a Miss

For more than a decade, I worked in the world of luxury travel. To my surprise, many well-heeled travelers were miserable.

Over the years, I spoke with hundreds upon hundreds of travelers who said they weren’t happy with things; retreat sessions, spa, food, beach, room, or really, anything. Seriously, I didn’t get it. So I questioned them further.

Almost all the travelers I spoke with finally came to this conclusion: they didn’t know themselves. They didn’t how to choose the right style of wellness retreat that actually fit their personality or preferences because they didn’t actually know themselves well.

When this truth was revealed, I understood why so many were unhappy.

It was a harsh awakening for many, and for others, a new beginning.

Why am I so adamant about personality typing?

Within your personality are traits that give you answers to life’s most pressing questions. Your personality type is a highly personalized GPS system. It even helps you choose the perfect wellness retreat for your type.

Do you know your personality type?

If not, may I recommend using Myers-Briggs®? It’s $49.95 for an accurate test.

Personality Max is also a good choice, and it’s free.

Explore Your Traits to Figure Out the Right Style of Wellness Retreat for You

Here’s a cheat sheet if you don’t know your type or if you need a quick refresher. Realize your personality type offers a distinct set of indicators identify personal preferences. Of course, there is so much more to your story.

For now, this is a good place to start.

• Do you welcome the outer world (extrovert) or the inner world (introvert)?
• How do you gather information through the five senses (sensing) or through the five senses into the world of imagery (intuition)?
• Will you decide based on how you or others feel (feeling), or do you use a more objective approach or do you use a more objective approach (thinking)?
• Are you a list maker, a planner, an organizer (judging), or do you prefer spontaneity, going with the flow, (perceiver)?

Once you understand your personality traits, you’ll be lit-up with ah-ha moments!

Understanding yourself includes how you can choose the right wellness retreat for your personality type.

These 16 travel personality types provide an exclusive sneak-peek into personality typing with a spiritual understanding.

As a personality type shaman, I’m showing a revolutionary new way to put your soul self back into psychology. This appears in my upcoming book: 16 Personalities Unpacked – Get to Know the Real You and Travel Happier!

The list below is a must-read to plan an ideal wellness retreat based on your personality type.

Who doesn’t want to book the perfect getaway to soothe the mind, body, and soul?

Wellness Retreats for Introverts

Introverts gravitate to retreats in quiet settings and intimate learning opportunities. They relish time for solitude, reflection, and inner mind exploration; studying sacred texts, self-directed meditation, solo hikes to explore nature, and much more.

Grounded Travelers (ISTJ)

Grounded types like slow travel and trust authority. You’re likely to visit a tried-and-true wellness retreat. A good option is Canyon Ranch, one of the leader in wellness retreats since 1979.

Unassuming Travelers (ISFJ)

Unassuming travelers prefer structured retreats in peaceful surroundings discussing spiritual matters or taking part in prayer circles. You learn by doing, which makes Genesee Abbey worth a look–the 1,200-acre property is swoon-worthy.

Insightful Travelers (INFJ)

Insightful travelers are old souls, highly intuitive, and desire ongoing personal growth. You like a group retreat setting and have much to share. Consider International Re-Entry* a top choice for your type.

Inventive Travelers (INTJ)

Inventive travelers are talkative and engaged in intellectual topics of interest if you can get them to travel. They prefer structure and will opt for retreats, searching for the truth of all things. The self-guided retreats at The Monastery In Christ may be interesting to learn and worship with insights from Benedictine Monks.

Active Travelers (ISTP)

Active travelers are the definition of extreme adventure travelers. They seek action-packed wellness retreats: Castle Hot Springs, Arizona, fits the bill, where adventures await in the Sonoran Desert.

Aesthetic Travelers (ISFP)

Aesthetic travelers want active travel experiences to stimulate the five senses. Take a look at Casa Alternavida, Puerto Rico, with movement classes, guided nature hikes, and beach adventures. It’s so you.

Seeking Travelers (INFP)

Seeking travelers are attracted to retreats that provide quiet settings, time for journaling, and other reflective activities. This creative writing and yoga retreat in Scotland is worth exploring.

Autonomous for INTP on Vacation

Autonomous travelers want to understand the unbiased aspects of spirituality or religion. They may find the Rishikesh Retreat Center, Uttarakhand, India, interesting as it dives deep into the ancient religions of Asia.

Wellness Retreats For Extroverts

Extroverts typically seek retreats to engage with others and favor more activity options and time to make new friends. Typically, active and action oriented, these travelers are typically on the go.

Spirited Travelers (ESTP)

Spirited travelers are likely to take an annual retreat to disengage from the world to reengage with the nonphysical aspects of self, a healthy option, The Way of the Heart – Wild Bloom.*

Playful Travelers (ESFP)

Playful travelers engage with other retreat goers in joyful spirituality. They bring vitality to whatever they do. They may choose Palmaïa, The House of AïA. In Playa del Carmen, Mexico, this location offers yoga, meditation, art, and healing with nightly dance music and beachside bonfires.

Versatile Travelers (ENFP)

Versatile travelers are lively, energetic and travel for novel experiences, try to keep up, as they are like the Energizer Bunny. They slow down long enough to gather in a community with time for discussion and spiritual discovery; Lake Austin Spa and Resort, Austin, Texas, is a fabulous choice, with activities galore.

