How to Cultivate Mental Clarity with Yoga!

Greetings wellness lovers! I hope you are having an excellent week!

Today I have a special article for you by guest blogger Valerie Johnston... all about the mental benefits of yoga! 

In college, I discovered the effectiveness of yoga when it came to managing stress... and ever since my first yoga class, it's been an essential element of my multi-weekly well-being routine. :)

Cultivate Mental Clarity with Yoga

By Valerie Johnston, Healthline

Photo credit: RelaxingMusic

Yoga is an ancientdiscipline that originated in India thousands of years ago. Since the practiceof yoga was introduced to the West in the late 19^th century, agrowing number of people became familiar with the discipline until it explodedin popularity in the 1980s. Over the last few decades, yoga has become ahousehold name and is practiced by people from all walks of life.  

A growing number of peoplepractice yogaas a part of their fitness program. Yoga can be used to increase flexibility,reduce the risk of injury, boost stamina, develop strength, and many otheraspects of fitness. 

There is also a strongpsychological component to yoga. Individuals who suffer from anxiety ordepression, for example, may find that they also have difficulty concentrating.Chronic anxiety and depression have a way of causing a mental fog that does notallow a person to think clearly. Other mental health disorders can also reducebrain function and cause cloudy thinking. Even if you don’t suffer from amental health issue such as generalized anxiety disorder or depression, you maystill struggle to maintain mental clarity. In the modern world, many of us areconstantly bombarded by information and live busy lifestyles. Yoga gives us away to slow down and clear our minds.

Adopting the Yogic Lifestyle

Developing positive mentalhealth takes a well-rounded approach. Self-acceptance, positive relationshipswith other people, personal growth, a healthy diet, and regular exercise,including yoga, are all important factors that contribute to improved mentalhealth. Without a healthy balance of these benefits in your life, it can bedifficult to maintain mental clarity.

Adopting a yogic lifestyleis easier than ever. There are a number of resources people can use to beginthe practice of yoga, no matter where you live. If you have access to a yogaclass, this is the best way to gain hands-on experience in the practice. An experiencedteacher can show you how to perform poses (asanas) that result in a healthiermind and body. Many people leave yoga classes feeling a dramatically improvedsense of well-being and mental clarity. These benefits typically extend intoone’s work life, social life, and family life.

If you don’t have access toa yoga class near you, there are plenty of helpful DVDs, books, and onlineresources that will help you get started. If improved emotional well-being andmental clarity are your goals, then look for resources that demonstrate how toperform poses that assist in achieving these objectives.

Focused Breathing and Yoga

While breathing is a naturalinstinct for humans, you may be surprised to discover that you do not breathein a way that optimizes your emotional and physical health. Deep breathing andfocused breathing are a common part of yoga practice. Developing properbreathing techniques can have a dramatic affect on your ability to concentratein any given situation. Proper breathing will also ensure that an ideal amountof oxygen reaches your internal organs and muscles, which will promote youroverall fitness.

Focusing the Mind

How often do you reach fordistractions in your everyday life? While there’s nothing wrong with listeningto an iPod, watching television, text messaging, or using other modern devices,there is a growing addiction to these distractions. Overuse of devices fordistraction can cause our mental well-being to become unbalanced, which canlead to memory problems, anxiety, lack of clarity, and other issues. Throughthe regular practice of yoga and other body-mind techniques, you will be ableto achieve higher levels of mental clarity, awareness, lucidity, and emotionalwellness. As an added advantage, you will also be able to improve your physicalfitness so that you both look and feel increasingly rejuvenated.

Valerie Johnston is a health andfitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running amarathon and writing for Healthline.comensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! What's your favorite mental benefit of yoga?

Have a lovely week!!

Xoxo,
Ashley 

Memorial Day Ice Cream Treat!

Greetings wellness lovers!

Today I was hoping to inspire you with a refreshing Memorial Day treat! It's sweet, creamy, cooling... and of course healthy! It boasts 14+ grams of fiber per serving, is high in potassium, very high in omega-3 fatty acids as well as protein, and is completely free of added sugar!

