Author Archives: admin

BeYogi’s Gratitude Giveaway

We are happy to announce that we teamed up with BeYogi.com for a Gratitude Giveaway – a free YogaFit Level 1 training, plus a signed copy of Beth Shaw’s new book YogaLean!

SIGN UP HERE!

BeYogi.com is a site built to inspire and support yoga teachers, studio owners and all other yogis!

YogaFit® Level 1 teacher training
This informative workshop gives instructors the tools to create inspiring vinyasa yoga classes that are founded on flow yet grounded in the safety of exercise science. The learning includes physical execution, transitions, and modifications to traditional yoga poses with an emphasis on effectiveness and safety. Dynamic vinyasa sequencing, flowing class formats, and transformative language for communicating the mind/body connection have made this the most popular vinyasa yoga style in the world today. No prerequisites required.

– Level 1 includes an innovative and experiential learning environment guided by a talented and experienced YogaFit Master Trainer, a YogaFit Level 1 DVD and Active Volume 3 CD (first-time participants only), and a comprehensive training manual. Students will receive a Certificate of Completion which qualifies one to teach YogaFit style classes once community service is complete.

Signed copy: YOGALEAN by Beth Shaw
In YOGALEAN: Poses and Recipes to Promote Weight Loss and Vitality-for Life!, Beth Shaw shows readers both how to achieve and maintain their optimum weight by developing a “Lean Consciousness.” Her book offers an easy-to-follow and inspiring holistic lifestyle program, featuring: fully illustrated yoga poses for strength and confidence, cardio and weight-training workouts that complement yoga, easy gluten-free recipes, daily meditations, breathing exercises, and more.

Carrot Pasta with Mike’s Meatless Meatballs

My husband and I are both busy and we do not get a chance to sit down together for dinner on a nightly basis. I teach high school English, yoga, and other fitness classes and he is a teacher and is busy after school rehabilitating from major hip surgery. We try to eat healthy and exercise even with our busy schedules.

For Valentine’s Day I decided to cook so that we could spend time together and share a meal at our pace. I am gluten free and neither of us eats much meat so I found the perfect pasta recipe to modify to meet our needs.

My meatless meatball recipe was developed after reading several recipes for using cauliflower to make gluten free pizza crusts. I love to play with my food. Cooking not only is a creative outlet for me, but it also helps me stay healthy as I can control the ingredients I use!

Carrot Pasta with Mike’s Meatless Meatballs

Serves 2

Cook Time: No more than one hour

Ingredients

Meatballs

– 2 cups of processed cauliflower

– 1 cup quinoa flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

– ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Optional

– Add spices like oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary, or chives to add to the flavor profile, all are great for Italian dishes or meatless meatball sandwiches.

– Use asiago or romano cheese instead of grated parmesan

– Use broccoli instead of cauliflower

– Use almond, hazelnut, or amaranth flour (protein based flours)

Pasta Sauce

– Peppers

– Onions

– Garlic

– Mushrooms

– Olive Oil

Carrot Pasta

-Carrots

Optional substitute

– Thinly sliced zucchini, crookneck squash, or butternut squash

– Traditional or gluten free pasta

Preparation

Cook a half a head of cauliflower in a bit of vegetable broth. Steam the veggies until al dente.

Once the cauliflower cools to room temperature, put it in the Cuisinart and pulse until a grainy paste forms. To cool it faster, place cauliflower in a bowl in the freezer for a few minutes OR save time by cooking the cauliflower a day ahead (or use leftovers).

Step 1: Meatless Meatballs

– Form into meatless meatballs the size of your choice

– Place in a pan with some olive oil

– Sautee on medium, turn a few times to cook evenly

Cook time: 20 minutes (depending on size of meatless meatballs)

Step 2: Pasta Sauce

While the meatballs are cooking, in another pan, create the pasta sauce. The amount you make depends on the number of people you are feeding AND the amount of leftovers you wish to have. I like leftovers so I always make more than I need.

