To get your FREE audio click here Also be sure to check out the Secrets of Stretching workshop w/ Howard VanEs Oct 23, 12:15 to 2:15pm
Would you like to safely go deeper into postures than ever you thought you could? Add an easy three to five inches to your forward bends? Bring your heels to the ground in downward facing dog ( if your even near close, you will!)? Go lower and more comfortably into squats?
In this fun and interesting workshop you will learn:
The latest in stretching principals and techniques.
New and interesting ways for stretching your muscles and joints.
How to reduce muscle soreness and reduce the risk of injuries.
How not to stretch – the mistakes that make tight muscles tighter.
How to safely go deeper into yoga postures.
Benefits of improved flexibility include improved athletic performance, reduced muscle soreness, reduction of injuries, better circulation, ability to go deeper into your yoga practice, access to more yoga postures, and feeling better in your body.
Where and when: Lafayette Health Club, 85 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette CA 94531, Ssturday, Oct 23, 12:15 to 2:15pm
Fee and Registration: $35 for pre-registration / $40 day of workshop. Register by sending an email to info@letsdoyoga.com or send your check payable to Letsdoyoga.com, to 4651 Antelope Way Antioch, CA 94531.
When our lives get out of balance we experience stress. The stress may come from work, relationships, health challenges, legal challenges, the environment or any combination of factors.
Stress in of itself is not so bad but when experienced regularly over time and our body/minds don’t have a chance to regain balance, disease states arise: irritability, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, feelings of helplessness, and indigestion.
Left unchecked chronic stress leads to depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, chronic anxiety, a compromised immune system, and many other health related problems. It is estimate that 70% of visits to the doctor’s office are for stress related issues!
A time honored way of bringing balance into your life is with a retreat. A retreat can help you regain balance and live healthier in a number of important ways. First, when you participate in a retreat you remove yourself from the regular of stressors of daily life and by doing so create an opportunity for your system to naturally come back into balance. Sometimes we have lived so long with stress that we have forgotten what it feels like to feel really good!
A retreat offers the possibility to feel good again. And having this time away you can gain a fresh perspective of what is causing the stress and consider whatyou might do to bring about a healthier lifestyle.
When you combine retreat time with a natural healing modality such as yoga you create an opportunity to renew and revitalize your entire system – body, mind and spirit, at very deep levels. You also have the opportunity to learn something new or deepen into the practice of yoga. And through this experience you may become inspired to practice regularly at home which will further bring balance and health into your life. This experience can nurture you for the rest of your life.
Of course the ideal retreat includes delicious and nurturing meals of whole foods, like minded people, time to play, and a sacred environment where the healing power of nature can support you: magnificent views, beautiful weather, the energy of the land itself, etc. It is for this reason that retreats are often taken in the mountains, forests, by the ocean, or on tropical islands.
Being in a beautiful natural environment also has another powerful effect; you are reminded of the grandeur and beauty in the world, and that in some way connected to this, regardless of what is happening in your life. We are reminded that there is something larger than ourselves, which leads to a mindset that is more open – open to fresh possibilities and the creative spirit.
Whether your stress comes from work, relationships, health challenges or a combination of things, a retreat can be the perfect way to rebalance your life, renew your spirit and live a healthier life.
Note: Howard VanEs and letsdoyoga.com will be offering a retreat to Sedona Arizona at beautiful Enchantment Resort, Oct 24- 29, 2010. Visit www.letsdoyoga.com for more information on this retreat.
So many of you have asked for a way to hear the names of yoga postures in Sanskrit that I have created a FREE short audio for you to listen to. It reviews standing and seated postures in Sanskrit and then said corresponding English. Here is the link to hear the audio: http://www.box.net/shared/vckcpfxpn
Enjoy and be sure to register to follow this blog as I will be posting every week and periodically giving away free yoga related stuff!
Namaste! Howard P.S. Be sure to check out the last post "Why more women practice yoga then men."
Did you know that on the average yoga classes are made up of 72% women and 28% men? So why are more women practicing yoga then men? I know of no scientific study that explains this but as a yoga teacher and a man here are my theories and comments.
Think they have to be super flexible. I can’t tell how many times I have heard guys tell me that they want to come to a yoga class but they didn’t think they were flexible enough. This is a big misconception! First of all, you come to yoga to improve flexibility and secondly if your muscles are tight, this is a good thing because your tight muscles will prevent you from injuring yourself. Those with hyper-flexible joints can easily sustain injuries because they push too far. Even if you consider yourself among the terminally inflexible, you will benefit greatly from yoga.
Think yoga doesn’t build strength. Many people view yoga as a series of simple stretching exercises (probably those who have never been to a yoga class.) At its best yoga seeks to balance flexibility AND strength. So if you are a guy and afraid you won’t be strengthening muscle let’s get you into a handstand for a few minutes and talk about it!
Not competitive enough. It’s true that competitive sports are fun – a great way to challenge yourself and interact with others. But playing competitive sports over time can take a toll on your body. Yoga is great compliment to any sport, can help reduce injuries and will enhance athletic performance.
The soft side. Yuck! (just kidding). There is a soft side to yoga – the spiritual and philosophical aspects, the gentle warm ups and cool downs, pranayama, meditation, and let us not forget to mention Shavasana! What macho guy in his right mind would want to experience these things? Ok, here’s the truth (at least as I know it) that to be our best, to be our happiest, to be balanced on the inside and out, we need to embrace our hard edges and the soft side, the yin AND the yang – our masculine AND feminine energies.