Inquisitive Travelers (ENTP)

Inquisitive travelers are novelty hunters, curious about all things, and love to learn. They’re likely to choose a learning-based wellness retreat, that’s far removed from conventional retreats. This 4 Day Luxury Yoga, Detox & Bokator Retreat in Majestical Cambodia, is worth a look.

Dutiful Travelers (ESTJ)

Dutiful travelers are likely to book structured learning retreats. Then enjoy camaraderie with other like-minded participants. Passion in Paradise* may be an option for those who want to cultivate healthier intimate relationships.

Attentive Travelers (ESFJ)

Attentive travelers love tradition and are often the ring leading in gathering a group of friends for a wellness retreat. A good pick is Dunton Hot Springs Retreat: Dolores, Colorado. It’s cozy and comfortable, just like you like!

Harmonious Travelers (ENFJ)

Harmonious travelers are fairly scheduled, highly interactive, want to learn and make new friends. Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico, is ideal. Take sunrise hikes, schedule activities, and try the meditation labyrinth. You’ll be served sumptuous organic treats plucked from the onsite sustainable, organic farm, so you!

Assured Travelers (ENTJ)

Assured travelers want to be challenged and will opt out of inactive and trivial travel adventures. A visit to Ashiyana, India, fits the bill as it’s all about finding your “Best You,” a challenging task for even the most experienced yogis. Don’t worry; you’re up for the challenge.

The intention of this post is to awaken you to spiritual personality typing.

This is self-exploration from the inside out.

It helps you choose the right style of wellness retreat so you can actually enjoy your vacation!!

We’ve provided retreat options to help you take inspired action through best-matched wellness experiences.

Isn’t it time to travel from the inside out?

Time to explore your nonphysical self, which is always eager to experience the physical world?

* These retreats are sanctioned through LA Yoga Magazine without affiliation to the writer.

Nina Zapala

Nina Zapala is a personality type shaman and a certified Myers-Briggs® instructor with decades of travel experience. Hundreds of travelers worldwide shared their unhappiness stories, claiming a lack of self-awareness about their true self. Zapala is on a mission to reshape personality typing, layered with spiritual insights to enable beautiful souls from around the globe to unveil the who of who they really are. Please visit Nina Zapala  to learn more.

www.ninazapala.com

The post Choose the Right Style of Wellness Retreat for You! appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

An Uncluttered Home Supports Wellness and Reduces Chaos

When your home is in chaos, your mind is in chaos.

When your mind is in chaos, your home will follow.

We spend our lives trying to find balance and reduce stress. We look at food, exercise, meditation, yoga, walks, vacations, and everything in between. Each of those things is a component of a person’s mental well-being, of course. But if you do all of that, and yet come home every day to a home that drains your energy, all of your hard work becomes undermined.

Our homes are the space that supports all of those other things.

It is impossible to maintain a healthy mental state in a cluttered home.

Depression and anxiety are increasing in prevalence throughout The United States. GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. GAD often co-occurs with Major Depressive Disorders.

With so few affected adults actively treating their anxiety and depression, it’s important to identify other ways to reduce their vulnerability to those often-debilitating concerns.

Whether you live in a tiny efficiency (mine in college could have fit in my current bedroom), or a 5,000 square foot home, the space you live in affects your emotional state.

54% of Americans are overwhelmed by the amount of clutter they have, but 78% have no idea what to do with it.

Decluttering Coach Kate Evans

When you feel overwhelmed by your home, you may experience any or all of the following.

• Become less productive.
• Are more distractable.
• Have increased emotional vulnerability.
• Have reduced resources to cope with life.
• Struggle with decision-making.
• Feel shame over the state of your home.
• Judge yourself and fear the judgements of others.

All of these impact vital areas of life that we attach our self-perceptions to, including but not limited to the following.

• Productivity.
• Health.
• Finances.

So, let’s take a closer look at these areas, mental health, and clutter.

Productivity and an Uncluttered Home

People are more productive, as well as less irritable and less distracted in a clutter-free space.

We value productivity as evidence of our own value or worth. When you feel inefficient and scattered you feel “less-than”, don’t you? Less worthy, less worthwhile, even less lovable, than all of those other people you think have their act together better than you.

Americans spend an average total of 2.5 days a year looking for misplaced stuff.

When your home is in disarray, it naturally follows that you will struggle to find things. The time spent looking for something like your keys, glasses, or the remote control, let alone larger items, could be spent in something like self-care or time with loved ones.

Getting rid of clutter eliminates 40% of housework in the average home.

I’ve experienced this myself. When I decluttered my home the first time, it took me a while to realize how much time I had given myself. I was so surprised by this outcome that it was months before I stopped remarking on it after every meal clean-up. It’s pretty logical, though, isn’t it? The less stuff there is to clean or to work around, the less time it takes to care for it.

Health and an Uncluttered Home

People who sleep in cluttered rooms are more likely to have sleeping problems.

We require sleep, good sleep, to be the best version of ourselves we can be. With interrupted or insufficient sleep, we’re more likely to be irritable, and to struggle in decision-making.

Sleep deprivation affects your psychological state and mental health.

When you are already struggling with mental health concerns, lack of sleep will increase the struggle. Doing anything you can to assure good sleep can be vital to your health. Sleep is when your mind works to process information (during REM sleep) and when other systems slow down so that vulnerable ones can get more attention for healing.

When in cluttered spaces, people are more likely to make poor eating choices. Those with extremely cluttered homes are 77% more likely to be overweight. 

It will come as no surprise that obesity is on the rise in this country, as that fact has been in the media for decades. What most people don’t consider is how the state of your home might affect your eating choices.

