Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Make This At Home! Happy Baby Berry Beet Bowl


by Jasmine De La Paz

The Happy Baby Berry Beet Bowl


You know that feeling at the end of class, right before savasana, you do a happy baby and everything just feels so good. Well, this smoothie bowl has the same effect and is a perfect post-yoga snack or meal. 

Beets are so amazing, and are good to eat after working out. The nitrates in beets widen our blood vessels, which brings oxygen-rich blood to our muscles, and less lactic acid builds up. Basically meaning you won't feel as sore or fatigued after class! 

I added strawberries which compliment beets nicely in flavor, are low in sugar, and contain a ton of vitamin C. Goji berries are a superfood loaded with vitamins and antioxidants to keep you healthy. You can get goji powder, but I prefer the dried berries. I often use dates as a sweetener, as a little goes a long way, they are high in fiber, and classified with a low-glycemic index. 

Protein powder is optional, but I recommend it to help build muscle strength. Maca is a root that you can get in powder form. It is known for it's positive effects on hormone balance and energy levels. 

Lastly, coconut water is my favorite electrolyte, keeping you hydrated and energetic. The coconut milk helps thicken the smoothie, and is a yummy, healthy fat.





Ingredients (makes 2 servings)
  • 2 heaping cups frozen strawberries
  • 2 small beets (raw or frozen)
  • 2 tbsp dried goji berries
  • 4 small dates (medjool or honey dates) 
  • 1 scoop of protein powder (I use Organic Protein Plant Based Powder)
  • 1/2 tsp maca powder
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
Mix everything together in a blender. If you have a hard time blending, slowly add in more liquid until you get the consistency you like. You can enjoy served in a glass, or you can pour it into a bowl and top with more fruit, granola, etc. I recommend adding coconut shavings, strawberries, and bee pollen. 

Namaste!

Jasmine De La Paz
#cookinwithjazz
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Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Top 10 Reasons to do a 200 Hour Teacher Training NOW!

By Dana Kraft



Yoga has changed my life. My yoga teacher training changed my life. I’m sure you have heard this statement before, not just once, but over and over again. It’s a grandiose statement to make, but there is a reason so many yoga teachers make it.  Yoga teacher trainings should be thought of as transformational, inward, profound journeys.  Yes you will learn about your body, you will understand alignment and learn to listen to your body in order to avoid injury, you will advance your practice and become a more skilled yogi, but more importantly you will evolve into the person you have been waiting to become.  This is what yoga teacher trainings are about. 

Even if you never plan on teaching a day in your life, here are my top 10 reasons as to why you should embark on a yoga teacher training now.



1. YOU WILL LEARN TO LISTEN: ON AND OFF THE MAT
The way we practice on our mat parallels the way we live off the mat.  In yoga teacher training you learn to listen to what your body can physically handle on the mat each day.  Every day is a different day and we need to honor that. With your newfound body awareness you will be able to figure out what your body can handle and respect it.  As you continue to hone this skill, you will watch yourself become more present off the mat and listen not only to your body, but yourself, and others.


2. YOU WILL DISCOVER NEW THINGS ABOUT YOUR BODY
In your training you will be practicing for two hours at least and then required hours throughout the week. You will have Asana Labs in which you will dissect postures and understand how your body expresses them.  
Yogic anatomy helps you to understand your physiology on a deeper level and you become more aware of how your body works, how you can adjust your body on your own in your practice, and how you can work with injuries.


3. YOU WILL GAIN CONFIDENCE IN YOUR LIFE
Yoga teacher training helps you with your public speaking skills. Whether you want to teach yoga or not, teacher training helps you overcome your fears of speaking in front of others. A safe community is created and with the support of friends and community cheering you on, you are able to teach a class confidently and given the skills to create a class on your own!

4. YOU WILL BUILD COMMUNITY
You will make lifelong friends. In teacher training a sacred space is built. The experiences you will have together as a group, are unique and unlike any other. New relationships will be forged and the emotional bonding that happens will last forever.


5. YOU WILL LEARN TO AVOID INJURY IN THE FUTURE
With a deeper understanding of the body through yogic anatomy and alignment, you will learn how to practice in a way that will keep your body safe. You will also learn to move through your life with better awareness and help yourself stay as injury free as possible!

6. DEEPEN YOUR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Not only do you get to practice physical asana, you study the history of yoga, including the ancient texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras, and the Yamas and Niyamas.  With the combination of these texts combined with chanting and meditation practice, you will be sure to find spiritual transformation.

7. YOU WILL DEEPEN YOUR ASANA PRACTICE
This is a given. With the amount of time dedicated to asana practice, studying under experienced teachers, you will find yourself being able to do postures you never dreamed of by the time you receive your certification.

8. YOU WILL FIND YOUR INNER STRENGTH
Committing to a 10-week training where you are practicing physical asana, meditating, overcoming your fears of presenting in public, learning about your body, sharing with others, and doing outside homework while balancing your real world job will test your emotional, physical and mental strength. You will grow, and you will become even stronger than you already are.

9. YOU WILL CONNECT TO YOURSELF IN A MORE PROFOUND WAY
Through physical practice, meditation, and the emotional commitment, you have no choice but to grow and figure out who you are. You will understand your wants and needs in life in a completely different way than you did when you entered the training. You will feel comfortable in your own skin. You will feel more confident.

10. YOU CAN ALWAYS TEACH IF YOU NEED TO!
If you are EVER in a situation where you do need to fall back on something you will always be able to teach, and it is something you love!


Don’t forget to pre-register for Namaste Highland Park’s 200 Hour Teacher Training’s Open House THIS SATURDAY September 17th, 2016, to find out more information about Fall Teacher Training starting October 15th with Dana Kraft and Jennifer Smith. 

Visit www.yoga108.training for more information on NHP’s 200 Hour program!

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Thursday, September 8, 2016

Yoga and Knee Health

by Sondra Sun-Odeon

Most of us don't think about the body too much until something occurs--usually an injury--to focus attention on it. Having suffered through a few dance and yoga related injuries of the knee and hip, I think of my left knee lovingly as my constant reminder of how important it is to be as mindful of where your ego and thoughts are during practice as you are of your so-called form. If we learn to weave together a body-mind awareness with our practice of the physical postures, yoga can help strengthen and stabilize the knee, and keep us vibrantly mobile into our old age.

Yoga can be either preventative to knee trouble or a cause of injury -- whether it be dramatic or, more commonly, a chronic injury that is more subtle and difficult to detect until a cumulative tipping point.
Being aware of proper alignment of the knee and hyperextension throughout one's yoga practice can go a long way towards preventing common wear and tear injuries of the knee joint, and it can help strengthen and stabilize the knee even after injury.



Cultivating this awareness and a general awareness of the particular structure of one's own unique body through svadhyaya, or self-study, is as integral to our yogic practice as asana, the physical postures we more commonly know as "yoga".

Join me on Saturday, September 10 from 1:00-2:15pm for an intimate workshop in which we'll focus on proper alignment for knee health as well as learning how to modify yoga poses to support the knees in safe practice!

YOGA AND KNEE HEALTH
with Sondra Sun-Odeon
Saturday, 9/10, 1:00-2:30pm
Pre-register for $17
Drop-in for $25 


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