Author: Ashley Bonner

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5 Reasons to Start Meal Prepping

Meal preparation is a weekly preparation of meals for a period of time longer than two days. Planning, cooking, and packaging food for the upcoming week can save time and money. There are many benefits and it is not as intimidating as it looks! Here are my top 5 reasons to start.

  1. Save Time– Planning ahead is a key component in staying on track, reaching your goals, and saving time. Planning your meals in advance requires you to create a list of all the ingredients you will need for that week’s meals. In doing so, you can eliminate the possibility of running back and forth to the grocery store for last minute items.

  2. Save Money- You will save money through buying in bulk and eliminating restaurant markup. 

  3. Decrease Stress–  Throughout life, people are encouraged to stay organized by creating to-do lists in order to fulfill obligations without last minute stress. This same philosophy applies when aiming to maintain a healthy, nutritious diet. As your schedule becomes hectic, it seems juggling nutrition with the rest of your life is impossible, however, meal preparation is one way to reduce stress and give you one less thing to worry about. 

  4. Make Healthier Choices-Preparing meals yourself enables you to include healthier and unprocessed ingredients. 

  5. Eat Higher Quality Foods– Instead of reaching quick processed and prepackaged snacks or meals that go over your caloric needs, you will now be able to eat home cooked healthier foods in proper portions.

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6 Reasons to Practice Yoga

 

 

Practicing yoga is a positive journey for both your physical and mental health. Mentally, you will notice more strength to move away from negative situations. Physically, you will become more flexible and improve your posture. Here are my top six reasons to start practicing yoga.

1.    Relieve Stress.  One major component of yoga is meditation. Yoga meditation was designed to calm your mind and move into a deeply meditative state. This is mainly practiced in order to be more relaxed. Meditating often will help control stress, decrease anxiety, and improve your cardiovascular health. Learning to focus your mind on one thing at a time seems difficult at first, but with practice you start to develop new habits towards a more relaxed internal state. Meditating becomes easier changing your life for the better.

2.    Breathe More Effectively. Yoga mainly focuses on pranayama techniques giving you the opportunity to use your entire lung capacity. Practicing enables you to learn how to breathe better. These techniques have an extremely calming effect.

3.    Become Stronger Mentally. Not only will you notice that you will become more positive, but you will be able to accept whatever life brings to the table. Not all life experiences are good. Yoga teaches you that both positive and negative things in life come and go. Understanding this on a deeper level makes it easier to accept, stay present, and be positive. You will slowly become more aware of how things influence you. You will naturally make changes that will impact your life in a favorable way. Overall, you will become more aware of everything in life. Once you develop self-awareness you are able to change your thoughts and interpretations.

4.    Become Stronger Physically. Yoga is a full body workout that targets muscles within the body through specific poses and postures. Yoga increases mobility and flexibility bringing more ease into your movement. Essentially you won’t feel so stuck within your body. You will notice that your posture will improve.

5.    Be in the Present. People tend to get bogged down thinking about the past or the future and in today’s society checking out completely into the land of cell phones or social media however, yoga gives you the ability to unplug and focus on what is going on in your body and in your life right now. Happiness can only be found here and now in the present.

6. Manage Your Pain. Studies suggest that practicing yoga reduces pain for people with conditions including hypertension or arthritis cancer.

Do you practice yoga? Will you consider trying a yoga class after hearing these benefits?

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5 Wellness Tips to Follow for a Healthier and Happier Version of You

5 Wellness Tips to Follow for a Healthier and Happier Version of You

In today’s world doesn’t it constantly feel as though we are bombarded with a stream of news, updates, events, and stress on the regular? Life can be complicated, and we can all benefit from finding a little more happiness in smaller things. Even if you do not know where to start below are five wellness tips to follow to reach a healthier and happier version of you.

  1. Think Positively and Focus on Gratitude. Research shows a positive attitude helps build a healthier immune system and boosts overall health leading to a better psychological and physical well-being.

  2. Drink Water. Water boosts concentration, aides in balancing the fluids in your body, helps your kidneys in the cleansing process, energizes your muscles, and increases mental awareness. Lastly, drinking water relieves fatigue, which can put you in a more positive mood.

  3. Set Goals. Set short-term and long-term realistic wellness goals that can be easily achievable. Setting goals creates motivation and helps organize your time and resources. This enables you to make the most out of your life.

  4. Be Kind to You. Self-love is so important, as life becomes lighter, you will feel happier overall, and your relationships will likely improve.

  5. Eat More Plants. Plants are loaded with nutrients. Diets loaded with fruits and veggies can not only lower blood pressure, but also lower chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

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16 Spiritual Yoga Mantras to Recognize and Remember

Ever wonder what the chants whispered throughout class are all about and why they mutter them? Here is your chance to learn what the words are and what they actually mean.