– Sautee ground protein of your choice in a pan with olive oil and add onions and garlic.

– Dice vegetables (for example: peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms) and put them in a pan with olive oil.

– Add homemade pasta sauce to your pan after vegetables or protein cooks

Cook Time: 10-20 minutes

Step 3: Pasta

– While the pasta sauce and meatballs are cooking, use a mandolin to cut carrots into thin slices

– Boil water in a pot

– Add the carrots to the boiling water and cook until you test one and it has a bit of a crunch left in it, you do not want soggy “pasta”!

Cook Time: 3-5 minutes

– When done, drain and serve!

BIO:

My name is Rene’ MacVay and I am an E-RYT 200 (RYT 500 should be done in 2015). During the day I teach high school English, Speech, and AP Art History and in the afternoons and evenings I teach yoga, pilates, and personal train. My hobbies include reading and cooking. I love reading as I either gain knowledge or am transported to another time and place! I love cooking for the artistry and the creativity it allows me to express.

Follow my cooking adventures on my blog, http://healthyrecipevariations.blogspot.com/

Open Your Heart Chakra

Celebrate this Valentine’s Day by loving yourself!

Not only is this week Valentine’s Day, but it is also American Heart Month. To honor both of these (equally important) holidays, we’d like to share some ways you can practice some intro- spection and learn how to open and activate your heart chakra.

But what is a heart chakra, you might ask? It comes from the Sanskrit word for ‘wheel’ or ‘circle,’ and according to Hindu and Buddhist belief, chakras are defined as:

(n): any of the seven major energy centers in the body

Chakras are like pools of energy in our bodies which dictate our psychological traits. All seven chakras are located in various parts of the body. Four in our upper body, our mental chakras, and three in the lower body, which govern our instinctual properties.

According to Buddhist/Hindu teaching, our chakras should contribute to a human’s well-being. Our instincts would join forces with our feelings and thinking. If our chakras are out of balance, we will not enjoy peace within ourselves.

5 Poses that will open your heart chakra:

Camel Pose

Ustrasana

This is an amazing opener that is energizing and cre- ates self-confidence and chi flow. It opens the heart center and counteracts the forward flexion that is part of daily living. This pose strengthens the gluten and the lower back as well as stretching the pectorals (chest), intercostals, hip flexors, and shoulders. Only do this pose when the body is warmed up, and always follow a back bend with a forward bend.

Getting into the pose:

Move slowly, feeling your way. From a kneeling posi- tion, place your hands or fists on the bony points alongside your spine. Firm your glutes. Push your hips forward and lift your chest to the sky.

Holding the pose:

Lift out of your lower back, drawing your elbows back to expand your chest. Take 3 deep breaths. If it doesn’t cause you any discomfort, drop your head back, eyes gazing directly up at the ceiling.

As you get out of the pose, go into Childs Pose. Rest.

Fish Pose

Matsyasana

A powerful opener for the chest and heart center. This is a great pose to relieve bronchial congestion and asthma. It can also be done as a restorative pose by placing a rolled-up yoga mat or folded blanket under your back for more support. Fish pose strengthens your upper back and stretches your chest, throat, and shoulders. Fish pose is also an effective counter-pose for inversions. This pose can potentially alleviate certain chest disorders and promote a healthy heart. It is also said to stimulate the thyroid, increasing metabolism. Always precede and follow with Knees to Chest pose to stabilize your spine and the muscles in your back.

Getting into the pose:

From Knees to Chest position, lower your legs to the floor. Slide your hands under your hips, palms down, and bring your elbows toward each other under your body. Point your toes toward the floor as you reach back in the opposite direction with the crown of your head, shifting your body back slightly as well.

Holding the pose:

Lift your chest. Maintaining space in the back of your neck, relax. Your breath should feel deep and easy – if not, adjust your position.

