Will Spring ever come to Michigan?

It feels like Winter will never end this year in Michigan.  It started early and has been relentless ever since.  On the bright side, Spring will be here soon!  Its hard to believe, but the official start to Spring is in 2 weeks on the 20th.  Believe me, it will still take a while for it to feel like Spring, but I need something to look forward to!  Spring is known as the universal time of rebirth.  Its our chance to clean out the old and rebirth new goals and new selves.

On this Spring Equinox, consider some of these ideas that you could do as part of your natural rebirthing process:

~Spring cleaning is always a good way to get rid of the old and make room for the new!  Try to pace yourself and do one room or closet a day, that way you don't get overwhelmed.  Less clutter will create a more relaxed and airy home environment.

~Take up yoga, meditation, walking or other awakening activities the will wake up your body from the winter slumber.

~Lighten up on your foods.  Winter is a time for heavy foods, such as root vegetables.  In the Spring, eat lighter.  More greens, vegetables and fruits.  Lightening up on your foods will help your body to adjust to the natural rhythms of the changing seasons and you adapt quicker. 

~Have your 2014 New Year's Resolutions gone by the wayside?  Now is a good time to rebirth some short-term Spring goals. 

Setting any of the above ideas as Spring goals would be an amazing start to kicking off Spring, but consider what else you would like to accomplish during the Spring?  Make a list of goals in the areas of family, relationships, finances, work, health and you-time.  Then place those goals in a prominent area for you to see throughout the day as a reminder that you are rebirthing a new you!

Think Spring!!

Melanie

Is Hot Yoga really better than regular Yoga?

Many say that Hot Yoga is better for you than regular Yoga for weight loss and flexibility. The theory is that the higher the temperature, the harder the body has to work out, to achieve the same results.  Actually, there is nothing to back that up.  Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, who monitored two dozen healthy adults during regular and hot yoga classes, found no difference in the increase in their core temperature or heart rate between groups.  Experts say the same physical benefits of muscular strength, endurance, flexibility and balance could be achieved from a standard class, at comfortable temperatures.  So now it will just come down to preference at this and to each their own!

Enjoy your day!

Melanie

Gratitude and Yoga

Gratitude and Yoga

Gratitude is a virtue or law that manifests gratefulness, appreciation, and thankfulness. It is thought of as the first law of attraction, the springboard from which a pathway towards moment to moment self awareness gains momentum. It is what allows us, as human beings, to grow.

Yoga promotes a person's emotional and physical well being. And, as studies have shown, so does gratitude. It's as if both are vitamins for the soul. Yoga and gratitude both improve a person's ability to handle stress (which directly impacts physical health) and improve the way a person interacts with others. Both also rid the body of negative emotions, replacing them with positive ones. When this happens, good health generates itself.

Sometimes life gets in the way and it becomes hard to find something to be grateful for.  That’s to be expected, but for this month, let’s focus on gratitude.  To help us on that journey the pose of the month is savasana.  So when you are practicing savasana or any pose that makes you feel good, try and think of all the wonderful things and people that we are grateful for.