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Healthy Living

May 14
0

4 Benefits of Yoga

By Healthy Living, Hot Yoga, Uncategorized, Yoga

Everyone loves their yoga pants, but does everyone actually DO yoga in their yoga pants? And if not – why? Cause yoga is AMAZING!! 

Comfy pants aside, yoga is a uniquely holistic movement experience, and therefore, offers an amazingly broad set of benefits.  

The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuji,’ which means “union.” Appropriately, the practice is the union of physical movement, controlled breath, and disciplines of mindset. This combination of elements makes a regular yoga practice fertile ground for a wide array of benefits. Here are a few of our favorites.   

The Physical Stuff:  

We all know that movement is good for us. Any time we get off the couch or away from our desks and move our butts – Healthy Lifestyle, PLUS ONE. Sedentary Couch Potato, ZERO. There are a lot of different types of yoga. For more info on the various forms go HERE. Funky Buddha Yoga (hot power vinyasa), in particular, is an athletic form of yoga that provides a unique combo of STRENGTH + FLEXIBILITY. The “vinyasa” part of Hot Power Vinyasa refers to the fact that it is a moving form – we flow from one pose to another. This movement between static poses is particularly beneficial, as it mimics the functional movement that occurs in everyday life. If you are going to spend time getting stronger, why not get stronger in ways that help you in everyday movement? Sounds like a good plan, eh? We think so too.     

Sweat:  

At the Funky Buddha we like our yoga HOT. 95 degrees hot. There are a lot of reasons that we like a heated practice, but the one we like the most is the SWEAT. Getting sweaty is good for you. It increases heart rate, which increases blood flow, which moves lymph, which increases our body’s natural ability to detoxify itself. Regular sweating makes our body more responsive to changes the environment and increases our body’s ability to regulate temperature. Regular sweating helps to keep our skin and hair in a naturally good moisture balance. Oh, the benefits they just keep on coming!

Social Solitude:  

With the pace of modern life – the hustle, the constant attachment to our phones, the barrage of media, ALL the things – there has never been a time when people have been more simultaneously desperately in need of genuine community connection AND starved for meaningful individual solitude. While these two ideas seem diametrically opposed, a yoga class offers a place where people can achieve BOTH in one experience. A regular yoga practice offers scheduled time with other like-minded-self-care-focused humans, and yet, your yoga mat and your physical practice is all your own – a little rectangle of solitude in the warmth (both literally & figuratively) of community. 

Transferable Skills:

The ability to use breath control to affect one’s physiology (ex: heart rate, blood pressure, hormone release) is one of the most important skills of meditation and biofeedback. A consistent yoga practice offers a unique opportunity to regularly practice these skills in a non-stressful environment. A regular 60-minute yoga class offers the opportunity for 60 FULL minutes of mindful breathing. When else during your day would you practice controlled breathing for 60 minutes???  

Here is the SUPER great news. With enough practice (in yoga class), those skills of physiological control can be called upon when you really need them – in times of stress, anger, anxiety, depression, etc.  

  • Some dufus texting while driving cuts you off in traffic? As you feel the anger warming your body, a few deep breaths can actually CHANGE YOUR STRESS RESPONSE.  
  • Overwhelm at work making it difficult to make a decision? A couple minutes of quiet mindful breathing can reduce your cortisol levels and OXYGENATE your brain.  
  • So frustrated that you are about to lose your mind in an important meeting? A little internal self-talk and focusing on lengthening your exhales can get you BACK IN CONTROL.   

We could spend all day listing the far-reaching benefits that a regular yoga practice can bring to your life, but the truth is that you need to dip a toe into the pool and give it a try for YOURSELF to really appreciate what yoga can bring to your life. Hopefully this little list has at least piqued your interest. Give it a try! See you on your mat.  

Dec 17
0

How to Recover from a Few Days of Eating like Crap

By Healthy Living, Yoga

It happens to everyone – especially this time of year. Too many parties, too many drinks, too much food, too many sweets…..all so delicious, and all just TOO MUCH.

Life is about balance, and joy, and sometimes that means indulging in a little bit too much. Knowing how to bounce back efficiently is not just a tool for immediate physical recovery, it is a tool that will allow you to have more flexibility and balance and resiliency in your life. If you know how to effectively get back on your lifestyle wagon, it makes jumping off it once in a while much less scary.

