Turmeric Tea
Turmeric is lauded for its healing powers in folk medicine and Ayurveda, it's even highly recommended as part of a Kundalini lifestyle. Research has shown that turmeric promotes digestion, reduces inflammation and joint paint, and even promotes cellular repair.
You may recognize it as the spice that gives curry its bold yellow colour, but some recipes, like this tea, allow turmeric to shine in its own sweeter, delicious right. A word of warning: turmeric is used as a dye for a good reason - it stains anything it comes into contact with, so best to wear an apron.
This is a paste that you can use for one cup of tea and then store the rest in the refrigerator. Making tea is very easy, and we provide a few customizable options for you to enjoy your own cup!
This can be made into iced tea by adding lots of ice to dissolved tea for summertime enjoyment.
Ingredients
1/3 cup local, raw honey...
Prenatal Yoga for the Perfect Birth by Jennifer Gillean
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could guarantee a desired birth outcome in some way-with yoga?! Insert EASY button here! As most of us have discovered, at least for the bigger events in our life, rarely do things unfold as we expect or can possibly plan for. So why do so many health professionals recommend yoga and meditation? Could this be the same reason behind the natural draw many women feel towards yoga when expecting?
Practicing yoga during pregnancy gives you a renewed opportunity to connect with your mind, body and heart, accepting all that arises during this transformational period in your life. During the Prenatal Series, we aim to support you at every stage of this exciting time while helping to build on skills of coping and more. In each session of the Prenatal Yoga series we will wade through mindfulness and breathing strategies (aka Pranayama) to align with where you are...
Yoga Therapy for Thyroid Health by Melissa Delaney
The thyroid gland is an incredibly important part of the endocrine system and can affect various systems within the body such as brain function, bone development, metabolism, as well as the cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems. Thyroid disorders can be linked to hormone imbalances, genetics, autoimmune disorders, reproductive health and may even surface as a side effect from certain medications. As with many health risks poor diet and stress can also impact thyroid health.
Unfortunately, thyroid disorders are common and if left untreated, can lead to serious health complications such as increased risk of osteoporosis and heart problems. To further educate yourself on thyroid health as well as keeping your thyroid healthy it is important to find an integrative thyroid specialist, get regular testing and follow a proper yet holistic treatment plan.
My interest in yoga for thyroid health comes from my very own experience with thyroid disease. I experienced the typical symptoms such as...
Calm Your Nerves with Yoga By Devinder Kaur
When we face a stressful situation (or a life-threatening one), a surge of hormones prepares us to fight or flee. Our heart rate goes up, our muscles tense, and we are on alert. This is a natural survival mechanism called “the stress response.” Depending on our circumstances, we might activate the fight or flight response many times during a day. Traffic, loud noises, work deadlines, frustrating thoughts, and other concerns bring on the stress response and activate the sympathetic nervous system. The repeated surge of hormones takes its toll on the body and, over time, this low-grade chronic stress leads to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and muscle tension. If your sympathetic nervous system repeatedly springs into action, there will be an imbalance.
The relaxation response is meant to counter the stress response and the effects of stress. Blood flow is redirected to the digestive and reproductive organs, and to the endocrine...
Turmeric is the most healing root for the body. It comes from the root of a plant which is grown mainly in India but it has been used in many countries for thousands of years as a healing food. It is known to be beneficial to the inner organs, the spine and the joints. It is purifying to the blood and promotes general good health. It also has external healing properties and can be used in masks and baths for the skin.
Golden Milk can help to repair damage to nerve centers caused by drug abuse. Drink it every day for 40 days.
When used internally, it should be cooked rather than raw, so that the body can more easily assimilate its healing powers. It is an essential nutrient for women over the age of 28.
Golden Milk is especially beneficial for stiff joints and provides a source of lubrication for the entire system. It includes both essential oils and turmeric, both vital...
By Maria Garre
We don’t have to search very far in the ancient Ayurvedic texts to find a simple definition of Ayurveda. Charaka, known as the first physician of Ayurveda, says “science where advantageous and disadvantageous as well as happy and unhappy states of life along with what is good and bad for life, its measurement and life itself” is Ayurveda.
To begin the healing process, we must first inquire and comprehend what made us sick in the first place. Understanding the root cause of illness is at the heart of Ayurveda. Often we want to get rid of the symptoms, put a band-aid on what pains us, without looking deeply and connecting the dots of our actions which led us to feel ill. This is the glory of Ayurvedic medicine as stated above. We should understand how all of our actions, from eating to exercise habits along with lifestyle choices, can sometimes serve us and sometimes not. Today’s nectar may very well...
With the tremendous benefits of yoga and meditation too numerous to name, these practices are definitively acts of self-love. In acknowledging that we are worthy of wellness, peacefulness and health, we are caring for ourselves when we show up on the mat.
This season of the heart, February, is such a critical time for self-care – particularly in colder climates where willpower is depleted just by meeting the basic needs of work and daily routines. In Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science, this is a very wet, dense season that corresponds to the Kapha dosha. To restore balance in body and mind, we should adopt practices that soothe and counter our personal constitutions. Some of us will need quiet practices in the warm room, and others need invigorating Kundalini and movement practices to keep us from slowing down into inertia.
It is an excellent season to practice daily self-love with the 40-Day Yoga Challenge. The Challenge at PranaShanti begins in February for a variety...
This is a guest post from Angela Regnier, to invite you to our January 23 workshop!
I often hear moans and groans in my Forrest-Inspired yoga classes when we are about to start the core sequences, but students regularly admit to me how beneficial and effective they really find them!
Here are a few reasons why core strength is so important:
Improve balance and stability –
By strengthening muscles in your lower back, hips, and abdomen, you will make every day activities and sports easier to enjoy. The transverse abdominis is an important and large muscle that yogis need to access. It is the deepest of all abdominal muscles that plays a huge role in supporting your posture – especially your pelvis and low back. Virtually every yoga asana (posture) and every movement you make in a day will improve with a stronger core.
Build digestive fire –
Some traditional yogic breathing exercises, such as kapalabhati and nauli, do much to activate...
This is a guest post from PranaShanti Yoga Teacher Jen Gillean, a Prenatal Yoga instructor.
It is no surprise that many women are drawn to yoga practice during their pregnancies. Most of us now know that yoga means union or connection to the universe through our physical being. And most pregnant women would agree that this is what they feel is happening as nature takes the driver's seat in their body. I mean think about it, each day a pregnant woman wakes up to find a stranger eating her food and literally claiming VIP status in her body! And yet, society expects pregnant women to "keep up" with the rest of us in this crazy, busy world.
In just 9 months, women must wrap their minds not only around what is happening to their body but also to prepare for their new role as mothers. Pregnancy is often a time to reflect on the types of values with which to raise your...
Start the new year by furthering your self-development and yoga education with Max Strom. If you love proven methods for living a happier, calmer life, and enjoy an accessible, intelligent yoga practice, this weekend is exactly what you need to start your year off right.
On January 15-17, we’re hosting Max for a four part series of seminars that will explore a transformational breath practice and gentle yoga, self-healing through strong vinyasa practice, and lectures and writing workshops inspired by his book: There is No App for Happiness – How to Avoid a Near-Life Experience.
Read on for praise for There is No App for Happiness, and learn more about Max’s weekend in Ottawa here.
In There Is No App For Happiness Max focuses on the many methods we are employing daily to isolate ourselves further from each other, and compares the effects of these trends to a kind of mass autism. Note he is not a Luddite: he offers examples of the...
