Mindfulness Moment

In the spirit of the season, ESI found it fitting to offer up a practice in honor of compassion and love. This practice can also benefit you the entire year round. 

1. To begin find a comfortable position - seated, standing, or laying down. 

2. Bring your awareness and attention to someone you love. This should be someone who instantly makes you feel happy (i.e. friend, relative, pet). Someone whom you do not share too complicated of a relationship with. 

3. If you can, have a sense of this person or animal being in front of you, in the same room as you, and facing you with a loving gaze. Begin to notice how you are feeling as you bring this being into your minds eye (i.e. warmth, tingling, a smile, expansiveness). This is what loving-kindness feels like for you. 

4. Continue to imagine your loved one in front of you, and begin to send them well-wishes, prayers, blessings or anything else you might want to send their way. 

Example: May you be safe and protected from danger; May you be happy and peaceful; May you be healthy and strong; May you have ease and well-being; May you be free of stress and anxiety; May you be full of joy. (Fully Present, Diana Winston & Susan Smalley PhD) Say what is MEANINGFUL to you! 

5. As you say your well-wishes or blessings, imagine that the loving-kindness you feel is emanating from you and moving into your loved one. This feeling might represent itself as a color, an image, or it may remain as a feeling. 

6. As you continue this practice, check in with yourself to see how you are feeling. Notice what is happening in your body. 

7. Next, imagine that your loved one standing in front of you is beginning to send loving-kindness back to you. Notice if it presents itself as a color, image or a feeling. Imagine your loved one is sending the same well-wishes and blessings back to you. Allow yourself to take it in an absorb it. 

8. If you did not feel anything in this meditation the first round or two, know that this meditation is planting seeds. If you begin to feel something other than loving-kindness, notice that feeling. Where do you feel in your body? Can you identify the feeling? Is it a sensation and/or emotion? There is always something to be learned. Offer whatever comes up with "May I hold this too with loving-kindness". 

9. Eventually you can practice sending loving-kindness out to all people. Imagine it is expanding from inside of you like an orb of light, pulsing well-wishes and blessings. Let it expand in all directions, sending it out to those you know and those you do not know. 

10. This practice is best begun by imagining someone who has a positive effect in your life. You can then begin to practice this meditation by sending it to others who have a neutral impact in your life (i.e. a passing stranger on the sidewalk). Eventually, this practice can be used for people who you share a challenging relationship with - a relationship that may have a negative influence in your life. You can also apply this same practice to yourself, daily. Instead of imagining a loved one in front of you, imagine yourself. 

We, at Empower Shakti International, wish all beings everywhere peace, joy, freedom and love. Well-wishes and blessings to all. 

Why Skiers Need Some Yoga

Are you waiting for the snow to fall? Have you prepared your body for your first day out? Like many other athletes, skiers perform better and with fewer injuries with a balanced yoga practice. Here we outline seven reasons you should start or continue with a yoga practice, or join Jackie Buratovich for her upcoming Yoga for Skiers Workshop (November 2).

* You start the season feeling weak and unbalanced

* You want to progress in your skills faster

* You want to feel more balanced and powerful on your skis

* You are looking for movements you can do at home to prepare for the season that are fun and result in greater strength and agility

* You want some ideas on how to prepare yourself to have the most fun early in the season

* You want to learn ways to stretch safely after a day on the slopes or trails, or rehab an injury

* Increasing your strength and balance in a supportive fun environment with other skiers.

Mindful Meditation Practice: So Hum

So Hum is a meditation that harnesses not only the power of breath but also mantra (repetition of sound or words) to help quiet the mind and relax the body. 

1. Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down. 

2. Close down your eyes (if this feels safe), and take a few moments to connect with your breath. Feel the rise and fall of the inhale and exhale. 

3. Then, take a deep inhale through the nose and silently repeat the word SO. 

4. As you exhale through the nose silently repeat the word HUM. 

5. Without controlling the breath, continue to repeat the word so with each inhale and the word hum with every exhale. If your attention begins to wander to thoughts, sensations, or noises in the external environment gently return to your breath and the mantra. Silently repeating so hum. 

6. When you have finished, release the mantra (so hum) and take a few deep inhales through the nose allowing the exhale to release out the mouth. Connect to the sensations in your body, and feel the sense of peace and calm that you can continue to carry with you and reconnect with throughout your day. 

This practice can be engaged for as little or as long as you would like. It s a great method to employ throughout the day whenever you may need a moment to settle, ground and return your awareness to the present moment. 