A few days of eating like crap can throw even the spryest healthiest person into a downward spiral of bloat, lethargy, and just general UGHHHHH. As we all know, building healthy habits takes FOREVER, but breaking them….that’s another story. That can happen in just a day or two.

3 Tips for Getting Back on Your Wagon

1. HYDRATE. HYDRATE. HYDRATE. Did we say that enough times? HYDRATE.

fancy water ingredients

Super-hydrate in the morning. It will help ensure that you get enough ounces of fluid in you for the day. First thing in the morning, even before your coffee or tea, chug a Liter of water. Just do it. Chug-a-lug. If your overindulgence included alcohol, it doesn’t hurt to add some electrolytes into your morning water. There are a lot of products out there for this right now, here are a few of my faves: Emergen-C Electro Mix & LyteShow Electrolyte Concentrate.

Once you have gotten your morning hydration-blast in, commit to consuming a couple more liters of water over the course of the day. Do whatever you need to do to make this happen. Make your water fun & pretty. Need some ideas? Revisit this Infused Water Article from Yogis in the Kitchen.

2.  SWEAT IT OUT.

20171111-corp-yoga-fb-full-sized-045

We know you don’t want to. And it probably isn’t going to feel great. Pretty much guaranteed that it is not going to be the best workout of your life, but GO ANYWAY. Be gentle with yourself. Don’t expect maximum output, but go and MOVE YOUR BODY. Suffer through. Know it is going to suck, and just get to the other side. (Hint. Hint. Here is our Class Schedule. Pre-register for a class. Your body will thank you later.)

3. PACK YOUR LUNCH (and your snacks).

Tips for Not Eating Like Crap

Weekday food prep will save you. Eating at restaurants, even when you are trying to make healthy choices, exposes you to added salt, fat, & temptation (bread baskets?!?!?) that are unnecessary – especially this time of year. Save your indulgences for the parties and social gathering that make the holidays AWESOME!

Don’t forget to pack a couple (at least two) healthy snacks. Personally, I like to make sure that these snacks are nutrient dense, savory, and have some healthy fats in them. These are especially important mid-afternoon when your energy and attention start to wane. Here are a few ideas from Yogis in the Kitchen: Energy Bites & Pre & Post Yoga Snacks.

So, ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON. Eat the food. Drink the drinks. Share the cheer. Participate in the special holiday activities, social events, & parties that make your soul feel good. And then keep getting back on your wagon and do the things that make your body feel good. Happy Holidays Funky Buddhas!! <3

Dec 15
0

Why You Should Read The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

By Healthy Living, Yoga

It’s time for a book review from one of our lovely teachers, Lindsay!

If you want to make change in your habits, see insight to your past and current behaviors, and more effectively understand and communicate with others, you should definitely read this book!

How are the Four Tendencies different from other personality types classifications (like Myers Briggs or Enneagram)? Gretchen developed a framework that answers the question: How do you respond to expectations? In other words, what makes you act, or not act. The reason this insight into how you respond to expectations is so important, is that it directly impacts what you DO and don’t DO.

Your Tendency Page

Expectations come from two sources: outer expectations (what your boss assigns you) and inner expectations (your New Year’s Resolution). Whether you meet them or you fail at them depends on your Tendency. The Four Tendencies are: Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, and Rebel.

Quick Breakdown:

UPHOLDER

Upholders readily meet both outer and inner expectations with ease. They love rules and love planning (think Hermione Granger).

QUESTIONER 2

Questioners resist outer expectations but meet inner expectations. (They won’t do it because you told them to, they’ll ask why and comply if it makes sense for them.)

OBLIGER 2

Obligers meet outer expectations but resist inner expectations. We love doing things for others but can’t ever seem to find time for ourselves. (Sound familiar? I said “we” because I fall into this category, and so do most, as this Tendency holds the largest percentage of people.)

REBEL

Rebels resist both inner and outer expectations. They don’t ask why, but rather say “you can’t make me!” or they may be intrigued to actually do the opposite of what external sources ask.

