yoga yoga yoga + playlist

 

^^ recently j and i have found a new hobby: acro yoga! what is it? check out my favorite and insanely beautiful video from equinox. featuring briohny smyth and her husband dice lida-klein. they're amazing- your mouth may drop at some point.

we have only done acro yoga a handful of times and i gotta say it got easier and easier pretty quickly. i'm totally loving it, here are the pictures we do have from one of the first times we practiced. hopefully more pictures soon since now we can actually do specific poses, progress!

 i feel like a little kid when i'm doing crazy poses in the air. acro yoga is a good reminder for me to not take things too seriously and no matter what your age- it is okay to just play. and laugh laugh laugh

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here are some other random yoga pictures from this week!
i have been practicing and having fun with a lot of new challenge poses lately.

p.s. chopped like half my hair (not entirely intentional) so that's something new! you can definitely see it in the recent pictures like the ones below. it is farrrr shorter. (i miss my long, wild and unbrushable hair already)

                      
                          

                           

                           

                           

                           

finally, i'm challenging myself to update often and get to doing videos eventually such as on transitions i've been working on and tutorials with pictures on getting into poses or doing a certain sequence. any suggestions, or requests- please let me know what you want to see and if there's any way i can help with your yoga practice!

i'm leaving you with my current yoga playlist! i certainly enjoy it and love the variety. for it's just perfect for yoga & i hope you enjoy it as well : )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG-ia0NV8Ts&list=PLNTNyayGkGnudbIfzAyVeSABYInOTcHVh

i always like to start with the first one- claire de lune, but then the rest don't have to be in any particular order.

1. flight facilities- clair de lune
2. jaya shiva shankara
3. xavier rudd- follow the sun
4. trevor hall- the mountain
5. poolside- harvest moon
6. dirty gold- california sunrise
7. ben harper- forever
8. thao & the get down stay down- the feeling kind
9. sleigh bells- rill rill
10. ben howard- everything
11. bon iver- stacks
12. margot and the nuclear so and so's- broad ripple is burning
13. alexi murdoch- love you more
14. bon iver- holocene
15. little red lung- fangs
16. angus and julia stone- hold on
17. norah jones- sunrise
18. agnes obel- dorian (my new fav. song)
19. iron and wine- upward over the mountain
20. the beatles- norwegian wood


NAMASTE,

xx

yoga for menstruation

it's that time of the month for me and boy i was not a happy camper this morning.  i woke up with zero interest in doing yoga and an incredible desire to just stay in bed, forever. but then i thought, even if i only accomplish shavasana / corpse pose that'll be enough. so remember, just because you had a really intense and awesome practice yesterday, today that may not be what you need. listen to your body, what kind of practice do you need today?

as long as you do something, that is all that matters. i generally do a lighter practice in the morning when i feel much more stiff or sore and a more vigorous one in the evening. i love both equally. 

most times 99% of the battle is getting dressed and onto the mat. fact: no one ever regretted doing a yoga practice after it was complete.

i started my practice by laying on my back doing some gentle stretches, moving incredibly slow and breathing deeply. then i looked at the list of poses i wanted to try for my cramps and started completing them one by one. for a visual here are the ten poses you can try specifically for cramps and lower back pain but you can of course practice these at any time, like i often do. 

i would recommend holding each pose as long as you can. don't be afraid to just sit in a pose 5 minutes + and breathe. you can go in and out of the pose as much as you want and each time you will feel looser and stretch farther. but for the most part, if it's that time of the month, best thing you can do is just relax and take your mind off the discomfort. for me, these poses definitely seem to help!

have a wonderful day! 

xx

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1. camel pose one arm extended

2. camel pose

3. reclined butterfly pose

4. fish pose

5. childs pose

 

6. childs pose variation

7. legs up the wall (literally should be a wall here when you practice)

8. one leg forward bend- head to knee

9. wide angle seated forward bend

10. wide angle seated forward bend- variation

beginning yoga

this post is all about where to begin your yoga practice : )

i think a lot of people find it difficult to all of a sudden start doing yoga as a form of exercise. since there are many ways to learn yoga, which is the best?

in general the best advice is to simply just start and don't take it too seriously. as a beginner the best way to learn, i believe, is taking a real life class with an instructor. usually instructors i've had don't always do too much hands on correcting (even though it's nice when they do) however, it is extremely helpful when yoga studios have mirrors so you can see yourself doing the poses. if there aren't any mirrors at least you can mirror your instructor and other students the best you can.

classes are the best for beginners who don't know the basics and you will learn them quickly by taking a class. and of course instructors guide you through a series and even tell you when to exhale and inhale which i think is the trickiest part.