Mantra yoga is believed to have both spiritual and psychological influence and is used to engage the mind through concentrating on sound, duration, and the number of repetitions. The literal meaning of ‘Mantra’ means ‘muttering or whispering’. This chanting helps the mind to enter a meditative state. This leads the mind of the practitioner to connect with the divine within himself or herself. Each mantra and chant has a specific meaning. Below are sixteen of the most important yoga mantras to know.

  1. Om– One of the most sacred spiritual yoga mantra is also known as ‘OM’ and pronounced A-U-M. This mantra is the sound of immortality and infinity.

  2. Om Namah Shri– This chant is used to appreciate and honor deity Svaha. Deity Swaha is a hindu goddess. The chant means giving of self and letting go.

  3. Om Shanti Shanti Om– This chant means peace.

  4. So Hum– This chant is a universal mantra sound of the breath. ‘So’ is inhalation and ‘Hum’ is exhalation.

  5. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya– This chant is a spiritual formula for attaining freedom.

  6. Hari Om– This chant removes and purifies obstacles. 

  7. Sita Ram–  This chant celebrates love. 

  8. Om Shri Saraswataya Namaha– This chant represents inspiration in art, music, and literature.

  9. Om Shri Kali Durgaya Namaha– This chant dispels negativity.

  10. Om Shri Ramaya Namaha– Ram is a name for god. It engenders God consciousness, truth, and blessings.

  11. Om Namah Shivaya– This chant honors the divine within oneself and others destroying negativity and replacing it with positivity.

  12. Om Gum Ganipati-ya Namaha– This chant removes obstacles and brings success upon us.

  13. Om Shrim Lahshmi-ya Namana– This chant represents noble abundance, prosperity, beauty, and grace.

  14. Om Tara Tu Tara Tu Ray Swaha– This chant represents compassion, strength, and healing.

  15. Gate gate Para gate Para sum gate Bodhi Swaha– This chant represents to go beyond enlightenment. 

  16. Om mani padme hum– This chant represents the jewel of the lotus of the heart.

 

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How “The Eight Limbs of Yoga” Can Lead to a Purposeful Life

“The Eight Limbs of Yoga” were created by Patanjali as a road map to lead a meaningful and purposeful life, essentially reaching the summit of human experience!

Fun Fact: Patanjali is believed to have lived in the second century BCE and wrote Ayuveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine as well as Sanskrit grammar.

Below you will find an overview of the Eight Limbs of Yoga.

    1. Yama– The first limb has to do with one’s ethical standards. This is mainly about how we practice off of the mat, focusing on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in life. There are five yamas:

      • Non-Violence (Ahimsa)

      • Truthfulness (Satya)

      • Non-Stealing (Asteya)

      • Continence (Brahmacharya)

      • Non Covetousness (Aparigraha)

    2. Niyama– The second limb focuses on self-discipline and spiritual observances. Examples include saying grace before a meal,  attending church regularly, or developing your own meditation practices. There are five niyamas:

      • Cleanliness (Saucha)

      • Contentment (Samtosa)

      • Spiritual austerities (Tapas)

      • Study of Sacred Scriptures and of one’s self (Svadhyaya)

      • Surrender to God (Isvara Pranidhana)

    3. Asana– The third limb refers to the postures and poses practiced in yoga. Due to the fact that the body is a temple of spirit; taking care of your body is an important stage in spiritual growth. FUN FACT: Practitioners develop the habit of discipline and the ability to concentrate.

    4. Pranayama– The fourth limb is also known as breathing techniques that are practiced among yogis. These exercises are designed to not only gain control over the respiratory process, but also to recognize the connection between your emotions, the mind, and the breath. The literal translation of pranayama is “life force extension”, it has been researched and is strongly believed that practicing these techniques will extend life itself.

  1. Pratyahara– The fifth limb means gaining mastery over external influences. This is one of the most important stages in which we make the effort to draw our awareness away from the external world and outside stimuli.                                                       3 Levels of Ahara:

      1.  Physical Food– The five elements that we need to nourish the body (earth, water, fire, air, and ether)

      1. Impressions– Sensations of sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell.

    1. Associations– People who serve to nourish the soul and affect us with gunas of ssattva, rajas, and tamas (Harmony, Distraction, or Inertia)           Pratyahara involves WITHDRAWING the wrong food, wrong impressions, and wrong associations, while simultaneously opening up to the right food, right impressions, and right associations. By withdrawing our awareness from negative impressions, this strengthens the mind’s powers of immunity. A healthy mind resists negative sensory influences around it. This article IS an amazing read about Pratyahara and I encourage you to read it to learn more about how important this limb truly is, especially in today’s society : https://yogainternational.com/article/view/pratyahara-yogas-forgotten-limb

  2. Dharana– The sixth limb is also known as concentration. This stage enables us to deal with distractions of the mind itself and how to slow down our thinking process. Our attention tends to travel and practicing yoga regularly will enable you to develop powers of concentration and full attention on a single point. Extended dharana leads to meditation which brings us to the seventh limb, dhyana.