—Contributed from Empower Shakti International

Yoga Flow for Flood Relief Fundraiser

Our community and those around us have been severely impacted by the recent floods. We are coming together to help bring healing and also necessary funds and goods for those in need. Please join Yoga Junction teachers, Nichole Golden and Shelley Coughlin for a MOVING, heart-opening flow class to be held at the Louisville United Methodist Church on October 2nd from 7-8:15 p.m. The church has so graciously offered us this space for our fundraiser.

We will also be having an awesome Silent Auction featuring everything from Lucky Pie gift cards to photography packages, a Mountain Kids birthday party, chiropractic and massage services and more. And we hear there will also be a bake sale, too!

Join the community in this event and help us raise funds for those in need.

Breathing to Calm the Nervous System

This breathing practice is a wonderful tool to help integrate the autonomic, para-sympathetic, and sympathetic nervous systems. Soothing to the mind and body, this practice is best begun at three minute intervals. The breath should be tailored to each individuals history of health and lung capacity. Additionally, any other contraindications (ex: glaucoma, hight blood pressure) should be considered before trying this breathing practice. 

To Begin, find a comfortable seat. This may be on the floor, on a cushion, or in a chair - whichever option offers the most comfort. 

Close down the eyes, and find a few rounds of deep inhalation through the nose, and deep exhalation out the mouth. Feel into your seat, and scan the body gently. Once you feel grounded, you will begin the breathing practice listed below: 

1. On the inhale, breathe through the nose to a count of 6. During the inhale, envision and feel the breath traveling  down the spine. 

2. There are no pauses between the breath. 

3. On the exhale, breathe through the nose and mouth to a count of 8. During the exhale, envision and feel the breath traveling up and out the spine. 

4. Please remember that if this breath count is too long, it should be modified to meet your body's needs. 

5. Continue for 3 minutes, then stop. This practice can be used throughout the day.

Breathing is an incredible tool that can help return us to our present-moment awareness, synchronize the triune brain (reptilian, limbic, and the neocortex), calm the nervous system, strengthen our lung capacity, and so much more. 

Guest post courtesy of Amanda Fiorino, Yoga Junction lead teacher and director of the non-profit, Empower Shakti International.

Kids Yoga this Fall

If you're looking for a rewarding activity for your children this fall, yoga may offer some of the greatest benefits. Beyond flexibility and strength, teaching children yoga helps empower them to find stillness and quiet, and enables them to manage their own stress. Studies have shown that children who practice yoga before testing, perform better and report less worry about the exams. Children that learn how to breathe deeply are able to calm themselves much quicker, as well—whether you're talking about a tantruming two-year-old, or a stressed out teen. Join us this fall for one of our fabulous kids yoga classes with Laura Zeigler. Register at louisvilleyogajunction.com

Sena, practicing yoga in the 4-6 year class.

The 7-11 year olds with a toe-stretch and reach.

And the teens learning how to partner together.

Join Us for a Holistic Arts Symposium at YJ!

If you have ever been curious about holistic arts practices and integrative health, or you have experience in such healing arts join Empower Shakti International and Yoga Junction for a night of healing, relaxation and exploration. 

On July 27th (Saturday) from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. we will be hosting a Holistic Arts Symposium. With a variety of practitioners present, all donating their time and expertise to our mission, and all highly adept in their fields, you will have the opportunity to experience different healing modalities such as Reiki, Reflexology and Massage. With 20 minute sessions, $10 per booth, you can gain more knowledge and experience with each healing art. 

For every booth you visit, not only will you have given yourself the gift of self-care, your presence and all contributions will be given to Empower Shakti International - a local non-profit partnering with women's organizations internationally in support of social change through the application of mindfulness-based programs.

Practices such as the ones you will experience at our symposium, are a sliver of the wide field that is integrative health. Modalities like Reiki, Mediation, Yoga and more can be harnessed for women's development and empowerment, and can be made more accessible to everyone. 

"It is our belief, at Empower Shakti International, that when women are supported and given the opportunity to be active contributors within their communities, positive growth and development happens. Help us support women's grassroots movements in places like Mongolia and Nepal. Your support and participation allows us to continue our programs, expansion and partnerships with women's movements globally," shares Amanda Fiorino, founder and director of Empower Shakti International.

Mindfulness creates awareness, and awareness allows choices to be seen and to be made. Empowerment happens when we become aware of the opportunity to choose, and each choice we make actively creates change. 

Paleo Cooking from Elana Amsterdam

We have a lot of students interested in gluten-free, as well as Paleo cooking and what better way to learn than from one of Boulder's best cookbook authors, Elana Amsterdam? Her new cookbook is filled with inspiring recipes that make you rethink what constitutes a full meal (and how to prepare it as well). Here's a taste to get you going.