What I learned:

As an Obliger, learning I need outer accountability to meet the inner expectations that I so often struggle with was a huge lightbulb moment for me. For example, say you have a personal goal to practice in studio 4x/week. Gretchen suggests that an Obliger like me would show up for someone else, but not myself (She’s absolutely right!). So, what do I do? Deliberately create outer expectations where there are none. An idea could be taking my friend’s yoga mat home with me after class and scheduling our next practice together. If I don’t show up, my friend can’t practice, and I would never want to be responsible for my friend not being able to get her sweat on (remember, Obligers are people pleasers), so I show up. Get it?!

This circumstance will only work for Obligers, because remember; Upholders and Questioners have no problem meeting inner expectations. Upholders want to work out, so they do. Questioners believe the why and have proof from how they feel after class. Rebels are like “you can’t make me practice more!” (They need to be tricked into thinking it’s their idea.) However, a Rebel may want to prove someone (even themselves wrong) “I’m not flexible, so I can’t do yoga, therefore I am going to show you by getting more flexible!”

Why Its Helpful to Identify Others Tendencies

After reading this book, I can empathize BIG TIME with my fellow Obligers and make strides to meeting personal goals by creating outer accountability for myself. I also learned techniques for effectively communicating to all Four Tendencies. Gretchen does a fabulous job speaking specifically to how spouses can speak to spouses, doctors to patients, teachers to students, and parents to children. Keep in mind, each Tendency responds differently to outer and inner expectations, which means “speaking to the whole” is speaking to All. Four. Tendencies. There is also a hilarious section in the book on signage, and how it’s possible to succeed or drastically fail to speaking to all Four Tendencies in a simple sign (you know, the one that someone left on the break room microwave telling you to keep it clean).

Curious about the Four Tendencies? Love taking online quizzes? You can take the quiz online here and it is also available in the book (which we have for sale at all three studios!) 😉

If you are super nerdy like me, and this stuff gets you RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED, consider signing up for next month’s 40 Days: Funky Buddha Style, where we will delve into The Four Tendencies, and lots of other similarly fascinating tools.

The 40 Days Curriculum includes:

  • Yoga Practice
  • Fun yoga tips, tricks, & drills
  • An introduction to the science of meditation
  • Skill building to develop a meditation and home yoga practice
  • Journaling & self-inquiry

But, best of all, you’ll learn and practice specific and clear tools to better understand yourself. What better way to start 2018?

—Linds

Nov 15
0

More or Less: Smartphone Edition

By Healthy Living, Yoga

Serious about finding more time in your day? Lindsay is our Funky Buddha advocate for minimalism. Read about what boundaries she recommends to keep your smartphone from sneakily stealing away your time/life.

My phone used to be a huge distracting and time wasting device. I would do the scroll, impulse buy, get lost in reading depressing news article after news article after news article. And I could never seem to get rid of the itch to click the home button for fear-of-missing-out (aka  FOMO). Over a year ago, I made a few simple changes on my device and with my habits to “un-plug” without missing out on any features my phone has to offer.

Here are four easy ways you can disconnect:

Turn off notifications.  As. Many. As. Possible. Have you ever caught yourself compulsively checking for a new text or email? Me too. It’s a habit. After clicking on a hilarious text or a picture of a cute baby, your brain got the reward of momentary happiness and is now seeking more. Then, because you did it so many times, the pathway was ingrained and your brain kicked into autopilot. But guess what? The way to change any habit is to first be aware of it. And now you are! Woo-hoo! I recommend turning off ALL social media notifications AND email notifications (more on why later). I keep my text and phone notifications on, but I don’t carry my phone in my pocket, and when I’m home, it’s face down on the kitchen counter. I make the conscious choice NOT to check my phone while I’m at home playing with my kids. Setting this example is super important to me. The result: I get to fully be present for them. I get to watch them play and grow and learn. I get to listen to them, laugh with them, and really see them.

Unsubscribe and Unfollow. Do this. Not just once, but constantly. Evaluate everything that comes into your mailbox and everything in your feeds. I try and unsubscribe from all advertisements. (Careful, they’re sneaky and always creep back in.) Blocking these ads has made me more content and less triggered to shop. My inbox slowly started emptying, and all that was left was the good stuff. This also made the task of checking email quicker by cutting down on the volume of emails. By censoring my input, I make a deliberate choice about what is important to me. Consider this next time you’re scrolling Instagram or Facebook. Unfollow every “meh” and keep every “hell yes!” Then, when you set aside time to mindfully check your email and feeds, it will be perfectly curated for you by you.

