from wholeliving.com

Looking to lighten up your day?  Give downward facing dog a shot.  A central part of surya namaskaram, or sun salutations, this posture opens your shoulders and the sides of your body, making more space to breathe. It also stretches your back, hips, and legs, allowing for your muscles to relax and relieve stress and anxiety. An inversion, down dog also increases circulation throughout your body by reversing blood flow from your hips toward your head.

For help getting into this pose, and for tips on other mood-boosting poses, check out this article.

-Sri Nityananda

- Oscar Wilde

-Sri Sathya Sai Baba

- Howard Thurman

- Winston Churchill

from wholeliving.com

while green tea can come in lots of shapes and varieties, one thing remains constant – it’s loaded with antioxidants.  though it derives from the same plant as black and oolong (camellia sinensis), green tea undergoes no fermentation, giving it that fresh, grassy flavor.  the major antioxidant power comes from epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).  because the tea isn’t fermented, the EGCG remains intact, neutralizing free radicals to reduce the risk of cancer.  it may also help the heart by reducing levels of “bad” cholesterol and improving blood flow.  EGCG’s antibacterial properties may prevent gum disease and tooth decay.  And, as if all this weren’t enough, drinking green tea can boost the metabolism.

green tea, i think i ♥ you!

from wholeliving.com

in this month’s body+soul magazine, i came upon an interesting section called the  whole body action plan.  while the whole plan seemed awesome, this section on meditating was especially interesting.  many people find meditation to be particularly difficult.  while you are simply sitting, a lot of times it is hard to settle in to the silence and really quiet the mind.

here are some directions for meditation for beginners, to help ease you into the process:

1. sit in a chair and allow your body to settle.
2. slowly scan your body from toe to head, noticing where you feel tight.
3. bring your attention to your breathing, inhaling and exhaling through the nose but never forcing your breath. keep your mouth softly closed, your jaw relaxed.
4. become more and more sensitive to your breath, in tune with where your body moves (and doesn’t move) on the inhale and exhale.
5. allow your awareness of your breath to bring ease to your entire body. imagine your body moving toward the earth, fully supported.
6. continue observing your breath moving in and out of your body.
7. at the end of the 15 minutes, breathe deeply three times, allowing the inhale to move down to your toes and the exhale to move up and out of the tops of your shoulders. pause and then open your eyes.

while this is the only technique in the physical magazine, you can find more here.  if you want to find out more about the whole body action plan, you can read about it at whole living.

modified from wholeliving.com

based on some promising research at Southern Methodist University, scientists have learned that learning to breathe more slowly may reduce the severity of an asthma attack. “Techniques derived from yoga breathing can help you feel calmer and possibly open your respiratory capacity,” says Benjamin Kligler, M.D., who is the vice chair of the Beth Israel Department of Integrative Medicine in New York City.  according to the doctor, while breath training to target asthma patients may be ideal, any kind of mind-body activity can help to manage asthma by reducing stress.

from satyajewelry.com

during my christmas shopping session earlier this week, i happily wandered into a brand new jewelry store. satya jewelry is a line that was started by two friends, satya and beth.  with a yoga background, and lots of traveling in their past, satya and beth ventured to design gorgeous, inspired jewelry.  the line ranges from everything from necklaces to rings, big to small, silver to gold.  there’s something for everyone (and especially your favorite yogi).

an added benefit is that satya, sanskrit for truth, donates a percentage of sales to children’s organizations through the satya foundation which is committed to providing the experience of yoga and healthy living for children through need based scholarships. for more information, check out their website.  if you live in the northern part of jersey, you can check out their new store at the short hills mall (the employees are awesome, to boot).

*editor’s note: i bought that little necklace you see here and i absolutely LOVE it.