Bridge Pose

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Bridge pose is an excellent way to stretch the front of the hips and open your chest, particularly if you sit for long periods or regularly walk, run, or cycle. Many people have tight hip flexors from too much walking, run- ning, cycling, or even just sitting and driving. Bridge pose also targets muscles deep in the lower back and hips that are difficult to reach when upright. This pose will strengthen your gluten, hamstrings, and abductors. Bridge will stretch your hip flexors, core, center, and pectorals.

Getting into the pose:

Lie down on your back, palms down. Slide your shoulders away from your ears. Bring the soles of your feet to the floor, hip-width apart. Press through your feet to lift your hips.

Holding the pose:

Keep your head still to protect your neck – don’t look around. Use your inner thighs to keep your knees in line with your hips and toes. Breathe deeply into your open chest and navel center. Turn the palms up for more chest opening and core focus.

Triangle

This is one of my favorite yoga poses. It moves energy in four directions, originating from a strong center. Triangle strengthens the quads, the obliques, and the shoulders. Triangle also stretches the hamstrings, pectorals, and intercostals.

Your upper body is lifting and moving back while your lower body is sinking and moving forward. Triangle pose represents creating for ourselves a strong mental and physical foundation, represented by the two bottom points of the triangle. From here, we can begin to look up, exploring the third point – the spiritual.

Getting into the pose:

From the Warrior II pose, straighten your front leg. Reach forward, then lower your hand to your shin or ankle. Lift your back arm to the sky, opening your chest. Look up, down, or straight ahead, finding a comfortable place for your neck.

Holding the pose:

Press your feet away from each other, keeping a soft bend in the forward knee. Check that your nose stays over your leg, not in front of it. Engage your glutes. Breath length into your spine, allowing your inner strength to fuel your outer strength. Switch sides.

Final Relaxation

Savasana

This pose will give you an opportunity to check back in with your body and mind, mentally and physically integrating the benefits of your practice. It will also provide an important transition back into your daily routine. Finally, it will help release muscular tension and stress for better health and well-being.

Final relaxation is an integral part of any yoga practice and should never be rushed or skipped. Allow a minimum of 6-10 minutes for Final Relaxation.

Getting into the pose:

Lie on your back or in any position that allows you total comfort and relaxation. Turn your palms toward the sky and allow your feet to roll open.

Holding the pose:

Let your breath return to ist natural rhythmic cycle. Continue to release stress and tension, finding peace and calm.

Quinoa Mirepoix

A traditional mirepoix is comprised of carrots, onion, and celery…my QUINOA MIREPOIX substitutes garlic for celery! This simple change highlights the carrots in the dish.

Quinoa is a complete protein that is naturally gluten free and high in fiber. Quinoa will keep you satisfied for a long time. It is an idea work-day lunch that can carry you over to your post work yoga class or gym workout! The Beauty of quinoa is that it is versatile! This is just one example of a meal that you can make from this ancient grain.

Quinoa can be found in most stores in either the gluten free section or near where specialty rices are found. If you cannot find it in your local store, Bob’s Red Mill sells (Organic Quinoa Grain and Organic Red Quinoa Grain) direct from their website.

Any quinoa works for this recipe. I tend to purchase quinoa and add it to a jar. Each time I purchase a new variety I mix the jar to create a quinoa variety mix. This adds great color to your meal! After all, we do eat with our eyes first! I try to make my food look good, so my eyes convince my palette how wonderful the food is!

STEP 1: Start by making quinoa

The ratio is 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid. I use vegetable broth (reduced salt) but you can use chicken broth, beef broth, or water.

Bring to a boil.

Cover.

Stir from time to time.

Cooking time will be 15-30 minutes depending on temperature of your stove and quantity you make.

You can STOP HERE if you wish. The quinoa can be stored in an airtight container until you wish to use.