I would love hear your thoughts as to why more guys don’t practice yoga, weather you are man or woman! Email me at info@letsdoyoga.com
We are more than half filled now for our October 24th retreat to beautiful Enchantment Resort in Sedona Arizona. If you have been thinking about coming, here are 10 good reasons to consider registering soon.
1. Enchantment’s spa is one of the ten best in the world! 2. Breathtaking red rocks 3. Incredible hiking and biking 4. One of country’s 10 best drives 5. Yoga twice daily 6. Famous for its vortexes: healing energy spots 7. Great southwestern cuisine 8. Explore Indian artifacts and museums 9. Take a balloon, Jeep or train ride through the mountains 10. Do something nice for yourself - you deserve it!
Enchantment Resort in Sedona Arizona becomes top pick for Letsdoyoga.com retreat despite difficult economy. This will be our 4th. time there!
The decision way easy. We looked at facilities in California and retreat centers around Sedona but when we saw Enchantment we were, well, blown away!The setting is spectacular – Adobe style buildings built right into a red rock canyon. The spa is amazing - ranked #1 in the world for destination spas offering over 100 traditional and exotic spa treatments. On site there are six swimming pools, tennis courts, par 3 golf course, hiking trails, restaurants and so much more! It is a perfect blend of luxury and care for the environment. And Enchantment put a great deal together for us, making it all possible and affordable.
According to Enchantment Resort’s Director of Sales Lindsay Curry, “We love welcoming yoga groups to Enchantment like the one Howard brings from www.Letsdoyoga.com. This is an ideal facility for people to come together to hold group meetings and events, but focusing on a spiritual practice like yoga in a setting like ours truly embraces the best of what Enchantment Resort offers.”
Sedona offers an amazing backdrop for any convention or event but particularly for those wanting to feel closer to nature. Red rock spires, dramatic sandstone towers, and wind shaped mesas rise from the desert floor to create a mystical setting. Some of the many things to see and do in Sedona include exploring ancient Indian ruins, 1000’s of miles of the best hiking trails, driving one of the ten most beautiful drives in the country, train rides through the mountains/canyons, balloon rides, airplane/helicopter rides, horseback riding, golf, tennis, mountain biking,and the Grand Canyon (just a 2hr. drive).e
Wow, what a year 2008 was! The financial crisis has touched us all from Wall Street to Main Street. Many have lost their homes or their jobs, and we watched as our retirement savings went down the tubes. If you find your head spinning, and wonder what happened and what is going to happen next, you are in very good company. We are living in interesting times indeed! Yet in every cloud there is a silver lining. This can be the perfect time to rebuild our spiritual bank accounts and become happier and healthier. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Regaining balance: Financial advisors recommend that you periodically review and rebalance your financial portfolio as you get closer to retirement. Perhaps now is time to review and rebalance your life! There is a Chinese proverb that states: “crisis is opportunity riding on the dangerous wind.” What new opportunities can open up for you now? What is really important and makes life really worth living? What gives you passion? What do you want to keep in your life and what do you want say good bye to now?
Often what appears as a crisis turns out to be an opportunity for something better. A friend of mine just called to say that she will be loosing her job due to the economic down turn. I asked her if she was worried, and she replied: “The last two times I changed jobs I found better ones – with a significant increase in pay, better benefits and work that I enjoyed more.” She views loosing her job as a great opportunity. Another friend who had his hours cut sees this as a great opportunity to do more traveling and visit with his grandchildren. This might just be the perfect time to make an important change in your life too!
Lessons to learn: One of my favorite sayings is that “we have ideas of how we want to live life, and then life shows up gives us something completely different and often unexpected.” And this happens to all of us! But this is exactly when we get to learn some of life’s most valuable lessons. If these lessons came easy we would never pay attention. Sometimes we have to be slapped in the face to wake up. Loosing your job or your home is never easy or wanted, but there are valuable lessons to learn. What can you learn from your current situation?
Take care of yourself: Clearly we are living in stressful times. And this stress can take its toll physically, emotionally and spiritually. Maybe you are having trouble sleeping at night worrying about your 401K? Perhaps you get an upset stomach every time you look at the stock ticker, or you are feeling overwhelmed when you go to pay your bills. If you let stress build up, overtime it will lead to disease states like insomnia, high blood pressure, digestions problems, anxiety and mood disorders, etc. The good news is there is much you can do to handle stress and feel better. Mind-body practices like yoga, Pilates and tai chi are perfect for helping you deal with stress. Of course any exercise program will be helpful at reducing stress and improving overall health.
Here are a few more proven ways to negotiate stressful times: Keep a daily journal of your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Get a massage. Don’t allow yourself to become isolated – reach out to friends and family. Meditate. Pray. Take up a hobby. Eat well – sound nutrition is foundational to feeling good, overall health, and maintaining stress hardiness. And remember, this is just a moment in time - it will pass!
Surrender: To move from one place to another in life we have to let go of what we have had. We have to surrender to make it to the next phase. Sometimes it feels quite natural to surrender as in when we are really ready to take a next step, or become positively motivated to effect change in our lives. At other times the need to surrender is thrust upon us. Regardless of how it happens, the strategy for moving through change is the same and includes surrendering - letting go. How do you know it is time to let go? When you have done everything that is possible, its time to surrender - and let the great mystery of life take its course.
Howard Allan VanEs, M.A. is a wellness writer and certified yoga instructor located in the Bay Area of California. He is the author of Beginning Yoga: A Practice Manual, ABS! and Tight Shoulder Relief as well as numerous yoga audios and a health/wellness newsletter. Visit the website: http://www.letsdoyoga.com/ for free yoga downloads and the newsletter or contact him directly at info@letsdoyoga.com.