If your kitchen is in chaos, you aren’t likely to want to cook in it. So, it becomes easier to eat frozen meals, fast food, or whatever Door Dash will bring you.

Weight issues coincide with mental health issues, low self-esteem, and higher incidences of self-criticism.

Finances and a Cluttered vs an Uncluttered Home

When we talk about clutter and mental health we have to talk about money, too. 78% of U.S. workers live paycheck to paycheck.

And yet… The average American spends $18,000 per year on non-essential items.

On the whole, Americans are in credit card debt above and beyond their means and income. The stress of finding ways to pay bills increases anxiety and depression. Interestingly enough, even the weight of wealth, and the social pressures that come with it, also lead to anxiety and depression. I see both scenarios in clients every day.

Americans collectively spend $2.7 billion dollars every year replacing the items they can’t find. 

That’s what happens with clutter. You can’t find it, so the easiest thing to do is to go out and buy another one. That’s how I ended up finding five rolls of packing tape during my own decluttering journey, even though I rarely mail packages.

But think about the financial pressures this could cause when it isn’t something as small as packing tape?

Heck, what if you can’t even find the bills you need to pay because of clutter (paper or digital)? Financial pressures lead to stress, which leads to increased vulnerability to mental illness.

What You Can Do

According to the Mayo Clinic, those who described their homes as being restful or talked about their beautiful outdoor spaces were less stressed and reported less sad feelings as the day went on.

In short: an uncluttered home reduces stress and sadness.

In addition to decluttering and organizing you do need to take care of yourself overall to reduce your vulnerability to mental health issues. This will also increase your resiliency during those stressful situations that lead to mental health concerns.

Ideas for self-care include the following.

• Work on a healthier sleep routine.
• Work toward healthier eating habits.
• Get more exercise.
• Spend more time outdoors.
• Put your phone down more often.
• Reduce your scheduled obligations.
• Plan fun events with loved ones.

However, doing all of that will only get you so far.

You need to have a calm and peaceful home environment to allow all of your self-care to truly take root and set you on a path to healing.

A decluttered home can lead to better focus, higher self-esteem, better relationships, lower risk of asthma and allergies, and improved lifestyle and well-being.

If you’re struggling to gain control over your own home or find yourself so overwhelmed you don’t know where to start, seeking the support of a professional like a therapist or coach, can help give you direction, while addressing the emotional causes of your clutter.

Decluttering Coach Kate Evans

Often my Decluttering Coaching clients are those who have been in therapy and feel like they’ve taken care of most of the big stuff, but have a cluttered home hanging over their head.

My Coaching clients are generally intelligent, educated women. Many of them, technically, have the skills to declutter and organize their homes. But the way they run their lives, and the chaos they live in makes it too hard to for them to make progress without coaching support.

Whether you use books, blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, a coach, a therapist, or articles like this one to help you live a decluttered life, be gentle with yourself. Remember that we’re all struggling. Clutter is just a symptom, it does not define you.

Kate Evans

Kate Evans is the owner of Soulful Space, a virtual life coaching and decluttering company. Kate helps overwhelmed women declutter their lives and homes. She has worked in the field of psychology since 2004, is an RYT-200 certified yoga teacher, and a writer currently working on a book bringing self-help and decluttering together for lasting change. To learn more about Kate, the work she does, and to read her weekly blog for your mind, body, soul, and space, go to www.soulfulspacecoaching.com. Kate can also be found on Instagram and Facebook @soulfulspace.coaching.

www.soulfulspacecoaching.com

The post Why Your Mental Health Depends on an Uncluttered Home appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Nature Supports Wellness through Living in Rhythm: A Conversation with Desi Bartlett

Time in nature supports wellness in so many ways. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I talk with my patients often about the importance of being in nature for healing, and I love the following quote by Hippocrates, “Nature Itself is the best physician.” Nature can be a great support for you for your practice.  I had the opportunity to sit down with my body mind guide and healing arts muse, Desi Bartlett, to learn more about how the rhythm of our bodies mirrors the rhythm of the ocean.

In your practice, how does nature, and specifically the ocean, support health outcomes?

The beach and the majestic Pacific Ocean are my daily teachers. During the shutdowns of 2020, I would to go to the beach at dawn and sit and meditate. During that time, the beach was restricted because of COVID shutdowns, and I would wake up really early to connect to nature, before law enforcement arrived. I felt a little bit rebellious, claiming my right to connect with nature each day, and I remembered that humankind has been doing this since the beginning of time.

The ocean reminded me, and continues to remind me that life is cyclical.

War, disease, famine, and then the renaissance that arrives after these tumultuous events. I deeply feel the strife that our world is in, and carry deep hope for the renaissance that our children’s generation will usher in.

Desi Bartlett photo by Natiya Guin

Your social media often posts astrological guides that include the energetic changes that flow with the moon; affecting the ebb and flow of the tide.  How does the moon’s behavior affect the rhythm of our bodies?

My mother’s guru was Goswami Kriyananda at the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago. I feel lucky to have grown up in this lineage and to have learned about yoga, meditation, and astrology as a child.

Astrology is a mathematical science based on the 360 degrees of a circle. The circle is a metaphor for the wheel of life.

Depending on what sign and degree the moon lands in, as well as the phase of the moon, we have a glimpse of the emotions of the day.