If you wish to fix a dish immediately:

Dice 1/2 of an onion, 4-6 garlic cloves (depending on size), and 2 cups of diced carrots. Add to a pan with 2 TBSP Olive Oil.

Sautee till the onion turns translucent then add 1 cup of broth.

Satuee until carrots soften and almost all broth is reduced.

Add 2 cups of quinoa back into the pan. Stir until all liquid is absorbed.

Serve in a bowl with a spoon (you do not want to miss out on any quinoa and a fork definitely does not get the small grain as well). Garnish with tarragon and add cashews or peanuts (unsalted) if you wish additional crunch and protein.

Cook Time: Less than 1 hour

Options:

Serve as a side dish to a salad or a sandwich. Dice in pieces of chicken or pork

Sautuee tofu and serve on top of the Quinoa Mirepoix. Serve on a bed of spinach.

BIO:

Simple Side Dishes that can be made into Full Meals

I love making food that can be transformed simply. All I need to do is make the base for one meal and I can use the leftovers any way I desire for additional meals. One of the secrets to being YogaLean is to have healthy food ready to go so that nutritious meals can be prepared in a flash!

My Sundays include a trip to the farmer’s market. My meals for the week are planned based off the great foods that I am able to get from the local farmers. This week I decided to make a SPAGHETTI SQUASH recipe along with TURMERIC RICE. A good friend gave me turmeric root and I have been appreciating using the fresh herb rather than the dried herb in recipes. My inspiration for the Spaghetti Squash was a hollowed out pineapple used to serve fruit!

Spaghetti Squash with Deconstructed Salsa

Base Ingredients:

Spaghetti Squash

1 large Red or Sweet Onion

6 Cloves of Garlic

1 Large Bell Pepper (any color)

Options:

Add basil to make it more Italian

Add cilantro and avocado to make it more Mexican

Add Feta just before serving for a Mediterranean inspired dish – a complete meal

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 350

-Halve squash lengthwise and remove seeds

-Place on a foil lined baking sheet in oven (I use Reynolds Non-Stick so I do not have to add oil)

-Place in oven for 30-45 minutes depending on size of squash and oven temperature (when the squash is done it will be a golden color and will sound hollow if you knock on it with your knuckle)

-While the squash is cooking, cut the vegetables into small pieces and place in a pan. Add 3 TBSP of olive oil. Sauté until onions caramelize. You can add vegetable broth to the cooking process if you desire

-When the squash is done, use a spoon to scoop out the spaghetti-like noodles. Add the noodles to the pan and stir. Place the combined ingredients back into the squash bowl and serve!

Turmeric Rice

Base Ingredients:

Rice (white, brown, wild)

Turmeric

Butter

Broth

Nuts

I start each week making a few cups of rice, quinoa, sorghum, or millet. This week I decided to make a few cups of rice. I used 4 cups of rice and 8 cups of liquid. I used a portion of the rice to make rice pudding to take to a friend’s for dinner and I used a portion of the rice for turmeric rice.

Instructions:

When the rice was almost done I moved two cups of rice to another bowl to save for the rice pudding. If you are not cooking in volume for multiple recipes, there is no need to move rice to another bowl. Understanding that turmeric needs fats to be absorbed, I added to the pot ¼ cup vegetable broth, ½ tbsp butter, and ½ cup chopped nuts (cashews this time), and 1 TBSP dried turmeric or ½ cup fresh turmeric (I used a potato peeler to shred the root). Stir the ingredients and cook until the broth is absorbed. You end up with beautiful golden rice!

TIP: Turmeric can STAIN! Please be careful as you work with it and clean up ASAP! I have not had a problem yet…knock on computer keys (since no wood is nearby!).

Variations:

Add any chopped nut and use any variety of rice.

Stir into the rice (when the liquid is almost absorbed) thin slivers of vegetables such as slivers of carrot and peas or green beans. This creates a one-dish meal!

