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...