Only check email/social media at scheduled and timed intervals. Remember when you turned off your notifications? This is why. Schedule time(s) to check your email and then, during that time, only check email. Do nothing else. Pick a time that’s good for you. Experiment. Get curious. Challenge yourself! That means when you get the urge to check for new emails and it’s not your scheduled time, notice the urgency come up. Feel the feeling. Take a deep breath, and return back to the task you were initially working on. Again, just bringing your awareness to this habit makes positive change possible. I don’t check Instagram until after completing a healthy daily practice (like meditation, yoga, or writing). Then it’s like a little reward. (After I sit down to meditate, I can check Instagram for 5 minutes! *Insert clapping hands emoji*)

Phone Clear the home screen

Clear the home screen. You’ve unsubscribed and unfollowed and you still find yourself picking up your phone out of habit? Now we need to hide the candy bowl. You know–the candy bowl that sits out on the counter and makes it damn near impossible not to take a chocolate as you walk by. Put the candy in the cupboard. Hide it. Even more effective, get it out of the house. You getting the analogy? Set your home screen to an image that is calming or inspiring. Delete apps you don’t use. Delete apps you feel icky after binging on (news sources, Facebook, Amazon Prime, anyone?) Next, put all your remaining apps in a folder on the second page. Just seeing the app (candy) would make me want to click on (eat) it. Now, because they are hidden in a folder, (but still on my phone) I use the search option to find the app I’m looking for when I need it. For iPhone users, swipe left on the unlocked home screen and the search bar comes up at the top. Does this take a moment longer? Sure it does. But it forces me to pay attention to what I’m doing, so it’s worth it for me.

IMG_4204

Today, I use my phone to connect with people, get directions, take pictures, and schedule my next yoga class 😉 . Decide what you want your phone to do for you, and make it happen. Your daily productivity will skyrocket, and this won’t even be the most precious benefit. I used to think more was better, but I’ve learned, the more I strip away the excess, the more I make space and time for what’s important.

More or Less Smart Phone Edition Linds

Apr 11
0

Yogis in the Kitchen: Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Salad

By Healthy Living, Yogis in the Kitchen

grilled buffalo cauliflower

Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower (Salad)

If you have not had Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower…..where have you been?!?!? It is SO amazingly delish. Have it by itself, have it on a salad….pretty much just EAT IT. Nom nom nom. #grillseason

Step 1: Make the tasty delish Buffalo Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Franks RedHot Buffalo Sauce
  • 1/3 cup butter (or butter alternative)
  • 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and heat in sauce pan until bubbly. Set half aside for later.

Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower

Step 2: Roast the Cauliflower

  1. Cut cauliflower in big chunks and put in a Ziploc bag along with half the Buffalo sauce.
  2. Gently massage/toss the cauliflower to let it soak up the sauce for 15 minutes or longer.
  3. Heat your grill to medium high heat, grill the cauliflower for about 20 minutes (turn every five or so minutes.)
  4. Remove from heat and immediately put in a container with a lid, let sit for 10 minutes.
  5. Chop cauliflower into delicious bite size pieces

grilled buffalo cauliflower

Step 3: Prep the Blue Cheese Dressing & Salad

Blue Cheese Dressing

  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Add a splash of milk to thin to desired consistency

Salad

  • 4 stalks of celery
  • Equal amount of carrot
  • 1 bunch of green onion (about 7)
  • Sliced Avocado
  • Your choice of greens

grilled buffalo cauliflower

Step 4: Build Your Salad Yo’

Assemble and enjoy! Add more buffalo sauce and finish it off with blue cheese dressing. If you are feeling super sassy throw on some blue cheese crumbles. Yessssssss….

From your yogi in the kitchen,

Christina

Nov 17
0

Holiday Self Care…Fa La La La La…..

By Healthy Living, Yoga

holidayself-care

Holiday Self Care

So, I am the worst and the best person to write an article about Self Care because I am terrible at it – like the worst – like really bad. I put self-care items on my calendar, and then cancel them, despite the wisdom of prioritizing them. I run a million miles an hour until my body literally tells me to stop. I am that person.