Use all vegetable broth…no water

Enjoy playing with healthy foods. Remember to make larger quantities than you can eat in one meal so you have healthy food to eat another day…without having to start from scratch again. We are all busy. This is a great time saver! Cooking can be fun…give yourself a chance to enjoy it! Read my blog (http://healthyrecipevariations.blogspot.com/) for other recipes and cooking tips.

Rene’ MacVay

YogaLean Solutions to Sugar Addiction

Lately, the media has given extra attention to the dangers of eating too much sugar, and I want to address this issue because reducing the consumption of refined sugar is a nutrition principle I’ve always stood by faithfully.

We’ve all heard before that eating excess sugar leads to diabetes and obesity, but perhaps we take for granted our distance from that problem. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be stuffing your face with cookies all day long to be eating too much sugar.

According to the USDA, the average American adult consumes 156 pounds of added sugar per year. We eat our weight in added sugar annually!! And it isn’t just coming from sodas and cookies, but from more insidious sources like fruit juice and “performance enhancing” sports drinks that make the metabolism rush and crash.

Sugar behaves similarly in the brain to intensely addictive psychoactive drugs like cocaine and heroine that also make us rush and crash. Unfortunately, it is very easy to become addicted to the flood of the happy neurochemical Dopamine that eating too much sugar gives us, and to overlook the severe problems in digestion, energy, weight, and mood that that addiction causes.

The truth about sugar is the less you eat, the less you crave. If you keep yourself satisfied with protein-rich snacks and limit your consumption of carbs to fiber-rich whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, you will soon find that you neither need or even want to reach for the candy jar. The body and mind are happiest with sustainable fuel, and you can curb your sugar cravings significantly by providing yourself that fuel. Practicing meditation daily will also calm you and put you more in touch with yourself, improving your ability to make mindful decisions about what to eat rather than acting impulsively the second dessert pops into your brain.

While my most essential advice is to avoid eating surplus amounts of sugar, and eventually to eliminate it entirely from your diet, I realize we are all human, and sometimes, sometimes, we need to indulge ourselves with a little sweetness. In these moments, I recommend not resorting to artificial sweeteners, which, while calorie free, still mess with our metabolisms and create toxicity in the body just like sugar does. Instead of adding Equal or Splenda to your coffee, try molasses, agave nectar, raw honey, or maple syrup. These natural sweeteners have a low glycemic index, and will not cause the yo-yoing effect on your blood sugar that regular sugar does.

Remember, be careful of misleading, “healthy-looking” packaging, and when in doubt, to stick to YogaLean’s official favorite health beverage, water!

The Limited Reach of Red Wine’s Health Benefits

Recently, there’s a fitness rumor going around that consuming one glass of red wine is equal provides health benefits equal to the ones we get out of doing a one hour workout at the gym. This is a seductive headline– “Score!” Readers are thinking, “A glass of Cabernet every day will keep me just as fit as 60 minutes on the treadmill? Fill ‘er up!”

Yes, it’s no surprise that this circulating nutrition trend is attracting lots of attention. It’s easy to believe in things we want to believe in, like, for example, the notion that kicking back with a nice red will do just as much for you as sweating through a tough cardio session.

I feel a duty, however, to set the facts straight in the name of the yoga and fitness program I believe in so fully and those who practice it.

I used to enjoy drinking more than I do now. At a time when I was enjoying multiple drinks per week, I was also having a lot of trouble ridding extra bulk from my mid section. My fitness trainer asked me about my alcohol intake, and reminded me that each of my drinks was going straight to my waist despite my commitment to healthy eating and regular exercise.

Yes, red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that carries a variety of health benefits. But I would have had a very hard time persuading people over the past twenty years to tap into the amazing power of proper nutrition and regular exercise if it were really true that red wine does just as much for our health. Red wine delivers resveratrol, yes, but like all alcoholic beverages, it also contains ethanol, which behaves like poison in the metabolism, plus a ton of sugar and calories!

