Is the nagging pain in your neck and back distracting you and draining your energy?
Press PAUSE on your busy life with this free 10 minute "Yoga at My Desk" video to instantly feel better!
B L O G
Stressed to the max at work?
Oct 07, 2019
If so, you are definitely not alone and the truth is that way too many people feel this way!
Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your health and happiness, yet is something that far too many people deal with on a daily basis simply because they don't yet know what to do to ease the burden.
While some stress is helpful to get us up and motivated to take action, if left unchecked, stress can quickly take a toll on your body and your mind.
Take my client Emily for example: who when dealing with major family stress developed lower back issues and sciatica pain. Since it is very common for problems to manifest as physical symptoms it was essential that we integrated relaxation techniques plus stretches and exercises to help her feel like herself again and get out of pain. And thankfully she did!
Far too many people wait until they are in pain or are super stressed to take action because they think they just don't have the time, know how, or resources to change things.
Thankfully, there...
Desk job giving you neck and shoulder pain? Mini Yoga Breaks will help!
Oct 03, 2019
Have you ever said to yourself: It's not worth doing ______________
(fill in the blank with: Yoga or Stretching or Exercising) because I only have a few minutes?
If you have, you are definitely not alone! Learn more in this week's Vitality Tip!
It's funny how sometimes we use this logic on ourselves right?
By telling yourself: unless I have X amount of time, it's really not going to do any good or make me feel any better. FALSE!
The truth is: every little bit counts and does have the potential to make you feel better!
But the mind can be a funny thing sometimes. Talking you out of taking a few minutes to move, breath, and stretch by spinning a story about how its pretty much a waste of time unless you can do it for a long time......weird logic!
The truth is it is ideal to be moving your body frequently throughout the day, by getting up often, changing positions, moving around etc...all things that may not happen that often when you are working on a computer.
We all know how...
Deep Breaths for Less Stress Workshop
Sep 11, 2019
ARE YOU STRESSED? If you are like 50% of the population you just might be.
Stress, it seems, has become an epidemic, with many of you reporting in our recent survey that you feel stressed out at work more often than you would like.
But what can you do when you are dealing with long to do lists at home and at work, chronic tension draining your energy and no end in sight?
The mistake many people make is just to push through, drink more coffee, and take "unnecessary things" like exercise and mediation off the list of things to do.
It turns out that continually making this mistake is not only costly to productivity and happiness but can potentially be risky to your health.
Because it lowers immune function, increases chronic tension and increases blood pressure and cholesterol, stress is implicated in every major chronic disease from IBS, to heart disease, to obesity, to diabetes and cancer.
Ironically, the hustle and bustle pace of our busy lives means that making time to relax ...
Back to School, Back to You Challenge Starting Monday September 9th
Sep 05, 2019
It's back to school time so that means it's the perfect time to get back into your routine too!
Life can be busy and work gets hectic so that means its super important that you take care of yourself!
This 5 day mini challenge is the perfect way to kick that off and give you tools to:
-ease chronic tension in your neck and shoulders
-strengthen your muscles so you stand and walk taller
-have consistent energy all day long
-lower your stress levels
-boost your focus and creativity to get more done!
All in just a few minutes everyday because Yoga is amazing like that ;)
Ready to sign up? Right on! You can by joining the Yoga at My Desk Tribe here
Because it works on many systems and parts of your body simultaneously Yoga is the ultimate vehicle to help you optimize your health on all levels!
The hard truth is that sitting can take a big toll on your body so it is vital that you take breaks...
Think working out will prevent sitting disease? Think again!
Aug 27, 2019
You work out, you get enough sleep, and drink half your body weight in water everyday and if you are like most people you will think this is enough to stay healthy....but here's the crazy thing: it isn't. Many people mistakenly believe that just because they exercise regularly that sitting all day won't effect them. But unfortunately this just isn't true. Even people that work out on a regular basis are still at risk for sitting disease.
Sitting disease...what's that?
Sitting disease is a collection of risk factors used to describe the negative health impacts of a sedentary (or in-active) lifestyle. These risk factors include: obesity around the mid section, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood cholesterol. These factors make it far more likely that someone will get injured, get sick more often, get diabetes, develop chronic disease and even die younger.
Given that people sit anywhere from 7.8 to 11 hours a day sitting disease is becoming an epidemic in many industri...
No bones about it: Yoga is amazing!