For example, if there is a Full Moon, it is the peak of the cycle, and a time to reap the harvest. If there is a New Moon, it is time to plant seeds. This applies to our emotional lives as well.

We can live in energetic harmony with the cycles of the moon like the farmers do.

In fact, I look at the Farmer’s Almanac daily to see what cycle of the moon that we are in. Just like the world has major cycles (the Yugas), we have monthly cycles of feelings and emotions.

Women feel this in the physical body with the menstrual cycle, which often aligns with the rhythm of the moon. What can you share about how the rhythm of the ocean can balance hormonal fluxes?

The endocrine system, which controls the hormones in our body, changes throughout our lifetime.

For example, a woman has a spike of relaxin 14 days before her menstrual cycle. Later in life, a woman’s estrogen levels decline and a man’s testosterone levels decline as well. When our hormones change, it is important to look at what we need to restore balance to our physical bodies.

If my body is signaling a decline in energy, I know that it is time to call you as my Naturopath (Dr. Natiya), and ask for bloodwork to test my thyroid.

The ocean helps me to remember that life is about balance. When the delicate ecosystem is out of balance, I can synchronize my breath to the waves, allowing me to go within and ask for guidance.

Photo of Desi Bartlett by Natiya Guin

At our most recent photoshoot on the beach in Malibu I noticed that your yoga asanas and the flow between each matched the sound of the ocean behind and underneath us.  Were you aware that you were moving with the waves?

Ah! I love this! I did not know that I was moving with the waves. As someone who studied dance for many years, I have a tendency to move to the music in my mind. The music that day was the melody of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, that music is available to all of us, everyday!

I especially love the beaches in Malibu…drummers, yogis, Instagram models, photographers and brides can be found everywhere. It is a good reminder of the different ways that we all express our creativity, as well as a reminder not to judge or compare.

You have a way of staying calm and centered even with balancing motherhood, designing yoga products, writing books, and offering a flourishing private yoga practice. This flow reminds me of the power and beauty of the ever changing ocean. How do you keep a flow within your busy life?

The Pacific Ocean is my teacher.

I connect with her every morning. Some days she sends me a message to wake up in the form of a cold wave or a jellyfish. Other days she rocks me gently and soothes my nervous system.

Remembering that every day is a little bit different, and that showing up every day is the work allows me to stay receptive to how I can be of service and to find joy in that expression.

Try this short healing meditation on your next beach walk.

Delighting the senses with the rhythm of the ocean.

• Touch:  With bare feet walk into the ocean ankle deep and notice how the change in temperature makes your feet and ankles feel. How does the gentle hydrotherapy awaken your breath and your energy level?
• Sound: Listen to ocean (fluttering your eyes closed if the waves are small) and notice how powerful, full, or calming it is. Do you hear the sound only between your ears or does it radiate to any other parts of your body?
• Sight: Looking out at the ocean, try to expand your peripheral vision. How far can you see in front of and next to you when you consciously take in the whole scene?
• Smell: Take a deep breath and observe if you can smell the ocean, if it brings not only the salt but also hydration. Do you notice a change in how you breathe or how deep your breaths become?

Natiya Guin

Dr. Natiya Guin is a family medicine doctor and safe skin leader who enjoys healing skin from within, increasing client self-confidence, and magnifying whole person health outcomes. Deep Living Skincare by Dr. Natiya

Her vegan, organic line by Deep Living is founded on the belief that skincare should not only be healing, it should be safe. Her products are designed for all ages and are designed to be shared with the whole family.

Photos in article and meditation by Dr. Natiya Guin

Testimony about the author:
Dr Natiya is an amazing naturopathic doctor, who will guide and nurture you in discovering health, expressing your creativity and support you in seeing your magnificence. -Dr. Moira Fitzpatrick

www.natiya.com

The post How Nature Supports Wellness appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Here are some tried and true ways to remedy this and ignite your sex life.

Try these and watch as the embers of your sex life transform into hot, flickering flames.

1. Put it on the calendar.

As a sex coach, I often hear objections to this: “But doesn’t that make it too routine?  Won’t it feel like a boring work meeting if I have to write it on the calendar?  Shouldn’t sex be spontaneous for it to be fun?!”

No, no, and no.  Our lives are so filled with busy-ness.  When I call someone and ask them how they are, it seems the answer invariably starts with, “Fine, just SO BUSY…”  With hectic, over-scheduled lives, who has time for real connection?

Pro-tip:  If you don’t schedule time for sex in your life, chances are, there won’t be time for sex in your life.

I suggest talking to your partner to figure out what day works best for you to have dates, and then take turns planning weekly dates for each other.  Put these dates in your calendars, and note who’s responsible for the date.  To accommodate whatever activity you have planned (a lesson, shared meal, etc.) plus sex, the date needs to be fairly long.  Plan for four-hour dates at a minimum.

2. Create the mood to ignite your sex life.

Set and setting will make or break a great date and help you ignite your sex life.

If you want more sensuousness in your sex life, buy flowers and arrange them around the bedroom, sprinkle petals on the bed, light candles, put on some sexy music.

If you want edgier sex, darken the room and get out the sexy toys – maybe leave a whip on the nightstand?

Whatever your style, at minimum clean the room, put away the kids’ toys, pick up your dirty clothes.  While sexy baristas with a mattress on the floor and all their worldly possessions piled up around it may have sealed the deal when we were young and carefree, most people grow out of this at some point.  (But if you are into this, no judgment! A sexy barista is still a sexy barista, and the coffee in the morning is bound to be golden.)