Daily exercise strengthens your cardiovascular system, purifies your skin, jumpstarts your body’s ability to burn calories, and releases a flood of natural endorphins that noticeably enhance your energy level and sense of well being. If there’s an equivalent trade-in for the myriad gifts of regular exercise, human society hasn’t found it. Exercise is unique in its ability to keep the body and mind happy and healthy, and while, alcohol in close moderation is not a critical impediment to overall health, I recommend that anyone aiming to truly calibrate his or her body and mood eliminates it entirely. Alcohol provides momentary relaxation and poses a subsequent obstruction of our digestion, and mood. It is a fleeting fix to a larger question of how to make ourselves feel relaxed and happy on the larger scale whereas mindful eating and fitness support big-picture wellness.

With regard to this popular but uninformed fitness rumor, give your right mind, instead of the vino, a minute to breathe, and get back to the mat!

The YogaLean Benefits of Garlic

Mmm, garlic! I can’t get enough of this tasty, aromatic ingredient and love to incorporate it abundantly in my home recipes. Garlic adds an irresistible depth of flavor to my dishes and it’s an essential part of that comforting aroma we often associate with fresh, home cooking. But, in addition to its sensational culinary properties, garlic is packed with a variety of powerful health benefits that are enormously helpful in keeping us lean by guarding our immune systems against infections, detoxifying the liver, and even lowering blood pressure.

Here are the primary reasons I love garlic, plus a couple of my favorite recipes that include it generously.

*Garlic Boosts Immunity

Garlic is a fierce defender of the immune system with great capacity to prevent and banish colds. Garlic has been called a natural antibiotic because of its high concentration of manganese, calcium, vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, vitamin C, phosphorous, copper, potassium, and selenium. This combination of nutrients unite in garlic like a veritable bacteria-and-virus-fighting army. If you feel yourself starting to sniffle, this is the ingredient to grab for in the grocery store. I also like to supplement my immune defense by taking garlic capsules, a potent alternative to eating it in food, (and startling your partner with the smell of your breath!)

Here’s one of my favorite garlic-y recipes, perfect for staying cold-free, lean, and satisfied, especially in the wintertime!

Beth’s Immunity Soup

What You’ll Need:

4 to 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 teaspoons olive oil

5 cloves crushed garlic

finely minced hot peppers (as many as you like depending on your spiciness preference)

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ cup cilantro

2 ½ cups chopped tomatoes, juices included

juice of one lemon

brown rice (optional)

avocado (optional)

Make it Lean:

In a stockpot, bring broth to a slow boil
in a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté garilc and hot peppers and a dash of cumin.
add the cilantro, tomatoes, adn lemon juice to the broth. lower to a simmer and mixi n the garlic, peppers, and remaining cumin.

Optional:

Add brown rice if you would like carbs
Garnish with avocado

*Garlic is a great Detoxifier

Garlic triggers the liver to release toxins from the body, allowing you to better digest and metabolize food, and helping to maintain a healthy, lean stomach.

*Garlic Lowers Blood Pressure

Garlic has a natural ability to lower blood pressure, which is very favorable for those of us who navigate fast-paced lives and high stress levels, which can spike blood pressure or increase it over time. According to the Mayo Clinic, garlic releases nitric oxide, naturally dilating blood vessels to decrease blood pressure.

This flavorful salad has superb detoxifying and blood-pressure lowering power of raw garlic, plus the diuretic properties of artichoke and the citrus freshness of lemon.

Lemon Garlic Artichoke Salad

What You’ll Need:

5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup parsley

3 cloves garlic. diced

12 baby artichokes– frozen or canned, chopped

6 cups mixed greens

Make it Lean:

In a blender, blens the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic until smooth and thick (approx. 2 to 3 minutes.)
Toss dressing with artichokes and serve over mixed greens

Garlic is an all-around wonderful ingredient with a very versatile set of uses in cooking and so many lean benefits. Keeping your breath mints handy, I recommend consuming garlic in abundance to keep your body’s natural defenses up, to detox your liver, and to help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. YogaLean loves garlic!