going into a yoga class the best advice is to remember to focus on the way the pose feels and your breathing and not only what it looks like. if you're in a pose that you can't comfortably take deep breaths then take it down a notch and do an easier version where you can breathe for at least 3 full inhales and exhales. i guarantee that the more you take deep breathes the deeper you will go in your pose and the easier it will be. with good breaths the pose and flow will eventually come.

other ways to learn yoga that i have done are simply searches for yoga sequences or routines, finding youtube videos, following yogi's such as tara stiles (great instructor, with a variety amount of videos you can follow along to) and kathryn budig.

i own two dvd's right now for yoga and my beginner one that i started with was "rodney yee's a.m. yoga for your week" later i got "shiva rea's core yoga" (definitely a challenge!). i also own a book that was recommended to me called "ashtanga yoga: the practice manual" by david swenson and it has wonderful pictures and sequences that make it easy to follow.

there are many different types of yoga and I have always done only ashtanga yoga. ashtanga means the eight limbs of yoga and is a style that is athletic, vigorous and focuses on the breath and flow.

try and challenge yourself to do yoga every day even if it's 15-20 minutes. it is better to practice everyday rather than for several hours but only few days a week. be consistent and find a place for it in your daily routine. keep your self inspired whatever way works for you. and if you fall out of it just get back into it whenever you feel ready, no judgement. i have started and stopped practicing yoga many times since high school and practiced in varying amounts but it is the only thing that i always seem to go back to. right now it has become my main form of daily exercise.

finally, when it comes to headstands, handstands and any other inversion you don't need to master the basics before you try them, so feel free to experiment with those but always stay safe. lately, i do my own routines based on what i feel like which differs greatly if it is morning or evening yoga. most of my inspiration these days is simply photos from various social media sources and yogis that i follow. my favorite: tumblr and instagram.

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what to bring to a yoga class? 

most yoga classes have extra yoga mats for you to use but feel free to buy yourself one and bring that with if you think you'll be doing yoga often. for your outfit definitely wear tighter workout clothes that fit you well. i would suggest not wearing shorts tight or not since you might be spending more time pulling then down and fixing them than focusing on your pose. even worse is when everyone can see your privates when you're bending every which way. so stick with tight capris or long leggings.

for your top i'd definitely recommend a well fitted sports bra with a tightly fitted long tank. tanks keep you covered no matter how you twist and they stay in place. avoid t-shirts and shirts that a revealing or don't fit well. if you do a downward dog and your shirt slips down and blocks your view, it is probably not a good fit.

everyone is more focused on what they're doing in the yoga class than what you're wearing so go with something well fitted and comfortable. also double check any jewelry that may get in the way.
a lot of people like to keep their socks on for yoga and i'm not sure why because it's ten times easier to do yoga without. you're feet with give your traction so let go of the socks. finally, bring water!

lastly, every yoga class usually ends with the word namaste

literal translation: " i bow to you"
meaning:
I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light and of peace.

The spirit within me bows to the spirit within you.

got any questions?
you can: write a comment, send me an email {  veganaesthetic@gmail.com } or message me on any of my social media links via the home page.

~ namaste
:)

progress

i've been very brave and sort of a wimp at the same time with the whole handstand thing...but i think i've finally reached a point where i'm a little more comfortable in practicing it.

here's todays progress with handstand and scorpion:

[these poses make me feel much stronger than i actually am]

i can't stress enough that yoga is something you can do anywhere at anytime...so more often than not im randomly busting out a move while walking to my room in the halls- you never know when you'll feel strong enough to make some progress.

i usually do yoga in the mornings (if i'm not working crack of dawn) with the stretchy pants but rest of the day i like to do the fun ones in random places no matter what i'm wearing. then i usually wind down my night with some light stretching before getting in to bed at an appropriate time of course.

^^ i remember watching this handstand video by tara stiles few years ago now and mannn such an inspiration. also very appropriate and catchy song.

what poses are you relentlessly practicing? let me know!

happy yoga-ing!
<3

bliss

this pose is slowly becoming my favorite. i call it "lady-like cloud gazing" and i wish you could see the view from my eyes. i am also quite in love with my new dress. such a good buy.

outdoor yoga > indoor yoga

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body, like the mountain
heart, like the ocean
mind, like the sky.

-dogen

yoga outdoors

i've enjoyed some yoga sessions outdoors these past few days with some sun & my little muffin.

there's something about moving very very slowly and breathing very very deeply

i've made a lot of progress on the scorpion it's kind of insane how fast you can achieve a pose with some practice and i don't even practice crazy poses on a daily basis but sometimes it's fun!

lately every.single.time i close my eyes i daydream of inversions, just throwin my feet up into a handstand like it's nothing and sometimes my mind won't stop i literally have to get up and try it.