3. Communicate.

Do this before your date, not during it, and definitely not while you’re in the midst of having sex.

Allow yourself to be vulnerable and tell your partner (in a gentle way) what is and isn’t working for you.

Encourage them to express this to you too.  Consider taking turns, telling your partner, “My favorite thing we do is…” “What’s your favorite?”  “The thing that excites me the least [or sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable] is…” “What about you?”

4. Slow down.  Slow wayyyyy down.

Lengthen foreplay so that foreplay is most of the play.  If you’ve been having twenty-minute sex sessions, schedule a session to last four hours, and aim for the first half being just pleasurable touch with no penetration.  This may sound extreme, especially if you’re used to quickies before work or just before sleep.  But a long, slow, leisurely love-making session can do so much to intensify your bond and build intimacy.

Consider the time an investment in your lover and your partnership.

5. No goal orientation.

Take orgasm off the table.  While this may be a foreign concept to some, those who have practiced some tantra know how powerful it is to make love without any end-goal, no expectation of orgasm.  Traditionally, “having sex” meant a session in which the man orgasmed.  But what if we forget this outdated view and just think of having sex as a pleasure session for both partners, where we maximize pleasurable touch and minimize the importance of any end goal?

6. Use coconut oil.

If you’re in a monogamous, committed relationship and don’t have to be concerned about STI infections, swap out whatever lube you were using for coconut oil.  (Conversely, if you are non-monogamous and rely on condoms for safety, skip this piece of advice and look for a natural and organic lube that works with condoms, because coconut oil or any oil-based lube will break down latex, rendering the condoms a pointless.)

The coconut oil should be plain, with no other ingredients.  I prefer the kind in the grocery aisle – unrefined, organic, virgin oil for my not-a-virgin sex goddess self.  I have very sensitive skin and find coconut oil to be the most soothing, least-irritating sex lube.  Bonus: it’s edible!  It does, however, have the drawback of staining fabric, so do be sure to launder everything well in warm water after your sex session.

7. Learn sexual massage to ignite your sex life.

Take a class with your partner so you can both lavish each other with expert sensual touch.  If you haven’t invested in a massage table, do so.  It’s an important purchase I recommend to all clients.

8. Explore fantasies.

Do you ever find yourself closing your eyes and imagining something else during sex?  If so, you’re probably not aligning your sex with your core fantasies.

Be brave with your partner and get vulnerable.

Tell them the things that really turn you on.  When you have solo sex, what images come to mind as you get close to coming?  Those are likely your core fantasies.  If you’re not getting to experience them (or at least getting close to them) in your regular sex sessions, you’re likely not maximizing your pleasure.

9. Make dates playful.

Have fun with your partner!  Be creative!

Instead of dinner and a movie, think rock climbing lesson followed by sushi and kinky play!  Getting to experience exciting new things with your partner will lead you to be more attracted to each other. 

As you take turns planning dates, pick new activities each time.

10. Make sex playful.

If you’re used to having just one kind of sex with your partner, switch things up to ignite your sex life.  Try new positions together.  Experiment with changed power dynamics.  Explore kink.  Set a timer and take turns directing your sex session, asking for the things that turn you on the most (while, of course, respecting your partner’s boundaries).

Go on Retreat with Xanet Pailet & Learn How to Ignite Your Sex Life

Go on retreat and ignite your sex life in October, 2022, with Xanet Pailet, at Palmaia, the House of Aia, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Spend Valentine’s Day, 2023 on retreat at Palmaia, the House of Aia, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on retreat and learn how to ignite your sex life.

Order Xanet’s book: Living an Orgasmic Life!

Xanet Pailet

Xanet Pailet is the best selling author of Living an Orgasmic Life. Xanet is a recovered NYC health care lawyer who lived in a sexless marriage for over two decades. After experiencing her own sexual healing and awakening in 2011, she transitioned her career into a full-time sex and intimacy educator and coach. Xanet believes that pleasure is our birthright and she is passionate about helping women and men find their way back into their bodies, their desires, and their pleasure. Xanet works with couples who are in sexless marriages and women who have experienced abuse and trauma. She helps them heal their wounds, release their shame, and reconnect with their sexuality. Xanet is a certified Somatica Sex and Intimacy Coach, Sexological Body Worker, Holistic Pelvic Care Practitioner, Tantra Educator and Somatic Experiencing Trauma practitioner. She is on the faculty of 1440 Multiversity, Ecstatic Living Institute and the Somatica Institute. Learn more: https://powerofpleasure.com

powerofpleasure.com

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At STRATA Integrated Wellness and Spa, medical wellness meets nature. The location features a team of more than thirty acclaimed, board-certified physicians and award-winning therapists across more than forty disciplines.

STRATA integrates the best of Western and Eastern medical science with nutrition, fitness, meditation, and mindfulness coaching. The purpose is to provide guests with a fresh perspective, a greater level of whole-person wellness, and a renewed sense of possibility.

We spoke with team member Mikaila Foster about STRATA, where medical wellness meets nature, and how she incorporates wellness into her own life.

How long have you been with STRATA and what do you do with this property?

As a yoga teacher at the Garden of the Gods Resort within STRATA Fit, I support many of the STRATA integrated wellness programs. I have enjoyed teaching weekly group yoga classes, retreat yoga classes, and partner yoga. Recently I developed a Golf Fit program focused on mobility, stability, strength and power for club members to ultimately enjoy the stunning on-site golf course without pain or injury.