Aug 12, 2019
By now I'm sure that you have realized that Yoga has a long list of benefits such as relieving back pain and neck tension, lowering your stress level and boosting your productivity to name just a few! But did you know that it helps you build strong and healthy bones too?
Pretty awesome right?
In the poses we are placing our joints in a variety of positions which helps to circulate their fluid and stimulates renewal of cartilage, tendons and ligaments.
Simultaneously, the bones are isometrically subjected to forces many times those of gravity, which causes them to grow stronger.
Yoga uses such a variety of positions that it stimulates the muscles and joints from all sides! Which is also fantastic for building strength AND maintaining flexibility.
This signals the mechanosensor cells within our bones called osteocytes, which then recruit osteoblasts, the cells that build new bone, telling them it’s time to get to work.
Within 10 seconds of...
Under pressure: How slouching is taking a toll on us and what we can do about it right away!
Aug 05, 2019
It's hard to avoid. We may not even realize we are doing it. It's far more common that you might think.
What am I talking about?
SLOUCHING!
We have only to look at this very telling photo to get a clear picture of what is happening to our spines when we slouch.
On the right we have Mr Blue, a shining example of strong posture. Notice how well aligned he is: ears over shoulders, shoulders stack over hips. This is the natural alignment of our spine; the one that allows easy movement, support for the spine, free flow of oxygen and energy.
On the left we have Mr Green: in the classically rounded over computer position. Notice how far forwards his shoulders are, not to mention his head! In a slouched C curve like this the amount of pressure on his lower back is 185 mm and his head is so far forward it is probably weighing in at 45 pounds. Likely rather uncomfortable to say the least!
So what can we do? Take reg...
Does working a desk give you lower back pain? Then it might be time to lunge and squat!
Jul 10, 2019
Spending a significant portion of our day seated can take a toll on us in many ways. One area of our body that is often effected is our lower back, that can get stiff and painful without regular movement.
Couple this with tension in the surrounding muscles: hip flexors, hamstrings and lower back muscles plus the extra pressure on the spine when seated and we could have a problem on out hands: LOWER BACK PAIN!
So what can we do?
SQUAT!!
Research shows us that doing hip flexor stretches combined with holding a deep squat is a powerful way to maintain lower back, hip and ankle mobility.
In just as few as 10 minutes a day we can go a long way towards keeping our spines healthy and pain free!
Mobility expert Kelly Starrett suggests that we start with 10 one minute squats every day, working our way up to a 10 minute hold.
Eventually, we want to work our way up to a more balanced ratio of time spent sitting, to time spent mobilizing our body….but we have to start somewhere right?
...4 Ways that Yoga Helps You Avoid Getting Sick!
Jul 03, 2019
At certain times of the year it seems like everyone around us is sniffling and sneezing right? With colds and flus going around like crazy it is so important that we do everything we can to stay healthy and keep our immune systems strong!
Remember the saying: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? Well it's true! The more that we can do on a regular basis to keep our vitality high the better, which means we will get sick less often and recover more quickly when we do.
Since it effects our body on many levels simultaneously, Yoga is an extremely powerful tool for boosting our immunity and keeping us feeling great. The key of course is to practice it on a regular basis to get maximum benefits and keep everything running optimally.
Curious how taking Yoga Breaks can help you avoid the sniffles, aches and fevers of cold and flu season?
Check out 4 ways Yoga helps you helps you avoid getting sick:
- Yoga helps to bring stress levels down to reduce inflammation and reduce s...
Lessons from my latest travel adventure!
Jun 25, 2019
Recently, I was so fortunate to be able to take 3 weeks off and travel to Canada, Ireland and Spain! I love to travel and explore the world so it was an absolutely wonderful experience. I believe that travel allows us to see ourselves and the world in a new way. Our eyes and hearts open to new sights, smells and experiences. These moments leave us feeling connected, inspired, expansive but also humbled by the vastness of life.
Ultimately, regardless of creed or color we are all so very alike. We love yummy food, delicious drinks, to sing, dance, and chat with friends, tell stories, be heard, be seen, to explore. And we all look more beautiful when we smile: eyes light up and hearts brighten and open.
Here are a few other nuggets from this latest adventure:
–If you get the chance, visit the homeland of your clan. You might be surprised at how much of the culture and personality you already embody even if you have never lived there. Being in Ireland was a fascinating exp
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