Restorative Yoga 101: Relax & Renew

Restorative Yoga is focused around the “ahhh” experience in yoga; the space found by breathing, relaxing and letting go of the mind’s internal dialogue. This gentle approach to practice allows participants to experience the same benefits of traditional practice while exerting little or no effort at all and leaves students feeling nourished, refreshed and well rested.

Prolonged stress, internal conflict, demanding situations, anxiety and anger engage the body’s natural “fight or flight” response which triggers the hypothalamus and initiates a sequence of nerve cell firing that prepares our bodies to react to perceived danger. Restorative Yoga engages our bodies’ innate ability to renew and restore, balancing and counteracting the effects of prolonged stress.

Restorative Yoga facilitates the four conditions for relaxation: relaxing the muscles with support, quieting the responses caused by stress, quieting the mind and finding a relaxed smooth breath. Unlike sleep where your mind and body are preoccupied with dreaming and tensing muscles, Restorative Yoga provides an opportunity to achieve all four of these conditions.

The purpose of Restorative Yoga is two-fold. Restorative Active Poses awaken dull areas in the body to improve circulation and promote healing while Restorative Passive Poses induce deep relaxation and recuperation.

Some of the key adjustments to look for include maintaining round and soft lines in the body and avoiding sharp angles, readjusting props strategically to support the body, filling the space between the body and the earth and using enough props to create an even path for energy. Most of the adjustments in Restorative Yoga involve accommodating and giving support to the body with props. The basic props for Restorative Yoga are blocks, chairs, straps, bolsters and eye wraps.

Breathing during Restorative Yoga should always be easy and gentle, never forced or strained. Restorative Yoga encourages students to become aware of the sensations and feelings of breathing and provides a chance to experience breath without muscular effort that brings about opening, healing and a calm state of mind. Sometimes students will access deep feelings locked in the mind/body and may experience catharsis.

Experience Restorative Yoga’s benefits to the mind and body with this balancing and rejuvenating routine.

Begin on your back with knees bent and the hands on the midsection.

Centering Breath, which consists of two gentle breaths, followed by one deliberately slow and thin inhalation and one deliberately long and full exhalation.

Bridge Flow with Block: Come to bridge pose, with the support of a block underneath the tailbone/lower lumbar spine. Lift and lower hips, elevating when the lower hips are supported.

Abs with Block or Ball: Placing the block or ball between the thighs, 2-3 inches above the knees, engaging in abdominal work of you choice, which can include crunches or leg lifts, gently applying pressure to the block or ball.

Supported Bridge with Block: Placing a block or bolster beneath the feet and lowering back, relaxing the head down onto a blanket, opening the arms to either side.

Knees to Chest: Lying down on the back, bringing the knees to the chest and holding on to the back of the thighs.

Childs Pose Restorative with Bolster: Beginning on all fours, pushing the buttocks back on to the knees and lowering the upper body down. Chest rests on a bolster, completely relaxing, resting and breathing.

Cat/Cow with Block or Ball: Beginning on all fours, holding a block or ball between the thighs, 2-3 inches above the knees, for Cat Pose, rounding the back to the sky as the head lowers, and for Cow Pose, arching the back and lifting the chin.

Down Dog with Block: Coming to Down Dog, resting the forehead on a block or holding a block or ball between the thighs.

Crocodile / Plank Pose- Upper Body Warm Ups: For Plank, beginning in Downward Facing Dog and shifting forward until the shoulder are directly above the wrists. Pressing the heels back and reaching through the crown of the head with the back straight and abdominals firm, moving to Crocodile Pose, pushing forward with your toes and hugging your ribcage below the elbows. Lowering your chest, keeping your abdominals strong and hips stationary. Transitioning from Plank to Crocodile with Child’s Pose in-between.