I often teach yoga outdoors on our Mesa Terrace overlooking majestic views of Garden of the Gods Park, a registered National Natural Landmark. During classes, we are often graced with deer and rabbits out on the grass enjoying the peaceful energy of the property.

I teach vinyasa-style yoga. The practice is less about getting your body into physical poses, and more about using each asana (pose) to connect deeper to your body, mind and spirit. I incorporate pranayama or mindful breathing into each class to honor our life source and uncover our inner light, while often connecting that breath to movement and mindful intentions. As a physical therapist, I enjoy offering thoughtful hands-on assist to each yogi who consents to personal touch. This brings the power of human touch into the yoga experience and facilitates a deeper awareness and connection in our body.

Today, there are so many hotels, resorts, retreats and tour operators offering wellness programs and packages. Tell us a bit about STRATA and what is the main point of distinction?

The history of Colorado Springs is fascinating. When the city was founded by General Palmer in 1871, he was enamored and instantly had a grand vision of a sophisticated town to attract both U.S. and international visitors for the health benefits of the plentiful sunshine, dry climate, and clean air. That vision came true with many beautiful resorts in our city. However, none as comprehensive and health-focused as STRATA at Garden of the Gods Resort.

There is a healing energy present at STRATA at Garden of the Gods Resort and Club, as you are surrounded by mountains and enchanting red rock formations. This sets the stage for your experience, though ultimately the genuine energy of the team members and integrative providers makes the experience transformative. The three separate, but collaborative aspects of STRATA are: Med, Body, and Fit.

Guests are offered a uniquely holistic approach to wellness where their self-care meets healthcare. There is something beneficial to offer each guest within each realm of STRATA to help you find a deeper connection to yourself and your inner light.

What pandemic-inspired policies and procedures has STRATA implemented to keep travelers healthy and safe?

In many ways, we have followed one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga Yamas (social ethics). This includes ahimsa: meaning do no harm and act with kindness. Most STRATA team members are vaccinated and demonstrate the highest quality of care for our guests and other team members regarding safety with COVID protocols. We continue to offer group fitness classes over Zoom, along with telehealth appointments for STRATA Med. We offer hand sanitizer throughout the resort and the staff adheres to strict hand-hygiene policies.

Additionally, we offer many beautiful outdoor seating spaces and options for individualized programming. This allows guests to maintain distance, but still experience all the various wellness options on site.

What does STRATA offer that might attract the readers of LA Yoga?

STRATA Fit offers high quality yoga classes outdoors with spectacular views of the Garden of the Gods Park. There is an expansive fitness center sharing those views over the infinity pool, private Pilates reformer classes and private yoga classes. STRATA Med complements these offerings with a la carte IV Nutritional Therapy, Chiropractic Medicine, Naturopathic care, Acupuncture and Ayurvedic sessions.

While yoga classes offer the physical asanas and pranayama, STRATA also offers mindfulness sessions with a licensed psychotherapy team, mindful hiking experiences, and ayurvedic interventions incorporating herbal formulas to augment healing. All combine to help guests accept a lifestyle, routine, and diet that is uniquely harmonizing. Additionally, STRATA Body offers various therapeutic massage options, facials and a full-service salon. We often have special guests for live music and sound bath events arranged, in advance, with guest interest.

How do you incorporate wellness into your own daily life?

As a yoga teacher and physical therapist, I truly believe that movement is medicine and when we move our best, we live our best life. Movement, after all, is how we play, how we work and often how we love through dancing, lifting up children and embracing our loved ones.

However, I also value the importance of a balanced anti-inflammatory diet, sufficient hydration (especially at Colorado’s high elevation), mindfulness, nature, breathwork and mental health care. I move my body daily including hikes with my sweet dog, yoga, Lagree and cycling. I meditate weekly and participate in weekly therapy sessions to maintain mental clarity and stay connected to myself.

In addition, I believe rest and restorative treatments  to be key for wellness. So I strive to schedule monthly therapeutic massages and chiropractic care as needed to help me continue to move and feel my best.

Spending time in nature is a powerful aspect of wellness, and we are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful states.

While in nature, I often enjoy finding a deeper connection to that space with various breath work exercises including box breathing (4 seconds inhale, 4 seconds apnea (holding the breath), 4 seconds exhale, 4 seconds apnea.

During this time, I also find myself deeply grateful for the blessings in my life. One of my favorite gratitude practices is to notice one thing I am grateful for that I have seen with my eyes, heard with my ears, felt on my skin, tasted with my tongue, and smelt with my nose.

This practice helps illuminate the beauty in life and the beauty in how we experience the world around us.

What are the top wellness trends you are seeing at STRATA?

Since COVID restrictions have decreased, more members and guests are participating in group fitness classes, not only for the valuable physical exercise, but for the powerful collective energy in each class which provides a sense of community and belonging to all who are present.

I hear more members share their success stories and impact from sessions with the STRATA chiropractors, naturopaths and acupuncturist, using these treatments to ultimately help them get back to moving well to enjoy the activities that they love without the hassle of accessing care in the traditional health care system.

Do you feel technology is important as it pertains to wellness, and if yes, how and why? If no, why not?

I often feel conflicted about the role technology plays in our wellness. Of course, it is fun and often helpful to track our steps, calories or activities each day – and I especially love when some of the smart watches remind us to breathe and even help with slowing our breath. I also look forward to the potential of how our smart devices can bring both fitness and medicine to us at our convenience, anywhere in the world.