If you are like me, your life is busy, and if you are lucky, like I am lucky, life is busy with things that you love, enjoy, and that fill you up: family, friends, work, yoga. Now add on top of that the joy, excitement, and routine destroying crazy that is the Holidays. You get the drift.

Let me just say, “I love the holidays.” For. Real. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. To me, Thanksgiving is all the best stuff from the gift-giving holidays, but with less mess and wrapping paper. But, I also have small children, so the gift-giving and Santa portion of the holiday season holds an undeniable thrill for my household as well. And…the little white lights….if it were up to me there would be little white lights all over everything year round.

But, it is exactly this inherent overpouring of holiday positivity that can sneak up on me and bite me in the butt when it comes to overwhelm. Ironic, eh? It is really just an extension of the rest of life, but hopped up and magnified by sugar and Holiday Parties.

How can a person be overwhelmed and stressed when all of the things in their life are GOOD things? Well, let me tell you…..it can happen. It does happen. Hell, I would go so far as to make the bold prediction that it could very well happen TO YOU (at some point).

So here is some little “preemptive strike” stuff that you can try, and when done consistently, it really does help make for happier, healthier, and more resilient busy people. I am focusing this article on little things – the tiny things. The big stuff is amazing too, and we definitely should ALL make time in our schedules for The First EVER Funky Buddha Rest Fest on Saturday, December 10th (See how I slipped that little plug in there?), but it is the little stuff that saves my sanity every day. None of this stuff is magic. It is simple. Sometimes we all just need a little reminder that we are not alone, and everyone is running around with their hair on fire a lot of the time.

  1. Breathe. If you are like me, “a regular daily meditation practice,” is on my TODO list. Like the full on, sitting on the cushion 20-30 minutes a day kind of meditation practice. Every piece of science and logic point to this being a VERY VERY VERY good idea – like the best idea ever. But, for today, let’s just talk about breathing – on purpose – like you do in your yoga practice – EVERY morning when you first wake up – BEFORE you pick up you phone. This has really worked for me. Every morning, before I pick up my phone, I situate myself in my bed like a little mini-good-morning-savasana and I take at least 10 long slow breaths, often more, but ALWAYS 10, even if I am running behind. It takes less than 2 minutes.

FYI. If a regular more formal meditation practice is also on your TODO list, this strategy of habit making has been proven to work by many Funky Buddhas. 5-10 minutes of meditation every morning – first thing – BEFORE you pick up your phone. It is the before you pick up your phone thing that really makes this work. All the sciencey stuff about cues, rewards, habit loops….blah blah blah. It is all real stuff. It totally works.

2. Say No. Again, so simple….and yet….. There have been entire books written about this, workshops that you can attend, consultants and life coaches that make a living focusing on this specific topic.

The flip side of this, for me, is to “Say Yes, but when it is strategically feasible.” Figuring out how to do this well is important for everyone. In my life, this plays itself out most prominently at my children’s schools. Like every working parent – really, like every parent – in the world, we want to be great at ALL THE THINGS. Great professionals. Great parents. Great friends. Great community members. ALL. THE. THINGS. We want to participate at our children’s schools and attend all of the events. We all know.

I want to be the parent that is present at her children’s school. However, I had to have a stern talking-to-with-myself earlier this year about how to do this in the most strategically feasible sanity-preserving way. Sometimes, I am not going to be able to make a home cooked creation that represents our family’s culture and ethnicity for a mid-week potluck. Because if I am going to do it, I want to do it well, and some weeks that is a possibility and some weeks it is just NOT. So instead, I donated money that was used to buy extension cords to power the 6 bazillion crock pots. And Boom! Community participation. Someone has to buy the extension cords. This time it was me, and that is okay.

In Holiday-land this translates to, “be strategic about where you expend your festive energy.” What events/parties/school activities are the most important to you and your family? What things do you WANT to go to? What things are feasible for you to attend? Is there a way for you to consolidate your Holiday Cheer – like see a bunch of people that you want to see at ONE time? How can you make your housewarming contributions easier (I buy a case of my favorite mid-level-yummy-enough-be-a-treat-but-not-so-yummy-that-it-breaks-the-bank wine to have on hand for holiday shindigs)? Catch my drift? At least worth a some thought before you socialize yourself to burnout.

