Add yoga to your routine

"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine." ~ Mike Murdock

Greetings!

We hope you are settling in to your new fall routine! It has been great to see so many new and familiar faces at the studio. Thanks to all who joined us on Saturday morning.

Below you will find helpful tips on what to eat after yoga, as well as our posture of the month: chair pose (everyone's favorite!). We also discuss the benefits of using props in a yoga practice and sharing written goals.

Enjoy this beautiful weather!

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What to eat after yoga

Last issue we discussed what to eat prior to practicing yoga; here are some tips on what to eat after a good workout.

Refuel 30-60 minutes after class, preferably foods that are quickly absorbed and easily digested. A combination of lean protein and a small amount of carbs are good to help recover and build muscles, while maintaining your metabolism. Some good suggestions might be:

* A smoothie, hard boiled eggs or apples with almond butter

* A salad with fresh veggies and quinoa

* Steamed veggies, brown rice and chicken breast or salmon

* An egg white omelette

* Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts or seeds

* Sweet Potato (not fried)

* Dried fruit and nut bar

You already know it's important to drink a lot of water, especially when practicing yoga. Hydration is extremely important to stay focused and healthy. As a rule of thumb, you should drink half of your body weight in ounces of water. (So a 150 pound person should aim to drink 75 ounces of water a day).

Also keep in mind the time of day you work out. If you practice in the morning, you might need more nourishment to get you through the day. If you attend a class at night, may want to go lighter on the post work out carbs.

You put a lot of time and effort in to your practice, so don't neglect it by what you put in to your body afterward. A balanced practice is a healthy practice!

Pose of the month: Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

The dreaded chair pose! While challenging, utkatasana offers many benefits to yoga practitioners. Whether you love it or hate it, chair pose tones the leg muscles, strengthens the hip flexors, ankles, calves and spine. It also stretches the chest and shoulders while stimulating the heart, diaphragm and abdominal organs.

Chair Pose How-to's:

Stand in Tadasana and raise your arms perpendicular to the floor.

Exhale and bend your knees, trying to make your knees as parallel to the floor as possible. Knees will project over your feet and your torso will lean slightly forward over your thighs. Keep your inner thighs parallel and press through your heels.

Make sure to keep your shoulder blades firm against your back and ensure your tailbone is long toward the floor. You may extend your arms, airplane your arms behind you, or hold in prayer pose.

To challenge your chair pose practice, place a block between your thighs and squeeze.

If you need help mastering this posture, start near a wall so when you bend, your tailbone just touches and is supported by the wall.

Yoga Props Rock!

Using props for yoga can be a great way to expand your practice and assist an area that may need support. Props like yoga blocks, bolsters, and belts can help practice poses with greater ease and effectiveness, without overextending your limits. Yoga props are for everyone. Strategically placed, they can help you further your yoga practice.

Blocks . Available in different sizes, blocks can be used in three different variations: laid flat. on an edge, or standing tall. Blocks can be used to assist in flexibility by raising the "floor" to you, and offering leverage in bends and folds. By placing them at different areas of your body you can increase your stretching capabilities.

Bolsters and Blankets . Available in different sizes, bolsters and blankets assist in opening, releasing or supporting your body when needed. Often used in Hatha and Yin Yoga, bolsters are a great tool for holding poses for an extended amount of time.

Belts . Easy to utilize something from your own home, belts are key in stabilizing joints, encouraging flexibility and creating space in postures.

Share your intentions

Have you seen the Inspiration Boards throughout the studio? We just updated the themes and hope you will join us in contributing at least one thought, quote or drawing. To live mindfully is to be intentional and aware of your environment and community. Please share your insight on the topics throughout The Fire Within so we may thoughtfully support each other.

This month we are focusing on mastering poses, setting intentions for others, and autumn goals.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." ~ Dalai Lama

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