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if it wasn't fun i wouldn't do it!

yoga love<3

scorpion

crow

sidecrow obsessed

held this new pose for like two seconds! whooop

inspiration at its finest

here is briohny smyth if you need a little boost.

why yoga?

TiffanyCruikshankYoga my inspiration.

right now my favorite form of exercise is yoga. so I’ll start with reasons why I enjoy practicing yoga. first, it is unlike other activities in that there really is no competition. something yoga teaches you is you are exactly where you should be so there is no competition even with yourself (the hard part). there are so many different types of yoga styles that you can choose from so every day your practice can be different depending on what you feel like. you take steps to achieve deeper poses but there is no ultimate level in yoga that you can say you reached. it is kind of like there is no limit to the amount of knowledge your brain can store. the process is a circle. you are where you are and the main thing is progress. all you have to do is begin and continue.

you can chose to do yoga for the physical, spiritual, mental, or emotional benefits, you name it and you can probably use yoga to achieve it. it does whatever you need it to do that minute, hour or that day. one of the main reasons I love yoga is that it teaches and almost forces me to be present. something so simple yet difficult to achieve for most people in our hectic lives not to mention the perpetual stream of thoughts that goes on in your head every second of every day. yoga is basically learning how to breathe and controlling that breath to reach a state of full consciousness. so it is far more than doing funny looking poses.

i enjoy how in tune you can get with your body and feel every single movement in each pose. it brings you back to the basics. it can be very calming and centering which living in this world is something to seek and cherish. lastly, yoga is practicing non-judgement. it is very hard, especially being a beginner, to not feel like you're the worst one in the room and quickly have all these negative thoughts come in to your head. or the reverse...if you are experienced with yoga you are not truly doing yoga if you are passing judgements on others around you, on or off the mat! there truly should be zero competition with yourself and others. pushing your body into a move it is not ready for that day does nothing but harm and the best practice would be to just let go and accept where you are at.

simply staying in a posture for how long the teacher tells you does not necessarily mean you are fully engaged either. it takes time is what i have learned from my experience to reach all levels of awareness. at first you will most likely be "getting through it" and trying to just survive the hour session and not give up. but as you continue your practice it will get much more easier and quieter in your mind so that you do have room to observe your thoughts, your breathe and your body. why are thoughts important? thoughts become words and words become actions and actions become habits...and habits become who you are and what you value.

yoga helps you comb through your thoughts after a stressful day or anxious morning. it forces you to continually face your shit (harsh, i know) so that you can discard those feelings of fear, insecurity, unworthiness or whatever it may be, past or future, and focus on the now. this voice is neutral and will help you feel a little more balanced at the end of your practice. this is why it is a circle, these thoughts that make you you will never be completely gone but with practice you can tame them and accept them so that you can feel a little peace of mind. the best part is you don't need a mat to practice non judgement, all you need is yourself. yoga is for everyone, anywhere, at any time. it is simple & free, as it should be.

tid bits of advice

• it is best to practice sunrise or sunset so morning before breakfast or evening after dinner
• practice about 2 hours after or before a meal ideally
• helps to form a habit if you use same location, same time
• switch it up! bored with a routine, find a new one. (feel free to message me if you need new ideas/new videos)
• don’t be afraid to experiment and move wherever your body takes you! easier once you've established the yoga basics to try your own thing
• always remember there is tomorrow

some benefits to practicing yoga

1. happiness; increase GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) chemicals in the brain. people who have high anxiety typically have low levels of GABA in the brain. 
2.  aches be gone!; it reduces little aches and pains you have which only accumulate as you age so please do not think yoga is a “young and fit” people thing. if you take pain meds on a daily basis this might help you out a ton. the poses improve your posture and strengthen back muscles to keep those dreadful aches away.
3. sleep; like all activity it helps you sleep better at night. if you have insomnia try doing a simple 30-45 minute yoga series before bed daily. it helps you calm down and relax so you can turn off your brain and get a good night’s rest.
4. confidence booster; it will give you some maaajor self love. studies show it increases your body satisfaction. the key is you are more aware of how your body feels and what it can do than how it looks.
5. strength training; all you use in yoga is your own body. it is great for sculpting and toning since you're using your own body weight to move into different positions. 
6. stress reliever; my favorite. if you’re sick of feeling tired and moody this is for you. the high you get after practicing is incredible.

here is a very thorough list of all the benefits to yoga:
http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/beginnersguide/yogabenefits.asp

i can't talk about yoga without recommending this awesome & insightful documentary:
http://vimeo.com/59966679