Side Angle with Block: From a Warrior stance, bending your front knee and placing your forearm on a block on your thigh, reaching the top arm to the sky and alternating sides.

Sunflowers: Stepping back to face the long edge of your mat, feet spread, turning the heals in and toes out, coming down to a squat while bending the elbows and placing them next to the waist, knees straight out over the toes. On an inhale, moving the arms overhead and on an exhale hinging forward from the hips, reaching the tailbone back while maintaining a neutral spine as you sweep the arms to the floor. Flowing with the breath through repetitions.

For more information about Restorative Yoga, register for YogaFit’s Restorative Yoga training at yogafit.com.

Simple Side Dish: Roasted Vegetables

Playing with food is fun BUT sometimes we do not have the time for the set-up and clean up involved in preparing a healthy meal. Rather than turn to packaged foods or take-out options, there are ways that we can make cooking fast and easy.

My refrigerator is stocked with seasonal foods. I go to one of the local farmer’s markets each week and purchase produce for the week. If you live in a community where there is not a local farmer’s market, try to purchase items on the Environmental Working Groups “Dirty Dozen” List organically grown if at all possible.

In my household I make larger portions than I need for one meal so that I have healthy leftovers. Follow this recipe guideline and increase the volume to meet your family’s needs. This recipe is for 4 portions.

Roasted Vegetables

Serves about 2

Cook Time: Cook for about 30 minutes (each oven temperature varies)

Ingredients

10 small red skinned potatoes

5 small sweet potatoes

1 red onion

3 large bell peppers (colors of your choice)

– Or use what is in season for you at the moment

Options

Carrots

Turnips

Parsnips

Beets

Garlic

– Use different vegetables from time to time

Instructions

– Pre-Heat oven to 350 Degrees

– Cut the potatoes into small wedges of approximately the same size so they cook at the same rate

– Cut the onion by hand or use a mandolin. A wedge about the width of your little finger is best.

– Cut the bell peppers into large wedges. Start by slicing off the top and removing the stem and inner seed core. Cut down from top to bottom tip. Cut again lengthwise to make into smaller wedges if you wish. You can make this as labor intensive or as simple as you wish!

– Place the cut potatoes and onions on a piece of aluminum foil (I use Reynolds non-stick so I do not have to add extra oil to make sure they do not stick).

– Place the peppers on another piece of foil. These will cook faster than the potatoes and onions and will need to be taken out of the oven first.

– Spray the veggies with a SMALL amount of oil to keep some moisture in them. Sprinkle with pepper…crushed red pepper if you wish to be adventurous.

– Cook for about 5-10 minutes – Check after 15 to 20 minutes. The peppers may be done. If they look as if they are starting to get dark, you know they are done.You know the onion and potatoes are done when the onions look to have softened and the potatoes have a bit of a crust on the outside.

Serving Suggestions

Serve as a side dish to a sandwich/burger of your choice, lean chicken breast, pork chop, or piece of red meat.

Meal Upgrade

Dice up cooked protein (tofu, chicken, pork, red meat) or nuts into this dish. Serve on a bed of arugula.

Serve

Put in a bowl (or on a plate). You may wish to cut the peppers into smaller pieces.

Garnish with rosemary, parsley, basil, or arugula.

HINT

To make this more festive…use RED peppers near Valentines Day and GREEN peppers near St. Patrick’s Day.

Enjoy!

The beauty of this is that all you have to do now is throw away the foil and wash the cutting board and knife.

As we all journey to incorporate YogaLean into our lives we need to find ways to eat healthy and not cause ourselves MORE work. Baking in the oven and using non-stick foil are easy ways to prepare food without added fats…and to SAVE TIME. Enjoy playing with your food and eating healthy!

BIO:

Follow my cooking adventures on my blog, http://healthyrecipevariations.blogspot.com/