Reprinted with permission from Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes by Elana Amsterdam (Ten Speed Press, 2013). Photo Credit: Leigh Beisch.

Upside-Down Apple Tartlets

Serves 8  Sweetness: Medium 

Crust

2 cups blanched almond flour

¹/₂ teaspoon sea salt

¹/₄ cup coconut oil, at room temperature

¹/₄ teaspoon vanilla crème stevia

Filling

6 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¹/₄-inch slices

1 cup apple juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place eight 1-cup wide-mouth Mason jars on a large baking sheet.

To make the crust, pulse together the almond flour and salt in a food processor. Add the coconut oil and stevia and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

To make the filling, place the apples, apple juice, lemon juice, arrowroot powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Transfer the apples to the Mason jars so that each one is overfull. Divide the remaining juice from the bottom of the bowl between the jars.

Remove the dough from the freezer, place between 2 pieces of parchment paper generously dusted with almond flour, and roll out the dough ¹/₄ inch thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment.

Using the top 
of a wide-mouth Mason jar, cut out 
8 circles of dough and place one on
 top of each apple-filled Mason jar.Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the juices are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Serve the tartlets hot out of the oven.

Coconut Whipped Cream

Makes 1 cup  Sweetness: low 

This dairy-free whipped cream recipe calls for full-fat canned coconut milk. The fat is what makes the recipe creamy and luscious; light coconut milk won’t work and results in a watery mess. Serve over Upside-Down Apple Tartlets.

1 (13-ounce) can Thai Kitchen coconut milk

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 drops vanilla crème stevia

Pinch of sea salt

Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before making the whipped cream, so it is well chilled. Chill a metal bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Take the coconut milk out of the refrigerator and remove the lid. Gently scoop out the coconut fat, placing it in the chilled bowl. Pour the remaining liquid into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator, saving it for another use.

Using a handheld blender, whip the coconut milk fat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Whip in the honey, vanilla extract, stevia, and salt.

Use right away or store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

10 Poses for Osteoporosis + an Exclusive Workshop at Yoga Junction

This August, we're excited to be bringing guest instructors, Trula Daughterty (RYT-500 yoga instructor) and Carol Myers (occupational therapist) to Yoga Junction to lead a 2-hour Yoga for Osteoporosis Workshop. 

Where? Yoga Junction

When? August 17, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Why yoga for osteoporosis? Studies have shown the benefits of exercise for many forms of osteoporosis. Yoga is recommended because of its low impact, less strenuous effect on the joints. Yoga poses help increase joint range of motion and strength in addition to enhancing one’s overall coordination. Yoga strengthens the bones, improves balance,  improves posture, and increases flexibility.

Prevention of vertebral fractures, and falls that can lead to hip fractures are of  most importance when developing a holistic program to address osteoporosis. The awareness of postural control and alignment is key. Yoga strengthens the back extensor muscles, and opens up the chest, thereby, preventing the development of a kyphotic or dowager's hump posture which can lead to vertebral fractures. Yoga is one of the best approaches for challenging and improving higher level balance which is imperative in reducing the risk of falls and subsequent fractures.

In a pilot study conducted by Dr. Loren Fishman, he found that practicing yoga for 10 minutes a day improved bone density. Dr. Fishman's full article can be found here: Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation.

According to Fishman, yoga practitioners, "seem to live long and fracture-free lives that suggests that the unusual and unusually prolonged pulls they voluntarily self-administer may be a stimulus to bone health."  

Want to give it a try? Here are the 10 poses he used in the pilot study. 

Poses used in the pilot study:

1. Triangle Pose

1. Upward-facing dog

1. Downward-facing dog

1. Bridge pose (a moderate back-bend)

1. The Wheel or the Iyengar modification  (a back-bend)

1. 1-legged & 2-legged forward bends--with careful attention to form

1. The Boat pose--stimulates the most vulnerable parts of the spine

1. Supta Padangusthasana (a lying down forward bend that supports the spine)

1. Seated spinal twists

1. Jathara Parivarthanasana (a lying down twist) A pose that stimulates the spine without exacerbating arthritis of the hips.

Learn more at Yoga Junction's Yoga for Osteoporosis and Osteopenia workshop this August. To learn more, click here. 

Yoga in the Park

We look forward to our outdoor Yoga in the Park series for most of the year. This series, led by a different YJ instructor each week, is a great way to meet the community, celebrate the beautiful place we call home, and of course, practice. A few highlights...

Poser?

Has anyone else read Poser by Claire Dederer? I just finished it a few weeks ago and thought it was a very interesting look at not only the yoga world, but also the "mama" world as inhabited by today's moms.