THAT'S A Yoga Pose??!!

When you think of what yoga should look like, what do you think of???

I think most people think you have to be doing something super bendy or intense with your body for it to be called yoga.

Well, sure, this is yoga....

Photo by James Leash with Sharp Eye Images

...Ustrasana, or Camel Pose, is a yoga pose and definitely has lots of health benefits.

But, this is actually yoga too....

Photo by the lovely, Troye Boone

...Viparita Karani, or Legs Up the Wall Pose.

Viparita Karani is a mild inversion and has a wide range of health. This pose is known for its restorative nature and will get blood flowing to parts of the body that need it, making it good for most any ailment including arthritis, high or low blood pressure, respiratory ailments, and menopause.

Benefits of Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose):

• Regulates blood flow
• Alleviates menstrual cramps
• Relieves swollen ankles and varicose veins
• Helps with reproductive problems in men and women
• Improves digestion
• Restores tired feet or legs
• Stretches the back of the neck, front torso, and back of the legs
• Improves problems of the eyes and ears
• Relieves mild backache
• Provides migraine and headache relief, especially when done with a bandage wrapped tightly around the forehead and back of the skull
• Helps keep you young and vital
• Calms anxiety
• Relieves symptoms of mild depression and insomnia

Note: If you have Glaucoma or a serious neck or back injury, you should avoid this pose.

Getting Into Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose):

It is always best to lie on your yoga mat or something with a little cushion (if you are at home, carpet will work just fine). Sit with your left hip against the wall and bend your knees. Reach your hands behind your hips and lean your torso backward. Lean back and use your hands to support your torso as you swivel your hips and bring your feet up the wall.  Keep your sit bones (buttocks) close to the wall and lie down on your back. Rest your arms out to the sides, palms face up. Close your eyes and relax in the pose, breathing softly and evenly, in and out through your nose.

When using support: If you have any lower back pain, support your body by placing a yoga block or folded blankets on the ground beneath your back (you will notice in the picture above that I have a yoga block underneath my low back between my sacrum and the wall). 

If your neck feels strained, place a small, rolled-up towel under it. Cover your eyes with a small towel and keep  them closed for 5 – 15 minutes as you soften and release. Rest your arms out to your sides. Open your shoulder blades away from the spine, relaxing your hands and wrists. Keep your legs held vertically in place, but only partially flexed.

After you come out of this restorative pose, be sure to lie on your side for a few breaths before sitting upright with your back against the wall, then slowly rise to your feet.

Photo by the lovely, Troye Boone

Remember our "Try Something New" Challenge?? How about trying this pose! I mean, what do you have to lose, besides maybe some anxiety, insomnia, tired legs....??? :)

Feel free to ask me if you have any questions!! I am here for support!

Banana Spiced Protein Detox Shake

This healthy, creamy banana smoothie is so good, you might mistake it for a milkshake!

What do you do when your 16 month old toddler wakes up on the WRONG side of the bed? (Miss Little Cranky Pants!!!)

No, you don't hide in a closet...although this might seem tempting at times... :)

You eat a mood-boosting, energy-packed breakfast to keep you going...and you do some yoga while the cranky, but adorable little one takes her nap! Don't get me wrong, though! I love this little munchkin to the moon and back! But, on days like this, I am grateful that she takes a nap, so even if I can't get away to the studio to practice, I can roll out my yoga mat in my bathroom, crank up the heat a little, and ta-da! My very own, private yoga studio! :)

Oh, and this shake!! It is sure to keep you on your toes!

I LOVE me some chai tea, but I only drink herbal teas, so when I find an herbal tea that tastes like chai, I stock up!! Seriously! You should see my pantry! It is like 50% herbal teas and 50% everything else! :)

Right now, this is my favorite tea! There are a long list of herbs in it, but some you might recognize are cinnamon bark, sarsaparilla root, ginger root, licorice root, dandelion root, and cardamom seed. These herbs helps support healthy liver and kidney functions and reduce bloating and water retention. So, of course I drink a ton of this stuff!

But, I need more than just tea for breakfast, so I pack my other staples into my Vita Mix for a detoxifying, high energy smoothie!

The WHAT and WHYs:

Detox Tea = healthy liver and kidney functions and reduce bloating / water retention

Bananas = mood booster, energy source, and so much more!

