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Source http://dailycupofyoga.com/2017/01/13/4-steps-to-get-lean-in-todays-fattening-society/

By Shannon Leavitt, M.S., R.D.

It’s no secret that modern life makes it tough to ignore popular food trends and lead a healthy lifestyle. Today, being sedentary and consuming the food industry’s addictive combinations of fat, salt, and sugar is simply easier than being active and preparing or procuring healthy food. It doesn’t help that we are continuously subjected to double messages about body image and health that are disheartening and confusing and result in either a desperation to change or passivity. The message to look like a model clashes with the fact that being out of shape is the new normal.

It’s easy to be seduced by the latest fast fitness or diet plans that are peddled in the guise of a real solution, even though, as is widely known, these programs are rarely effective and sometimes even harmful. The highest goal of a wellness plan needs to go beyond just losing pounds to learning the lifestyle that will improve your health and keep weight off for good.

Here are four steps to becoming leaner in 2017 and for life:

1. Embrace a holistic lifestyle. A holistic lifestyle focuses on health first, weight loss second, and is the only sensible approach to…

Source http://dailycupofyoga.com/2017/01/30/5-meditation-practices-you-need-to-know-about/

Meditation has come a long way since it first became popular in the West during the 1960s. Some of the most popular and effective methods are now backed by scientific evidence, showcasing the benefits meditation has on the body and our mental health. While meditation has been around for ages, only recently has it become a part of popular Western culture.

Currently in the modern world, there are five meditation practices that have stood the test of time. The reason for this is that they provide the most successful results, some of which can be felt after only one session. In this article, you’ll learn what these five methods are and how you can benefit from practicing them. Each of the techniques should be practiced for at least 20 minutes to have maximum impact.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness was developed to help us place our attention fully in the present moment. It doesn’t have a focus on spirituality; its sole purpose is to teach the student awareness of presence. What are the benefits of this? When we learn to become fully present, we can see our thoughts as separate from us, meaning we …

Source http://www.fannetasticfood.com/good-eats-moves/

Hey guys! I hope your weeks are going well. 🙂 I’m sad my New Mexico adventures are over, but it’s been nice to be home and get back in the swing of things! On Monday, I slept in a bit (I didn’t get home from the airport until 1 a.m. on Monday – ack) and then enjoyed a delicious breakfast at home. Two fried eggs + leftover roasted sweet potatoes with ketchup + some greens (wilted in the microwave) and sauerkraut. Plus a couple strawberries! Filling and yummy!

The sweet potatoes were left over from this awesome dinner we had last Thursday right before I left town; Matt made us steaks with sauteed spinach, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. So good!

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Source http://www.sonima.com/yoga/yamas-and-niyamas/

THE BASICS OF YAMAS

Yamas are social observances—the way that you regulate behavior in relation to others. They are also powerfully transformative for the individual, bringing greater clarity and stability to the mind. Within this first limb of yoga, there are five yamas and each one can be considered a specific sādhana (a practice leading directly to a goal) that moves you closer to the state of yoga. The last yama, aparigraha (non-grasping), is the culmination of perfection of the yamas. Patañjali calls the yamas mahāvrata, which means great vows.

1. Ahimsa is synonymous with non-violence. It literally means not causing injury or pain to any other living being. You should aim to practice ahimsa not only by your actions, but also in your speech and thoughts as well. When you follow ahimsa at all times, you are not shadowed by the potential threats that come back to you as a result of your actions, whether physical, verbal, or mental. Patañjali says that one who practices ahimsa perfectly will influence all around him and they will also become non-violent.

2. Satya means truthfulness or honesty. You should practice it not just in words, but also in your thoughts and deeds. You should not speak the truth if it brings pain to others, but find ways to communicate truthfully without causing pain. A…

Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/XsKz2LrwxIM/

“If you want to be happy, don’t do something you don’t like. Don’t say something you don’t mean. Pretending and lying to yourself will only breed unhappiness.” ~Michael Lee

Do you like your job? Do you love your partner? Are you happy? You may answer yes to these questions, but is that what you believe deep down?

Most of us go through life pretending rather than living. We find it easier to tell ourselves that we feel good about something or someone than to admit we don’t. After all, contentment doesn’t require action. By convincing ourselves we’re happy when we’re not, we avoid the difficult decisions that would be necessary to change our current situation.

If we pretend everything is fine, there’s no need to quit that job we hate. We don’t have to contend with all the risks, fears, and potential disapproval we might face from friends, loved ones, and colleagues if we leave it behind.

We don’t have to tell our partner that we aren’t in love with him or her anymore or that we aren’t happy in our relationship.

We don’t have to swallow our pride and ask for help when we need it becaus…