  3. Dhyana- Dhyana is the uninterupted flow of concentration, also known as meditation. In this stage, there are few thoughts and your mind has been quieted. The amount of strength it takes to reach ‘Dhyana’ is impressive, as it is difficult, but still possible.

  4. Samadhi– The eighth and final stage is a state of ecstasy, where they experience bliss and being at one with the universe. Overall, Patanjali, described is the path to peace, happiness, and pure joy. The ultimate stage in yoga is enlightenment that can neither be bought or possessed, only experienced.

Brief Overview: 1. Yama (Ethical Standards) 2. Niyama (Self-Discipline) 3. Asana (Postures) 4. Pranayama (Breathing) 5. Pratyahara (Mastery of External Influences) 6. Dharana (Concentration) 7. Dhyana (Meditation) 8. Samadhi (Pure Bliss)

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed.

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In this photo, my beloved cousin, Emily, is wearing our ‘Dirty Pink Colorband’ from our ‘Original Collection’. 

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7 Health Benefits of Yoga Therapy Within the Body


Yoga has many health benefits associated with it, as it is an ancient practice that connects the mind, body, and spirit through body postures, breathing, and meditation. Below are seven benefits of yoga therapy within the body.

  1. Blood Pressure – Yoga focuses mainly on breathing. Breathing is the process of moving oxygen-rich air into and out of the lungs. Respiration refers to how the cells of the body use oxygen to create energy.  A consistent yoga practice decreases blood pressure through these circulation and oxygenation exercises.

  2. Pulse Rate – Practicing yoga frequently provides a lower pulse rate. Essentially your heart will become strong enough to pump more blood with fewer beats.

  3. Circulation– By transporting nutrients and oxygen throughout your body through the breathing techniques, yoga practice improves blood circulation.

  4. Organs– Practicing improves the ability of the body to prevent disease. Not only does this allow your body to have a quicker response to head off disease, but a practitioner would become better tuned to his or her body knowing at first sign if something is not functioning properly.

  5. Immunity– Research shows that people who practice yoga have a stronger immune system.

  6. Pain– Pain tolerance is higher and chronic pain is eliminated or limited for people who practice yoga regularly.

  7. Metabolism– There are specific yoga poses for metabolism. These poses will help you improve your overall metabolic rate.

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5 Things Yoga Has Taught Me

I began practicing yoga in 2016 and since then I have found that there have been so many unexpected benefits on top of the obvious, be more flexible. Below are six things practicing yoga has taught me.

1. That I need to relax!

I cannot tell you how much I resisted the ‘Savasana’ when I first began yoga. The ‘Savasana’ occurs at the end of yoga practice. The savasana enables us to bring yoga from asana into self-awareness through meditation. My mind wondered to a million different topics instead of focusing on resting and recharging. This is completely normal for your mind to resist deep relaxation and it takes practice and patience. Yoga has a way of quickly showing us the short-lived nature of our attention. This is an important lesson, as the more we can identify how our mind works, the less we feel detoured by its skittishness. With practice we can learn to redirect our mind back home.

2. How to breathe.

Yoga without the familiarity of the breath is not yoga. When we practice inhalation and exhalation we are gifted a direct line to positively affect our mood and our energy. The point of yoga requires our full attention, and one way to harness this attention is the breath. Breathing techniques have essentially taught me to reduce my own stress response and I use this ALL the time.

3. That yoga doesn’t just occur on the mat.

Yoga is SO much more than just an hour practice at my gym that I attend three times a week. Yoga truly is a lifestyle, a science, and route to well-being and completion in mind, body, and soul.

3 Examples:

1. When I am present, focusing on today, the here and now, the current task at hand, I am practicing yoga.

2. When I am being open to what the world might bring, I am doing yoga.

3. When I am spreading the message of well being, I am doing yoga. Everything that goes on off of the matt is just as important as what occurs on it.

4. Be present… and okay with it.

Yoga has taught me to be present. Yoga is about the here, the now. It takes away everything else and just brings peace of mind. This brings you away from negative emotions, stress, anxiety, regret, and makes you appreciate how awarding the breathe is. Yoga enables us to escape from confinement and release your limitations in order to allow yourself to expand and grow.

