This month, at SAS Institute, we are celebrating and providing education on the topic of menopause! Last week, I had the honor of presenting a seminar on movement, especially as it relates to maintaining and building stronger bones. This week, I offered a yoga workshop which was a calm, restorative
I love the world of science because it’s measurable and can be replicated. I’m also a strong believer in natural remedies because they have been documented for centuries and grow on our beautiful Mother Earth...you just have to know what you’re looking for. While I certainly appreciate pharmaceuticals and believe
Mother Nature gives us everything we need. I have heard that statement more than once, especially as a naturopath. We just need to pay attention. When I needed a little calm in my life decades ago, I remember taking walks near my house and seeing passion flowers growing in the
Self-care is something we should all do on a daily basis. It's good for the body, mind and spirit. While we have a plethora of breathing and meditation audios in our SAS RFC gallery, apps are great too. In this article, I’m sharing six free meditation apps that can assist
As the new year unfolds so do new resolutions. While these are helpful, I invite you to consider a new way to look at cultivating what you really want this year! Let’s begin with a simple question. What gets you out of bed every day? I'm not referring to an alarm
Across many parts of the globe, the fall brings cooler temperatures, lower humidity, pumpkin spice lattes, and, here in the U.S., my personal favorite, the return of college football! The beginning of fall also marks the start of Fall Prevention Awareness Week. Here's what you should know to help prevent
How do you manage your energy and productivity throughout your day? Wanna know my secret? I take movement breaks often and eat lunch! According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 156 million full-time workers in the United States spend at least one-third of their day at the workplace.
It’s rare that we think this moment is the only moment that matters. We're often thinking about what just happened or filtering through our list of to-dos. These are the things that pull us into what Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance, calls the "trance of thinking". It's been really
The pandemic of 2020 has been a largely forced opportunity to reevaluate our priorities and loosen the hectic schedules that seem to dominate modern life. For months now, those inane social rituals that make up most of our interactions have now been replaced by family, friend, and solo time. Let’s
Flash back to 4 years ago: 2016. I thought that THAT year was going to be one of the hardest years of my life. We decided to sell our house while living in it with 2 little boys (ages 2 & 5 at the time) and a dog and buy
September is National Yoga Month. As a personal trainer and yoga instructor, one of the most common reasons clients tell me they don’t do yoga is because they aren’t flexible. If you haven’t heard this before and even if you have, I’ll say it again: yoga is not about bending
1. Injuries Suck It could’ve been worse. A torn Achilles Tendon requires months and months of recovery. I was lucky. I spontaneously ruptured my Plantaris Tendon teaching a really fun Step class. My Orthopedic Dr. and Foot Specialist explained that I had, in effect, performed ‘my own surgery’. Roughly 3-5%
Happy National Yoga Month! Maybe the announcement of Yoga Month on your Facebook feed, your current training plan, or your desire for some R&R has recently sparked your interest in yoga. Maybe you’ve been thinking about trying it out for a while, but, oye, stepping into that room with a
Stigma and discrimination in behavioral health, while improving, remain obstacles to people seeking care. And any obstacles need to be addressed, because those struggling with behavioral health and mental illness are simply not getting the help they need. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “The percentage of young
Have you ever experienced that “gut feeling” ….you know the one that’s trying to tell you something and you don’t know why? I remember having a feeling I couldn’t quite explain fifteen years ago. There was a job opportunity in Canada. As a way to entice moving there, I was provided
Lengthens the spine and opens hips while strengthening core Half Lord of the Fishes (Sanskrit: Ardha Matsyendrasana) Sit on the floor with your legs lengthened (Staff pose). Place your feet on the floor with knees bent and pointed towards ceiling/sky. Slide your right foot under your left leg to the
Opens the chest, neck and spine while engaging the glutes, quadriceps and hips. Bridge (Sanskrit: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) Lie on your back. Bend your knees and have feet on floor/mat. Knees and feet are hip distance and arms along the sides of the body with palms down. Back heels up
Stretches ankles, legs, hips, hamstrings, shoulders and spine; opens chest, engages and strengthens abdominals, spine and back Triangle (Sanskrit: Trikonasana) Begin in Mountain with feet hip distance. Step left foot back with front heel to back arch alignment. Root the back edge of your left foot into the ground/floor/mat. Torso
Provides strengthening for arms, back and core while lengthening spine Side Plank Pose (Sanskrit: Vasisthasana) From Plank, place right hand on mat under face. Shift to outside edge of your right foot. Your options for this pose are numerous. Top hand can be on waist or lifted towards sky. You can
Lengthens inner thigh and side waist. Engages core and lengthens spine while opening chest, arms and shoulders. Gate Pose (Sanskrit: Parighasana) Begin on mat kneeling with toes curled under and torso lengthened with crown reaching tall. Extend your right leg out to the right and press your entire foot into
Is this menopause? Maybe you've noticed some changes. Perhaps it’s the occasional hot flushed feeling that erupts like a volcano or maybe it's the irregular periods when you’ve always been like clockwork. Although menopause is often thought of as a singular event, it isn’t unless you are undergoing chemotherapy that
Opens chest, inner thighs while strengthening back, core and thighs. Goddess Pose (Sanskrit: Utkata Konasana) Begin in Mountain at the front of your mat. Step your left foot back as if you were moving into High Lunge. Turn your entire body to the left turning toes out to corners of
Stretches shoulders, hamstrings and calves while strengthening arms, core and back; Calms the mind! Dolphin Pose (Sanskrit: Ardha Pincha Mayurasana) Start on hands and knees with toes curled under – wrists under shoulders and hips over knees. Core is engaged and drawing in towards spine. Shoulder blades are sliding down
Strengthens quads/glutes/core & lengthens/rotates spine to provide more breathing room Chair (Sanskrit: Utkatasana) With feet together, stand in Mountain (Tadasana). Engage Uddiyana Bandha (drawing the navel in towards spine) to support the back/core. Palms at heart center, take hips back as if you’re sitting in an imaginary chair (or ottoman
Have you been working your butt off in the gym and not seeing results? Or maybe you’ve tried a new exercise you found on YouTube and ended up injured, even though you did it “just like that guy” did? Chances are you have fallen for some of the mainstream health
Strengthens arms, wrists, core, spine and thighs. Opens chest and shoulders while improving posture. Upward-Facing Dog Pose (Sanskrit: Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) Begin lying down on mat (face down). Legs are lengthened behind with inner thighs spiraling so all ten toes and top of feet are planted in mat. Place palms
Last night I dropped a check into my son’s school’s American Heart Association Fund Raiser and this morning we kicked off #NationalWearRedDay at the RFC with our annual Wear RED for Heart Health Breakfast Run. What’s the deal with all heart health awareness this month? Heart Disease Not only is it
Strengthens arms, shoulders, back, core and quadriceps Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Sanskrit: Chaturanga Dandasana) Start on hands and knees and then move into Plank. Wrists are under shoulders and you’re engaging quadriceps and pressing through heels as if you’re stepping on the floor. Core is engaged and drawing in towards spine.
It's the 3rd week of January. Did you set a fitness resolution or a 2017 exercise goal? How are you doing? Usually week 3 is where things start getting real. And by real, I mean real hard. The sparkle of newness wears off, enthusiasm wanes, the gym is crowded, and
Strengthens core. Opens hips, psoas, shoulders, chest and back. Also aids in digestion. One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Sanskrit: Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