Memorial Day Banana Soft Serve

Ingredients:

• 1 large banana, frozen in halves
• 3 tablespoons milk of your choice (I used coconut.)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• dash of stevia, powdered or liquid (I used NuNaturals vanilla.)
• strawberries + blueberries, for patriotic color!

Directions:
Blend frozen banana halves and milk in a food processor. Add in chia seeds and stevia, Transfer to a bowl, and garnish with fruit! Simple. (Makes 1 large serving or 2 smaller.)

In terms of Ayurveda...
According to the 5,000+ year old ancient natural healing system of Ayurveda, this is an excellent balancing food for individuals of the 'Pitta' body type... or, in modern terms: people who tend to be competitive, driven, sometimes hot + fiery, type A people.

I hope you are having an amazing week!
xoxo,
Ashley

What's the Deal with Coffee? Is it Healthy or Not?

If just the idea of giving up your organic, fair-trade coffee seems completely unbearable, relax! You don’t have to necessarily abandon your beloved eco-friendly coffee mug in order to enjoy optimal health and well-being.

There are many different varying views and studies, each with their own evidence to validate their findings… coffee is healthy, wait, no it’s not. While studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I learned that there are just about as many benefits as there are not-so-desirable side effects to this favorite morning substance.

As a holistic health coach, my view is this: if you adore your morning Joe and can’t imagine living life without it, then keep enjoying it! Drinking coffee has been associated with positive moods, improved concentration and alertness, and increasing social-ability, among many other benefits. Plus… it’s loaded in antioxidants!

If you don’t already drink coffee, but read somewhere that it was healthy… I would recommend not trying to drink it if you weren’t into it already. A few of the less spectacular side effects include: increased feelings of stress, anxiety, irritability, nutritional deficiencies, adrenal exhaustion, and increasing the acidity of your body.

What is the Ayurvedic perspective?
Ayurveda, which is recognized by the World Health Organization as a complete system of natural healing, encourages natural states of being without the use of mood-altering substances.

If you have somewhat of a hot and fiery personality type (the Pitta dosha), then caffeine can be especially aggravating, increasing your chance of becoming out of balance. According to this ancient philosophy, if you decide to drink coffee… it is not recommended to drink it first thing in the morning. Because of its acidity, it can be irritating to an empty stomach. It is generally advised to enjoy a cup after your lunch instead; the reason for this is that it can be beneficial to digestion.

It really comes down to being mindful about when/why you are drinking it, and being aware of the beneficial or not so lovely side effects it may be having on you. And, it may be food-industry cliché to say this… but moderation really is key!

What is Ayurveda?

Hello wellness lovers!

Today I wanted to share with you... my favorite philosophy for optimal wellness and healthy living! After studying 100+ dietary theories last year at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, this one really aligned with me.

Ayurveda

When I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in January 2011, I remember being excited to learn about what I thought was, the dietary theory of ayurveda, to compliment my love of yoga and natural (real) foods...

However, what I've learned is that ayurveda is not just a dietary theory... but it is essentially a comprehensive ancient system of natural healing for optimal wellness, vitality, and balance. Basically, it's about eating with the seasons, enjoying 3 meals a day, selecting the best foods for your specific body type, and using natural remedies to heal ailments.

What is the definition of ayurveda?

In it's most basic form, it means "the science of life."

According to the Kerala Ayurveda Academy...


Ayurveda and Yoga are sister sciences and belong to the world’s oldest and most well-documented healthcare system. Ayurveda, the science (Veda) of life (Ayur), balances the body using natural therapies and herbal medicines and balances the mind. Yoga, the science of mind brings balance and purity to the body. The two complement each other and together act to achieve harmony of the Body, Mind and Spirit – which is the essence of true health. Knowledge of Ayurveda in today’s world is essential as it is aimed at the preservation of health and prevention of disease by establishing balance and harmony through nutrition, herbs, meditation, and daily routines. Ayurvedic science provides knowledge to unfold the reality beyond the physical body and achieve harmony of Body, Mind and Spirit. The World Health Organization recognizes Ayurveda as a complete natural health care system. 


Love this!


If you are interested in learning more about this ancient healing system, relevant to modern living... I invite you to stay in touch!

xoxo
Ashley
@TasteforHealthy


{Photo source}


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