Rolled Oats = helps keep you full along with other digestive benefits

Protein Powder = PROTEIN

Cinnamon = Natural metabolism booster

Put this all together and you get a whole lot of delicious awesomeness! :)

Banana Spiced Protein Detox Shake

Ingredients

• 1 cup Yogi's Detox Tea (steep 2 bags per 1 cup hot water)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any other kind of milk)
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 to 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice (I use the Life's Basics Plant Protein Mix in Natural Vanilla like in my Cucumber Coconut Smoothie)
• 1 medium banana, frozen overnight
• dash cinnamon
• Honey, agave, or stevia liquid or powder to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Steep tea and refrigerate overnight. Place peeled banana in freezer overnight.
2. In the morning, add all ingredients together in Vita Mix or other blender and blend until smooth.
3. Slowly savor every bit! Or inhale, like me! 

It's so good you might even mistake it for a milkshake! :)

And what's even better is that my little munchkin woke up from her nap on the RIGHT side of the bed! She was all smiles and laughs the rest of the day! This day turned out pretty good!

Guiltless Mango Carrot Cheesecake...Oh, Yes You Can!!

I hereby deem this Guiltless Mango Carrot Cheesecake kid tested, mother approved! Oh, and even better, it is HUSBAND approved! And a good cheesecake is one of my husband's favorite things, so if he likes it, it must be good! :)

This recipe is guiltless, gluten free, no bake, has a raw / vegan option, and super delicious! But, don't take my word for it! Try it out for yourself.

Note: Below you will find a Vegan Cheesecake Layer Option and a Non-Vegan Layer Option. Choose whichever one works for you. Both are delicious!

Guiltless Mango Carrot Cheesecake

Prep Time: less than 10 minutes

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Pitted Dates
• 1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• 3-4 Whole Carrots
• 2 Cups Pecans
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon

Non-Vegan Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Reduced Fat or Light Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 Tbsp Honey (Agave, Maple Syrup or Stevia – to make it no sugar)
• 2 Packets of Stevia
• 1 Cup Mango Chunks (frozen or fresh)

OR

Vegan Cheesecake Layer Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Cashew Butter
• 3 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1/4 Cup Agave Nectar (Maple Syrup or Honey)
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
• 1 Cup Mango Chunks (frozen or fresh)

Directions:

1. Using your processor bowl and blade chop carrots, then add all other crust ingredients and puree until dough like consistency. If it doesn't seem sticky/doughy enough, add a couple more dates.
2. Grease an 8×8 baking pan or glass dish with a healthy oil.
3. Press crust mixture evenly into baking dish.
4. Clean your food processing bowl and blade, then process all cheesecake layer ingredients until smooth.
5. Top crust with cheesecake filling using a spoon or spatula to make sure the filling is evenly distributed over the crust.
6. Cover with saran wrap and freeze overnight or at least 5-6 hours.
7. When you’re ready to serve remove from the freezer, allow to thaw for 30 minutes or so, and cut into squares and top with crushed pecans, shredded coconut or some grated carrots or mango!
8. ENJOY GUILTLESSLY!

Quinoa Power Breakfast & Leaving the City of Your Comfort

I found a quote the other day that said, "You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness or you intuition. What you will discover will be wonderful. What you will discover is yourself." 

This made me think back to about 5 months ago when I started my yoga teacher training journey. The first time we all came together as a group of yoga teacher trainees was for the Friday afternoon class at Akasha Davis. All of the trainees were asked to put their mats in the back row, and then we were all handed black bandannas...which we were to wear as blindfolds through the ENTIRE 75 minute class!

As you can imagine, that was both scary and humbling! But, by the end of the class, what I came to realize was how much I was missing by simply neglecting to close my eyes and allow my other senses to take over! Ironically, closing my eyes was extremely eye OPENING!

Sometimes we don't need to go very far to "leave the city of our comfort." Maybe we only need to take one small step.

So, I challenge you to try something NEW! It can be anything, big or small, but it has to benefit your well-being, either physically, mentally, or emotionally. You be the judge.

You could even try this for breakfast, instead of your same ol' bowl of cereal!

Quinoa Power Breakfast

What you will need:

• 1 cup Cooked Quinoa (TIP: Make a bunch the night before and put it in the fridge! Left over quinoa is a quick and easy breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack...you name it!)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Fresh or frozen berries
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• Agave (to taste)
• Almond Milk (to taste)

Directions:

1. Stir quinoa, egg, vanilla and cinnamon together
2. Place in microwave and cook for 1.5 to 2 minutes (or until egg is cooked)
3. Add a splash of Almond Milk, berries, and drizzle with some agave.
4. Enjoy your protein-packed breakfast!!

This is one of my Go-To breakfast recipes! Hope you love it as much as I do!