However, I also sometimes see technology as an unhelpful distraction. Perhaps a smart watch goes off during a yoga class or cycling class and disrupts a powerful moment, or perhaps we focus so much on ‘closing our rings’ on our watch that we do not take the adequate time to rest and restore our body.

I believe that stays at STRATA would be most powerful with limited distraction from both cell phones and smart watch devices, allowing each guest to be present in the moment and allowing themselves to be truly present in the magnificent nature surrounding them. This also allows us to practice another one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, dhyana (de-concentration), which allows us to let go and drop efforts into easeful meditation.

Do you and, if yes, how do you incorporate the local community or culture into the programing at STRATA?

We often plan community events around holidays including a Turkey Trot and a Halloween Trunk or Treat for the children in the area.

In Colorado, there is a loving but also competitive culture in our community, which we nourish with various competitions each month to excite the community. Additionally, there is rich history to be explored nearby from the Pioneer Museum downtown, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Cave of the Winds and the beautiful Garden of the Gods Park itself.

What is your final note of advice for living your best life?

Take time to pause and be present in each moment to enjoy the small things. Find gratitude in the strength of your body, the power of your thoughts and the love in your community. Nurture each of those aspects of your life, for when you move well, think well and love well – you ultimately live well.

Anne Dimon

Co-Founder and President /CEO of the Wellness Tourism Association, Anne Dimon has been a travel writer and industry journalist for close to 25 years, and has traveled the world as a columnist/contributor to a variety of publications. Anne is also Owner/ Editor of TravelToWellness.com launched in 2004 as the first online magazine/resource for the wellness-minded traveler. Prior to her life as a journalist, Anne was president of her own public relations company specializing in hospitality. She has also worked in the hotel industry as a director of public relations. An acknowledged wellness travel expert and industry consultant, Anne is also the co-author of The Travel Institute’s new Wellness Travel Specialist Course.

www.TravelToWellness.com

The post Medical Wellness Meets Nature at STRATA appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

So you’re looking for an enchanting location for your destination wedding?

Get ready to have your mind blown!

We’ve rounded up 10 of the most amazing locations in Mexico and the Caribbean for your big day.

From beaches to jungles to luxurious getaways, get ready to fall in love.

And to sweeten the deal, we’ve included prices so you can start planning your day today!

Ready to find the one for you?

Come, take a look…

Top 10 Destination Wedding Locations

1. Sky Terrace at Royalton Riviera Cancun
2. Pier Deck at Generations Riviera Maya
3. Catholic Chapel at Wyndham Alltra Cancun
4. Sunset Rooftop at Dreams Tulum
5. Beachfront Gazebo at The Fives Beach
6. Uh May at Azulik Tulum
7. Oceanfront Lawn at Montage Hotels Cabos San Lucas
8. Amphitheater at Flora Farms Cabo
9. Casa Karma Puerto Vallarta
10. The Cove, Eleuthera in the Bahamas

1. Sky Terrace at the Royalton Riviera Cancun

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | ALL-INCLUSIVE | CANCUN
If you’re looking for a truly breathtaking experience, look no further than a wedding at the Royalton Riviera Cancun on their Sky Terrace.

This wedding venue offers stunning panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea that will leave you & your guests speechless.

It holds up to 90 guests, starting at $1500 with a wedding package of your choice.

Not to mention, the resort itself is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for a destination wedding.

With over 800 suites & villas, outstanding service & world-class amenities, you’ll be well taken care of.
And you’ll never run out of things to do!

At the Royalton, you’ll have day & night entertainment, including:

• Live music & shows
• Dance lessons
• Water activities like snorkeling, paddle boarding & more
• Cooking classes
• Kid’s club & splash park for the little ones

2. Pier Deck at Generations Riviera Maya

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | ALL-INCLUSIVE | CANCUN
For an intimate & romantic setting, a wedding on the Pier at Generations Riviera Maya is a no-brainer.

This beautiful wedding venue overlooks the turquoise waters of the Mexican Riviera and provides a perfect backdrop for your special day.

It can host up to 150 guests with prices starting at $1,300.

Plus, the resort offers plenty of activities for you & your guests to enjoy.

Choose from:

• Tequila tasting with your wedding group
• Aqua aerobics
• Spanish lessons
• Greenhouse tour
• Water polo
• Beach volleyball & more

Or simply soak up the sun on the beach & let the waves wash away your pre-wedding jitters!

3. Catholic Chapel at Wyndham Alltra Cancun

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | ALL-INCLUSIVE | CANCUN

If you’re looking for a traditional yet unique venue, the Catholic Chapel at Wyndham Alltra Cancun is 1-of-a-kind.

It overlooks the Caribbean Sea & provides a stunning setting for your ceremony.

Prices start at $3,500 for up to 50 guests.

Photo by Ivan Luckie Photography

Looking to de-stress before your big day?

Head over to their Aura spa for an ancient Mayan-inspired treatment to melt away your worries.

Or start your day with oceanfront yoga, then dive into the water for some water aerobics!

By nighttime, you have plenty of options to keep you entertained:

• Live music & performances
• Theme parties
• Movie screenings & more!

4. Sunset Rooftop at Dreams Tulum

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | ALL-INCLUSIVE | TULUM

Tulum is a popular spot for destination weddings & it’s easy to see why.

The Sunset Rooftop wedding venue at Dreams Tulum is an absolutely stunning location for your ceremony.

It offers incredible views of the Caribbean Sea & lush greenery that will take your breath away.