3. Thank Yous. This one really really works for me. Call it gratitude training, call it good old fashioned manners, call it whatever you want. I am a believer in the Thank You. There are so many reasons to believe in the Thank You. Gratitude. Kindness. Grace. An exercise in really seeing the people around you every day.

I believe in the Thank You every day, but I especially believe in the Thank You when I am stressed, busy, at my wits end…..and especially when I don’t feel gracious. You know the feeling. I am not talking about being flippantly positive when things and or people are crappy. I am talking about when it is YOU. You are stressed. You are agitated. You are sad or grumpy. Making a conscious effort to spread the Thank Yous on thick really does help – not always in the moment, but in the net positivity you experience for the day. And so often what happens, is that someone’s response from your Thank You can have the power to snap you out of your funk and get you back where you want to be mentally and emotionally.

There you have it, just a couple little coping mechanisms that might help you in your day-to-day, and if nothing else, just the acknowledgement of the crazy. Sometimes that is all we need, just a little camaraderie as we bustle about, spread holiday cheer, get shit done, and do the very best we can.
XOXO,
Anna

Jul 12
0

How to Maintain Your Yoga Practice In Summer

By Healthy Living, Hot Yoga

How to maintain your yoga practice in summer

We get it, it’s summer.
It’s HOT.
Maybe, just maybe, the last thing you want to do is sweat even more in the heat.

BUT, hear us out. Keeping up your Funky Buddha Yoga practice in the summer is not only important, but can be fun too! Here are a few things to keep in mind, some extra motivation and fun ways to hit the mat even on those muggy Michigan days:

  • Plan your practice like you’re making an appointment. Scheduling your yoga-week ahead of time, maybe Sunday night, will help you commit to the week ahead and give motivation to get out the door and on to your mat.
  • Think about how you feel after class. Even on days when it seems impossible to practice, thinking about how great you feel after a great session of sweating, twisting, and flowing can get you over that hump and out the door. Actually take a couple of seconds to really imagine how great you feel after a practice. It may seem silly, but deliberate positive visualization makes all the difference.
  • Heat training. By consistently putting your body into the heat, you’re training yourself to go through the motions of staying calm, managing your breath, and creating the tools you need to stay active, no matter the temperature.
  • Maintaining routine. Some of us love routine and some of us do whatever we can to avoid it. Either way, staying in a rhythm with your practice will make transitioning back into the studio smooth and painless once temperatures drop and fall schedules rev up.
  • Extra sweat = extra detoxification. The more that you sweat the more that you release harmful toxins from your system.
  • The delicious satisfaction of choice. Let’s face it. There is no denying, we are in the deep part of Michigan summer. It is HOT. It is HUMID. You are going to sweat no matter what. You might as well be sweating purposefully, with a specific benefit in mind. Take that 90-100 degree days!

FUN THINGS COMING UP:

See, plenty of ways to get back in the swing of things in studio, through events or every week during our Outdoor Summer Classes on the lawn, roof and park. The yoga possibilities are never-ending.

Beat the (down)Dog Days of Summer and make room for more yoga in your life.

 

Jun 15
0

Yogis in the Kitchen: Watermelon Salad Recipe

By Healthy Living, Yogis in the Kitchen

What’s better than watermelon in the summer?watermelon salad recipe

Christina puts her own twist on a watermelon salad – sweet & savory. Here’s a super easy and super delicious watermelon salad recipe for your next outdoor party:

Portion: 8
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • One seedless watermelon
  • Two seedless cucumbers
  • Two medium shallots
  • One bunch of mint
  • Dressing
    • Half a cup of balsamic vinegar
    • 1/4 cup evoo
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

I use a melon baller to get the watermelon in small bite-size pieces, but you can always chop it up into pieces instead.

watermelon salad recipeI like to layer half the watermelon, cucumber, shallots, and mint then put on the dressing and repeat with the rest of the ingredients. Let everything marinade for about 15 to 20 minutes, toss, and serve chilled.

This is hands-down my favorite thing after a warm summer day by the pool or beach side. It’s super refreshing, plus it helps re-hydrate after being out in the sun. If you think it sounds like a weird combo of stuff, don’t worry, it works!