5. You can achieve more than you think.

Throughout my life, I have always had the “I am not good enough” mindset and am still working on it. Yoga has helped me get out of this entrapment. This is a HUGE reason I practice, as it teaches me I am not decided, to be willing to do more than you decided. Your life becomes LIMITLESS.

 

The most IMPORTANT lesson, is that yoga is the experience of realizing ourselves as love. Yoga practice says come here and be you. As we practice MORE and MORE, we learn to strip away and release toxic stories that keep us from ourselves.

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Top 6 Yoga Blogs You Need to Follow

The online community of yoga blogs filled with information about yoga, meditation, and wellness is massive. I have narrowed down a list of my favorite yoga blogs that are constantly updated and have a significant amount of readers. Each blog provides the yoga community with value, as they share well-written articles, workshops, yoga classes, videos, free yoga challenges, and more. Here are a few gems that I think stand out the most.

1. YOGA GYPSY.

This blog is designed to strengthen your yoga practice, as it portrays a visual breakdown of specific yoga poses and postures. This blog is extremely informative and helpful.

WEBSITE: HTTP://YOGAGYPSY.BLOGSPOT.IN/

AUTHOR: LA GITANE

BLOG: POSES, SEQUENCES, AND TEACHER’S TIPS

2. YOGA DORK.

This humorous blog is all about current events in yoga culture. I highly recommend if you are would like to stay up-to-date in what is happening in the world in a comical, yoga related way.

WEBSITE: http://yogadork.com/

BLOG: ONLINE STORE, CURRENT EVENTS

3. THE YOGA TRAIL BLOG.

Not only does this yoga blog share tips and tricks to help students and teachers, but it also connects the yoga community including students, teachers, and studios around the world at large.

WEBSITE: http://www.theyogatrail.com/yoga-blog

BLOG: Travel & Yoga Blog, Offer Yoga Classes Outdoors in Central Park

4. THAIS GUIMARAES.

I love this blog, as she shares supportive and uplifting messages in a calming way. I feel a welcoming invitation to keep reading her inspirational words. I highly recommend reading for all women within the yoga community who want to make the changes we wish to see in our lives.

WEBSITE: https://www.thaissky.com/blog

5. CURVY YOGA.

This blog celebrates the diversity of all different body types within the yoga community. Anna Guest-Jelley writes positively about embracing our individual bodies enforcing the importance of self-love and honoring our bodies for their unique capabilities. This blog should be read by anyone who is afraid that their body holds them back from being or becoming a yogi.

WEBSITE: https://www.curvyyoga.com

BLOG: Yoga Videos, Articles, Podcasts, Music

6. RACHEL BRATHEN.

Rachel Brathen uses her blog as a diary to share with her followers her daily yoga sessions and wellness tips.

Accomplishments: She wrote a book, became a motivational speaker, started a non-profit organization, and lives the dream on an island in Aruba.

WEBSITE:  http://rachelbrathen.com/workshops/

BLOG: Inspiring Articles, Workshops, and a Podcast

 

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7 Tips for Beginner Runners

7 Tips for Beginner Runners

Beginner Runners often find themselves overwhelmed with their new activity. This feeling comes from not being ready mentally or physically for the new demands they are about to put on their bodies. Here are 7 tips to help ensure success with your new adventure into running.

1. Stay Hydrated- Proper hydration is vital to your athletic performance and health.

2. Get Rest- Rest is critical to rebuilding and recovering your body. Make sure to have a rest day incorporated.

3. Stick to the Plan- Create a plan. A great beginner plan would start with The run and walk method, which for example would be a 1-minute run to a 5-minute walk. Increase the amount of time spent running and decrease the amount of time spent walking gradually. This will help you grow!

4. Start Slow- In order to avoid injuries and soreness, start slowly. Injuries occur from doing too much too soon. Make sure to take it slow, warm up your muscles, and ease into your new hobby.

5. Set Realistic Goals- Break down aspirations into daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

6. Keep a Journal- A training log can be your best tool for success. Take note and track your record. Write down how you felt, specific goals, the distance you ran, your speed, the time of day you worked out, your morning vs evening heart rate, any specific weather conditions, etc. The list can go on! It creates purpose, holds you accountable, and gives you motivation.

7. Purchase New Gear- Purchase a good pair of running shoes, sports bras, and workout clothing. Don’t forget our headbands too! They are sweat-absorbent and will keep your hair out of your face during your workouts. For a more secure fit, wear over ears and above eyebrows.

Thank you for reading. I hope that you enjoyed this post. Please comment below if you have any further tips.

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