This wedding venue can accommodate up to 150 guests starting at $1000 + your wedding package.

When you’re not basking in the sun or enjoying the views, there’s plenty to do at Dreams Tulum.

Take your pick from:

• A variety of water sports
• Dance & Spanish lessons
• Big-screen movies on the beach
• Cocktail & cooking lessons
• On-site spa & more

It’s also a short distance from famous ancient Mayan attractions & natural parks! Read this Dream Tulum wedding review for more info.

5. Beachfront Gazebo at The Fives Beach

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | ALL-INCLUSIVE | PLAYA DEL CARMEN

For a classic beachfront setting, the Beachfront Wedding Gazebo at The Fives Beach is perfect.

It’s situated right above the powdery white sand with stunning views of the turquoise waters.

This wedding venue can host up to 100 guests starting at $1000 + your wedding package.

At The Fives, you & your guests will enjoy plenty of activities to keep you busy.

There’s a world-class spa, several pools, a fitness center, water sports & more.

And if you’re looking for something fun for the kids, they have a kids club & teens lounge!

6. Uh May at Azulik Tulum

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | ALL-INCLUSIVE | TULUM

Azulik Tulum is unlike any other wedding venue on this list.

Set in the heart of the jungle, this eco-friendly resort has a focus on sustainability to reconnect you with nature.

It’s the perfect spot for couples looking for a mystical & magical experience.

The organic architecture of Uh May combines both native & contemporary art for an otherworldly experience.

This venue can accommodate up to 108 guests starting at $8,500.

Photo by Janelle Zara

The aesthetics are truly breathtaking & will make for some incredible photos.

Plus, there are plenty of activities for you & your guests to enjoy.

Choose from:

• Tribal gatherings
• Authentic Mayan healing ceremonies
• Yoga retreats
• Ceramic workshops
• Stunning on-site art museums
• Exquisite gastronomic experiences
• And so much more!

7. Oceanfront Lawn at Montage Hotels

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | CABO SAN LUCAS

Cabo is a popular spot for destination weddings & Montage Hotels does not disappoint.

Set in 1 of the prettiest areas of Cabo San Lucas, their oceanfront lawn is perfect for both intimate & grand celebrations.

This wedding venue can host up to 400 guests ranging from $10,000 – $30,000 in price.

The Montage Hotel also offers a variety of on-site activities for an unforgettable experience.

Guests can enjoy:

• Horse-back riding
• Whale watching
• Beach, desert & mountain ATV tours
• Outback & camel safari
• Water sports
• Ziplining

So if you & your wedding group are an adventurous bunch, this is the spot for you.

8. Amphitheater at Flora Farms Cabo

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | CABO SAN LUCAS

If you’re looking for a more rustic & bohemian vibe, Flora Farms is it.

Set on a working farm in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna mountains, this venue is truly 1-of-a-kind.

The amphitheater is set against a stunning backdrop of the mountains & ocean.

At Flora Farms, you’ll enjoy fresh, farm-to-table cuisine & impeccable service.

You can host up to 500 guests here, with prices ranging from $35,000 – $50,000.

Plus, there are plenty of on-site activities to keep you busy.

Choose from:

• Horseback riding
• Biking
• Wine tasting
• Cheese-making
• Cooking classes & more!

While it’s more pricey than other destinations on this list, it’s definitely worth every penny.

Especially if privacy & seclusion is what you’re after.

Maroon 5’s Adam Levine & model Behati Prinsloo flocked to these farms for that reason!

9. Beachfront at Casa Karma Puerto Vallarta

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | PUERTO VALLARTA

Casa Karma is a beautiful boutique resort for intimate destination weddings.

Once a private villa, it has since been re-imagined into a luxury 8-villa property.

Their Conchas Chinas beachfront wedding venue offers scenic sunset views & can host up to 60 guests.

Prices start at $3000, but you can score a major discount by renting all 8 villas!

Photo by Eder Acevedo

For guests looking for something fun to do, there are tons of activities on & off-site.

Choose from:

• Botanical gardens
• Whale-watching
• Snorkeling
• Ziplines
• ATV tours
• Shopping

You can also indulge in massages by the pool, yoga classes, or private cooking classes!

10. The Cove, Eleuthera in Bahamas

FAMILY-FRIENDLY | PUERTO VALLARTA

Want to get away from the hustle & bustle of city life?

The Cove, Eleuthera provides a boutique and intimate oasis for you & your boo.

Set on a secluded beach in between 2 private coves, this venue offers refined luxury & custom ceremonies to fit your vision.

With sweeping ocean views, The Cove can host up to 150 guests starting at $350 per person.

Guests can enjoy plenty of activities on-site, including:

• Boat excursions
• Organic garden tour
• Sunset yoga
• Biking the glass window bridge & neighboring islands
• Water activities like kayaking, paddle boarding, scuba diving

With its pristine beaches & lush vegetation, The Cove is a true slice of paradise.

Want to explore a destination wedding?

Did you find that jaw-dropping, heart-skipping destination on this list?

Not sure where to start with the planning process? Check out ParadiseWeddings.com.

They’ve helped 100’s of couples plan their dream destination wedding — will yours be next?

Let the dreaming begin!

Samantha Wishard

Destination wedding planner extraordinaire and writer of all things weddings, Samantha covers style, venues, and tips & tricks to planning your wedding abroad.

The post Top 10 Jaw-Dropping Destination Wedding Locations + Prices appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.