If you don’t believe me just ask Adam at the front desk in Eastown (getting him to share this salad is not easy). Enjoy and as always, eat well and do yoga!

watermelon salad recipe

May 23
0

Mini Spring Restart

By Healthy Living

The weather is finally getting nice. Michigan summer is on the horizon! Last month we conquered spring cleaning your living space. This month, we have some ideas for dealing with the dietary sluggishness that sometimes accompanies seasonal changes.

When the seasons change, we often have a little “blah” when it comes to food. Soup and tea doesn’t sound quite as good, but we aren’t quite ready for watermelon and lemonade. Your friendly neighborhood yoga teachers Christina & Jen W. are here to help! Here are some helpful tips for a 3-day mini spring restart (with extra recipes and suggestions below).

lemon water for mini spring restart

Day One

  • Start you day with warm lemon water or tea (try not to add any sweetener)
  • Jen W. has a great recipe for Kitchari! Eat your Kitchari for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you get hungry throughout the day, eat fruits, veggies and/ or a few nuts to re-energize.
  • End your day with warm lemon water or tea

Day Two

Pretty similar to Day One, instead of kitchari for all three meals of your day, sub in a green smoothie for either for breakfast or lunch.

Day Three 

Again, keeping things simple and substitute either breakfast or lunch for a meal that’s packing probiotics. For example: yogurt (look out for too much sugar), miso soup, Kim chi, kalaf, the list goes on.

Bonus Mini Spring Restart Tips:

  • Buy and use a tongue scraper! You will be surprised how much stuff is on your tongue (yuck). Also, your tastes buds replace about every three days and this helps get rid of the old ones.
  • In the days before your restart, start cutting out or cutting back on sugary foods, high in salt foods, high in fat foods, booze, and caffeine.
  • Pay attention to how much you are eating and feel the difference between full and satisfied.
  • Drink more water! At least 8 glasses a day. For something special, add in lemon water or caffeine-free teas.
  • DO HOT YOGA!
  • Get plenty of sleep – ideally 7 hours minimum.

Remember, this mini spring restart is meant to be a way to help get your gut back online (or on track if you like a little GI humor), so take it easy, remember the tips and enjoy how you feel after your restart!

-Christina G.
Funky Buddha Instructor

May 22
0

Yogis in the Kitchen: Kitchari Recipe

By Healthy Living, Yogis in the Kitchen
image1

A cleansing recipe from our very own Jen W.

When I fall away from good eating habits or over-indulgent in food and drink, or even just when the season is changing, I eat kitchari for a few days.

I worked a long while at an Indian restaurant when in college and learned what I could. On top of that, when I did my yoga training, my teacher studied and practiced Ayurveda – the ancient Indian health and wellness system (which may sound exotic, but really includes lots of practical and common routine self-care acts like drinking warm lemon water in the mornings, swishing your mouth with coconut oil, and tongue-scraping).

She taught us to eat Kitchari one day a week to ease the digestive system from all the wild variety of foods we have access to in our lives, and to load up on the amazing nutritive qualities of this concoction. You can also eat kitchari for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a few days to give your system a longer and seriously soothing overhaul.

I’m the kind of cook that doesn’t own a measuring cup and eats most of my meals straight from the fridge while standing over the sink, ready to rush off to the next thing. So here’s my quick and dirty version of a kitchari recipe:

  1. Put about a cup of rice and split lentils (preferably mung bean or yellow daal) in a pot and rinse well.
  2. Add about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes.
  3. While this is happening, put a small handful of unsweetened coconut flakes, fresh cilantro and a little nub of ginger in a blender with 1/2 cup of water and blend.
  4. Add 1-2 tbsp of ghee (or good butter), the blended stuff above, a cup of chopped vegetables (I usually use sweet potato, carrots, peas, or whatever is handy, really) and a little tumeric and salt to the boiling stuff and give it a stir.
  5. Simmer with a lid on for 25-ish minutes. It should be squishy and mushy and heavenly.

I eat this 3 times a day, as much as I want of it to feel full and really nourished, then store it in a thermos so I never have to cool and reheat it. I start over cooking a brand new batch the following day (Ayurveda-style is to not eat leftovers if you can swing it).

And that’s kitchari!
– Jen W.
Funky Buddha Instructor

Interesting, right?! Here’s another recipe for kitchari on yoga journal with an additional explanation about its purpose.